Before I go into detail, it's a good idea to explain the big picture of Student Affairs. I work as a Residence Director at Belmont University (you know this if you're up to date with our blog). I am employed through the Office of Residence Life. The Office of Residence Life (and a number of other offices) report to the Associate Provost/Dean of Student Services at Belmont. The hierarchy continues to the President of Belmont, but we'll stop here for now, because this is where Student Affairs stops on the hierarchy. There is no widely used definition of Student Affairs. I like to tell people that those who work in Student Affairs (like myself) are concerned with the student's life outside the classroom. We realize that learning and growth also occurs in a student's life when they engage with people and events outside of class. We then, as student affairs professionals, try our best to capitalize on these opportunities to ensure students are developing into mature adults who will contribute positively to society. I suppose we're teachers of life.
Now, onto the specifics. There is no daily routine for me as a Residence Director. My job changes as student needs change. It also changes as university needs change. The simple explanation of what I do is that I manage a residence hall (and the students in it), supervise a staff of Resident Assistants (RAs), make my boss (and his boss) happy, and complete other duties as assigned.
Managing a residence hall is simple if you view it in terms of a building. However, when you take into account that I also oversee the individuals that live in the residence hall, my job becomes more complex. It is not uncommon for me to walk into work and have some sort of student issue to deal with. These issues range from roommate conflicts to homesickness to alcohol/drug confrontations to counseling a student. As I can not predict what students will need from me, I can not tell you what my day-to-day activities will be.
The second part of my job, supervising a staff of RAs, may be my favorite part. I'm sure you have been a supervisee/supervisor before and have a good idea of what supervision is. As a supervisor, I try to break the mold of the typical supervision experience. I use an approach to supervision called synergistic supervision. Synergistic supervision has many focuses, but in general, it is growth oriented to ensure employees are developing into better individuals both personally and professionally. This means I have to put time in before, during, and after supervisions so that they can have this end result. I think I like this aspect of my job so much because it allows me to have an up close view of someone who is changing into a more improved human being. It fascinates me to watch people grow and develop. I also think it is exhilarating to know that I have some sort of influence on this growth and development.
The third aspect of my job doesn't need much explanation. I'm sure it's also something each of you can relate to. I am employed because my boss chose me to successfully complete the tasks he gives me, which then makes him happy, his boss happy, and so on down the line. The best part about this aspect of my job is that my boss, Anthony, is great to work for and is positive in nature, which makes it easy to make happy. I'm not sure I would enjoy this aspect of my job if I had a hard to please boss. I know you agree :)
Finally, I complete other duties as assigned...a lot. Things are always changing on a college campus and this creates work to be done. Because Residence Directors work so closely with students, many times this work lands on our desks. I haven't been at Belmont long enough to know how often I'll be operating in this part of my job, but experience tells me not to be surprised if it is frequent.
So, that's my job-- as best as I can explain it anyway. There's one more requirement of my job that is puzzling to many, and that is the fact that it requires Brandon and I to live in the residence hall of which I work. This is a requirement because it is important to the university to have a professional available to respond to crisis situations 24/7. So, we have an apartment that is actually a part of the residence hall and the residents know where we live, and it's my job to wake up in the middle of the night when they need something. There are many pros about living in a residence hall. One, it's free. Two, utilities (including cable and internet) are also free. Three, maintenance to our apartment is free too. Four, I have virtually no commute to my office in the morning. Five, living with undergraduates keeps me young (I know more about pop culture at this point in my life than I ever thought I would). Naturally, there are cons, but those a few and are definitely outweighed by the pros. I'm sure you're wondering what an apartment in a residence hall looks like, so I've included pictures:
It is similar to any other apartment, except it has cinderblock walls (which is actually a pro when you live with almost 200 students).
So, that is our home here in Nashville. Now, despite how far away you are, you know where we live, why we live here, and what I do for a living. Please feel free to visit us! Nashville is a great city and we welcome the company.
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