Residential Procedures
RAs play a major role in helping to build a sense of community on their floors. One way of doing so is helping to set a consistently friendly and respectful tone in both one-on-one and group interactions. The tone with which you speak with residents, respond to inquiries and requests for assistance, conduct floor meetings, follow-up on problems and requests, and communicate about floor events can help to foster a feeling of community. Involving residents in the life of the floor is extremely important, whether by asking for suggestions for floor events or calling attention to and working to resolve cleanliness issues or noise issues in the lounge. The manner in which you approach residents and handle issues on your floor can help residents to feel that as members of the community, they share responsibility for the quality of life on the floor.
In addition to holding events on your floor, you are encouraged to invite residents to join you for meals at Dudley and to promote their participation in Dudley House events.
In the course of your work as an RA, you may have access to information concerning a variety of administrative and student matters that should be kept confidential. Such information may include building security details and personal information about residents. We ask that you keep this information private.
That said, RAs are not a confidential resource at the University. Never tell a resident that you will keep something confidential if they are about to share information with you. There are many cases in which RAs need to report information to a University official. Most notably when:
- Someone’s safety is at risk
- Someone has experienced a potential Title IX violation
Situations in which RAs must share information with a University official will be reviewed in RA training. When in doubt, share information with the Director of Residential Life – no matter how small the issue.
In certain instances, you may find it helpful to make and maintain notes about information or problems you discuss with residents. Such notes should be kept in a secure, private location and should not be retained any longer than necessary. If you believe there may be a reason to share such notes with others, you should consult the Director before doing so. When the notes are no longer needed (but, in any case, no later than the time you conclude your RA service), such notes should be discarded in a confidential manner – you can use the paper shredder in B2. If you believe that it would be advisable for the University to retain any notes, the matter should be discussed with the Director.
You may occasionally receive a phone call from someone requesting the room number and phone number of a resident. Do not provide this information. Inform the caller that you cannot give that information. Ask if the matter is urgent and offer to relay a message to the resident. You can also refer the caller to a Harvard Operator.
Any questions about the treatment of confidential information should be brought to the attention of the Director of Residential Life.
Although conflicts among residents may need to be negotiated by the RA, disagreements are usually more effectively settled by the parties themselves. Before intervening in this kind of problem, be sure to determine whether efforts by the residents to solve the problem have been exhausted. You may always consult the Director before mediating or intervening on a conflict.
Since the rooms are designed for occupancy by one person and the communal facilities are meant to be used by residents and occasional guests, it is helpful to know how many additional people are present for an extended period of time (more than 3 days). Residents who will be having a guest for more than 3 nights within a seven-day period are asked to complete a Guest Form at least one week prior to the arrival of the guest.
A resident may not allow another person to use a room he or she has been assigned while s/he is absent. This applies to all use, including overnights, weekends, holidays, and vacations. There are absolutely no exceptions to this rule. If this policy is violated, it may result in termination of the housing contract. If there are any concerns about the length of stay, the RA is asked to let the resident know.
RAs may occasionally be asked to comment on the Meal Plan, quality of food served, etc., or may want to offer opinions about these issues. Such communication whether written or verbal is expected to be professional; i.e., appropriate with regard to the RA role and responsibility as members of the GSAS Office of Student Affairs staff. Concerns, questions or comments about the meal plan should be directed to the Director of Residential Life.
Each resident is asked in October and April to complete an online evaluation form that requests information about their RA’s performance. In an effort to promote participation, a contest is generally held. The floor(s) within each residence hall that has the highest percentage of returns is given extra funding by the Office of Residential Life for events.
One of the most challenging situations that RAs can encounter is dealing with kitchen theft. Unless you actually observe the theft in progress, it is virtually impossible to determine who is stealing items. The understandable and generally most immediate assumption is that it is a resident on the floor who is taking the items; however, it could be a resident from another floor, a guest of a resident on your floor or another RA's floor, or someone who has gained access to the floor who is neither a resident nor a guest. It is important not to make assumptions nor to be accusatory.
In order to help ensure that kitchen items are not taken by mistake, please emphasize with residents that they should label their items in the refrigerator and on the counters.
If a resident informs you about a missing kitchen item, please post a flyer informing residents that an item has been taken and reminding them to label their items. It is also advisable to send an email to the residents of your floor. If you have any questions about the wording, please contact the Director of Residential Life. Please report the missing item(s) to the Director. Ask your co-RAs in the residence hall if they have experienced any food thefts. If they have, it is advisable to send a joint email to all residents in the building.
If the thefts persist, please continue to post flyers and send emails. You may also want to have a floor meeting about the issue. Although consideration could be given to locking the refrigerator, it is highly unlikely that a decision would be made to do so.
In addition to speaking with your co-RAs about the food thefts, please be sure to speak with the Director and Facilities Manager, particularly if there are recurring thefts. Depending on the extent of the thefts, it may necessary to contact the University Police.
