Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 48

"Being an RA was one of the most
profound experiences of my life.
From handling mental health crises
to roommate conflicts, leaking toilets
to educational programming, policy
enforcement to time management, being
an RA helped me develop the skills I'd
need to be successful in all aspects of
my life. I learned to be solution-focused,
not problem-focused, to confidently and
compassionately find and use my voice,
to graciously lead, to be an advocate
and ally for those whose voice has been
marginalized, and to develop a growth
mindset that helps me embrace change,
develop new skills, and learn something
new each and every day."

Although most residents are satisfied with their RA's efforts to get to
know them, the differences between those who were satisfied and those
who were neutral or dissatisfied are stark and compelling. Overall, the
time invested by RAs in developing relationships with residents appears
to be time well spent. That effort can be seen in the experiences, learning,
and satisfaction of their residents.
Over the last decade, many things have changed for our students,
but an examination of the most recent national data reinforces the
importance of an RA to the resident experience. More than 330,000
residents responded to the 2013-14 ACUHO-I/EBI Resident Assessment,
which asks about resident experiences, their perceptions of RAs, and
what they learn from the on-campus experience.

Amanda Knerr, Executive Director of Residential
Life and Housing, Indiana State University, Terre
Haute, Indiana

Similar to the 2003-04 ACUHO-I/EBI Resident Assessment, the most
recent survey asked how satisfied residents are with their RA's efforts
to get to know them. In the 2013-14 assessment, 65 percent of residents
were satisfied that their RA got to know them, 29 percent were neutral,
and 6 percent were dissatisfied. Thus, just as a decade ago, most residents
had a relationship with a student staff member. We again compared those
who were satisfied with those who were neutral and dissatisfied. We
looked at a wider range of outcomes to explore if the differences from a
decade ago were prevalent again and whether they were apparent across a
variety of domains.

"I am grateful for my experience serving
as a student staff member as it allowed
me to learn the art of interpersonal
relationships, group dynamics, and
general skill development. The experience
inspired me to think creatively, ask
deeper questions, and balance passion
for my position with the reality of properly
focusing on my academics. In hindsight, I
realized how much I learned about being
proactive versus reactive with sharing
resources and facilitating processes."

The 2013-14 results of these comparisons were consistent with those
of 2003-04, meaning that there were stark and compelling differences
in the experiences, perceptions, and outcomes of residents who were
satisfied with their RA's efforts to get to know them when compared to
those who were neutral and those who were dissatisfied. For example, 63
percent of 2013-14 residents who were satisfied with their RA's efforts to
get to know them indicated that living on campus enhanced their ability
to meet other people, compared to 37 percent of those who were neutral
and 34 percent of those who were dissatisfied. Similarly, 64 percent of
satisfied residents reported that living on campus enhanced their ability
to live cooperatively, compared to 37 percent of the neutral and 34 percent
of the dissatisfied. Also, 62 percent of residents who were satisfied with
their RA's efforts to get to know them indicated that living on campus
enhanced their ability to improve interpersonal relationships, compared
to 35 percent of those who were neutral and 32 percent of those who were
dissatisfied.

Hilary Lichterman, Associate Director of
Residential Learning Initiatives, University of
South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

"In my time as a student staff member,
I learned three main lessons. The first is
facilities ownership: Take responsibility
for the environment in which you live and
the care for what is around you. Second,
consistency is critical to everything we do.
Last, putting up a great bulletin board is
important but not as important as getting
your paperwork done on time."
Todd Porter, Director of Residence Life, The
Juilliard School, New York, New York
48

talking Stick

In addition to interpersonal skill development, RAs also support
development of other life skills, including conflict resolution, problem
solving, and time management. Among those who were satisfied with
their RA's efforts to get to know them, 56 percent of residents indicated
that living on campus increased their ability to resolve conflict. Only 30
percent of those who were neutral and 27 percent of those who were
dissatisfied indicated an increase in conflict resolution skills. Additionally,
57 percent of residents who were satisfied reported that living on campus
enhanced their ability to solve their own problems, compared to 35
percent of residents who were neutral and 33 percent of those who were
dissatisfied. Approximately 56 percent of residents who were satisfied
with their resident assistant's efforts, 35 percent of those who were
neutral, and 33 percent of those who were dissatisfied indicated that living
on campus improved their ability to balance their social and academic
commitments.
Similar to the data from a decade ago, the most recent data shows
cOntInueS

57



Talking Stick - September/October 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - September/October 2014

Talking Stick - September/October 2014
Contents
New Member Highlight
Vision
Just In
Your ACUHO-I
Transitions
Res Life
Special Focus
Business
Calendar
Mind the Gap
The Role That Keeps On Giving
Conversations
First Takes
Reporting Out
New Members
Snapshot
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Intro
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - BB1
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - BB2
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Talking Stick - September/October 2014
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Cover2
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 1
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 2
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Contents
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - New Member Highlight
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 5
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Vision
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 7
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Just In
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 9
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 10
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 11
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 12
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 13
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 14
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Your ACUHO-I
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 16
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Transitions
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 18
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 19
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Res Life
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 21
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 22
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 23
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Special Focus
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 25
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 26
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 27
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Business
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 29
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 30
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Calendar
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Mind the Gap
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 33
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 34
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 35
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 36
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 37
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 38
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 39
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 40
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 41
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - The Role That Keeps On Giving
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 43
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 44
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 45
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 46
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 47
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 48
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 49
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Conversations
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 51
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - First Takes
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 53
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Reporting Out
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 55
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 56
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 57
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 58
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 59
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 60
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 61
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - New Members
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 63
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Snapshot
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Cover3
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Cover4
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