A primary function of RAs is aiding residents who are locked out of their rooms. RAs are expected to let students into their rooms, have the resident complete a Lockout Form, and return the form to Residential Life during the next Friday pick-up. Residential Life will track all lockouts and residents with frequent lockouts will receive warnings and/or be termbilled as outlined in the Residence Hall Handbook. Because residents with multiple recorded lockouts will be termbilled, it is important that all RAs are consistent in having residents complete the Lock-out Form when responding to a lockout request. Information about lockouts should be discussed with residents at the floor meetings in September and February.
When letting a student into their room, first ask for identification. Should an ID be locked in the room, ask the student to show it to you immediately upon entering. Do not open a room for anyone except the resident of that room. This may be a particularly difficult rule to keep; after all, you know the residents of your building, and you may think that friends won’t mind. Still, that friend may prefer to keep others out of their room even if they won’t say so. You are expected to stick to policy and by doing so, you will always be able to say “no” with conviction.
All RAs will be issued keys to Perkins 20 and will be provided with a combination for the key cabinet located in this room. This cabinet contains a single copy of the room key for each room in the GSAS residence halls. These keys may be used to provide a resident with access to his/her room when locked out and can also be issued to residents who have lost their room keys. We ask that RAs return the key the same day or, when responding to a late-night lockout, as soon as possible the next morning. All RAs are issued master keys to their building.
In order to issue a room key to a resident who has lost their key, an RA must have the resident complete a “Key Replacement Form" (located in a clearly marked folder on the counter in Perkins 20). If an RA issues a key to a resident, they should inform Residential Life immediately by email so that the missing key can be replaced. Lanyards and wrist coils are available in Perkins 20 for distribution with replacement keys. The completed Key Replacement Form should be brought to Residential Life during the next Friday pick-up. It is also helpful if the RA emails gsasreslife@fas.harvard.edu to inform us that a key is missing from the Perkins 20 key cabinet, so we can replace it in a timely fashion.
From the end of August – mid-September, a schedule is organized and posted which ensures that an RA is available to handle lockouts and late arrivals. RAs are also available to assist with lockouts during weekend duty. The schedule for weekend duty will be set by the Coordinating RA.
Lounge reservations are made submitting a Google Form at least 72 hours in advance for events under 20 people, and at least a week in advance for events for 20 or more people. Requests for events made less than these deadlines may not be approved. GSAS Residential Life will send a confirmation email to the host once the event (and flyer, if applicable) is approved. Approval of lounge reservation requests is at the sole discretion of GSAS Residential Life. A full explanation of the rules and regulations for events can be found in the Residence Hall Handbook. Please be considerate of other residents and honor the lounge reservation system. If there are questions or concerns about lounge reservations, please contact GSAS Residential Life.
Master keys must be strictly secured and kept in a hidden place in the RA’s room. They must only be used to assist a resident who is locked out. Master keys must not be labeled in any way that would allow others not affiliated with Residential Life to determine the use of the keys.
When you need to use the master key, ask the locked-out student and everyone else to leave your room while you get it. Don’t be afraid of annoying residents by following this or any other security procedure. They are the people you are protecting.
Never use a master key in place of your room key.
Never remove master keys from the premises, except to return them to GSAS Residential Life. Never give a master key to anyone except another Resident Advisor or member of the GSAS Residential Life staff.
Never make copies of ANY keys for any person.
If a master key is lost or misplaced, the Director of Residential Life and the Facilities Manager must be notified immediately. Each RA must email the Office of Residential Life where they keep their master key after by move-in weekend.
Graduate Residence Hall Council Meetings
RAs are strongly encouraged to attend GRHC meetings and should attend at least one meeting each term.
Floor Meetings
RAs must hold a floor meeting in September (may be combined with welcoming get-together) and one in early February; more as necessary. RAs may hold or may be asked by the Director of Residential Life to hold other floor meetings as necessary throughout the year. Do not hesitate to schedule more floor meetings if there are issues that need to be considered by the floor or residence hall. Take attendance and see any residents who missed the meeting so that you can give them information they missed, answer questions, etc.
Each RA is required to use the Agendas and Script for RAs prepared by the Office of GSAS Residential Life for use at floor meetings. These items for the September meeting will be distributed during RA Training and discussed at that time. The format for the meeting in February is “Game Show Style Format,” which will be discussed at the RA meeting in January. In an effort to help ensure having a successful meeting, it is important to familiarize yourself well with the agenda and script. We will review tips for having a successful floor meeting during RA Training. There is always the possibility that you may run into some opposition to organized activities. Don’t give up, but don’t push too hard, as some residents may become resentful.
Please note that aspirin, Tylenol and other medications must not be given out.
Please consult the Residence Hall Handbook for information about noise policies. Issues and concerns about noise should be brought to the attention of the Director of Residential Life.
Each RA will be provided with voicemail service. On their voicemail, RAs should leave a message that is brief, clear and appropriate for the level of responsibility involved with being an RA. Please state that you are the Resident Advisor for your particular floor and include your name and/or phone number in your message so that the caller will know they have reached you.
RAs should not try to fill the roles of counselors or psychologists. Instead, RAs should assist troubled residents in focusing on possible serious problems (if any) and if appropriate, to make a referral for more specific professional help. Such services may include, University Health Services for medical problems; Counseling & Mental Health Services and Bureau of Study Counsel for personal counseling; tutoring services for academic problems; the Office of Career Services for career choices, the Dean for Student Affairs, Director of Student Services and the Director of Residential Life. The Director of Residential Life and Student Services or the Dean for Student Affairs may have additional information and suggestions and will lend support to you. For a case of special or particular concern, it is recommended that you speak first with the appropriate Director or Dean before talking more extensively with the resident. Remember - It is not a matter of resolving every issue, but rather of making the appropriate referral.
A list of various referral resources is listed in the “Resource” section of this manual. During RA training, we will practice making referrals to various offices through discussion and role-playing.
RAs must familiarize themselves with the entire Residence Hall Handbook. Any comments, concerns, or suggestions about the content of the Handbook should be given to the Director of Residential Life. Refer to the Handbook regarding any questions about policies, procedures, facilities issues, fire safety and other safety/security issues.
RAs are asked on occasion to permit someone to enter a room when a resident is not present. Usually these requests are for the person to gain access to water plants or remove an item from the room which the person borrowed or which the resident has requested to be brought to them. Under no circumstances should any individual be given access to a resident’s room without there being written authorization by the resident. Under certain circumstances, a phone call is acceptable. Please do not hesitate to let the Director of Residential Life know if you have any questions or concerns in such situations. During instances in which a resident has been given authorization to enter another resident’s room when they are not present, an RA should accompany the resident and be present while in the room.
A resident may mention on occasion that they are being bothered by noise from a phone that is ringing incessantly, a radio that is too loud, or an alarm clock. In such instances, you should contact a co-RA, either from your residence hall or another, and ask them to accompany you. RAs should not enter a resident’s room alone. Knock hard at the door and, if no answer, open it and assess the problem. If you need to turn off an alarm clock or other items, please see if you can do so by turning it off instead of unplugging it. Call or email the resident to tell them that you needed to enter their room with another RA and the reason for entering. Please note: If you have any concerns about the well-being of the resident, call the Director of Residential Life before going to the room. In such instances, the University Police would be called to enter the room. If your concern is on the level whereby you feel the University Police should be called immediately, please do so and call the Director of Residential Life immediately after you have called the Police.
You will be given revisions to rosters and revised rosters several times each term. This information is for your use and should not be posted. An email message by GSAS Residential Life will be sent you about new residents and the date on which they will arrive.
It is the responsibility of the RA to observe residence hall rules and regulations. RAs are neither exempt from nor may they exempt anyone else from any rules and regulations. Under no circumstance should an RA “look the other way.” If you are aware of a situation that may involve violation of the terms of the residence hall contract or non-compliance with a regulation, try to determine whether your concerns are justified. Attempt to talk with the resident and remind him/her in a friendly manner what the policy is (perhaps there is some misunderstanding). Hopefully, the problem will be resolved with that conversation; however, if your concern or the situation persists and it relates directly to issues regarding the facilities, you are expected to bring the matter to the attention of the Director of Residential Life. If the situation persists and it relates to communal issues or is the result of interpersonal problems or issues between residents, you are expected to bring the matter to the attention of the Director of Residential Life.
Be aware of those for whom the residence hall is not the principal place of residence, and let the Director know of such situations. Vacant rooms are not to be used by RAs to house visitors, to provide a resident with a quieter study area, etc. Doors to vacant rooms must be kept closed and locked. Use of vacant rooms is determined only by Residential Life, except in cases of emergency. If a room needs to be used for emergency purposes, please contact the Director of Residential Life.
Residents who plan to vacate their room prior to the end of their contract must inform the Office of Residential Life to discuss the move-out process. Depending on the reason for the move-out, the resident may or may not be charged a cancellation fee and/or continue to be financially responsible for their room.
RAs are given a total of 42 vacation days each academic year including weekends, recesses, and holidays, which may be taken not more than 2 weeks at a time, unless arrangements are made with the Director of Residential Life. The Director must be informed of any changes in vacation plans. RAs can indicate future vacation days on the weekly report form.
Each RA is permitted 2 additional days away each term for GSAS Student Center trips. RAs should not be away from August 13 – September 9. RAs are expected to remain in the residence halls until the day after Commencement, Friday, May 30, 2020 and not be away between Friday, May 23 and Friday, May 30, 2020. RAs may not be away for more than two week periods, not to exceed a total of one month for the academic year, including weekends, recesses, and holidays. The co-RAs in your residence hall should be informed of your vacation plans as well.
RAs are expected to remain in their residence hall for at least five days of January @ GSAS, which is from January 13–24.
The purpose of having RAs on weekend duty is both to assist with lockouts between 8pm and midnight and to assist in the event of an urgent, emergency or difficult situation between 8pm and 8am.
As noted on the weekend duty flyer, “these RAs will be reachable in their room on the dates listed below between 8pm and 8am the next morning.” If there is an urgent, emergency or difficult situation on your floor, or if you are handling an urgent, emergency or difficult situation elsewhere, please remember that the RA who is on weekend duty should be contacted and asked to provide assistance, if necessary. Also, please keep in mind that under such circumstances, any member of our RA team can be contacted for assistance. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please let the Director of Residential Life know.