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Conditions of Employment

Residence Life Conditions of Employment

As members of the Residence Life Staff, Resident Assistants, Hall Directors and Graduate Assistants are expected to present themselves in a way that is congruent with the mission, values and philosophies espoused by the department. These conditions of employment serve to guide the staff member and should not be seen as an exhaustive list. Staff members must display a commitment to resident student success, which includes out-of-classroom learning and an exploration of citizenship roles. Staff members should exercise good judgment and adhere to the highest standards of ethics while serving as Residence Life staff members.

These Conditions of Employment apply to all Hall Directors, Graduate Assistants, and Resident Assistants:

Resident Assistants must have completed a minimum of 28 credits by the time of employment and have a minimum of a 2.2 cumulative GPA at the time of application. RAs must have been an active member of a residence hall community for at least one semester before starting employment.
Any Code of Conduct infractions will be considered prior to offer of employment. Any infractions that occurred within twelve months prior to the start of employment or active sanctions could deem a candidate ineligible.
The student staff contract period is for one full academic year (August through May). In most cases, staff members will not be hired for only one semester. The contract period begins at the reporting time and extends three working days beyond the completion of the spring final examination period for Hall Directors and one day for Resident Assistants. The contract period includes winter session.
Contracts are NOT automatically renewed. You must request and be granted a contract renewal each year. Contract renewal requests may be denied for several reasons including (but not limited too) lack of satisfactory job performance, and/or failure to fulfill job responsibilities.
You will be evaluated on your performance in your position. This evaluation is based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, self-assessment, resident student feedback, peer feedback, and supervisor observation.
Hall Directors and Resident Assistants are required to participate in all staff team development and training sessions. This includes summer, mid-year, on-going training sessions, complex meetings, complex retreats and other development and training activities. Due to the fact that summer training sessions are not reproducible, staff members must attend all sessions and may not miss nor be excused from training sessions due to co-curricular involvement such as sports practice, band practice, etc. Please note that some retreats, meetings and training sessions will occur at night or on weekends.
Hall Directors and Resident Assistants encounter sensitive and confidential student information through their job duties. This information includes, but is not limited to areas such as interpersonal relationships, mental health concerns, personal history and background, and policy-infractions. Information about residents not expressly defined as public information by the University of Delaware cannot be shared through any means with any party outside of the Office of Residence Life, Division of Student Life, and UDPD administrative chain of authority unless authorized by Office of Residence Life professional staff. Breaches of student confidentiality are considered grounds for immediate employment action.
Staff members should understand that they are viewed as a representative of the Office of Residence Life and the University of Delaware at all times, yet they are not authorized to represent the University or the Office in an official capacity. It is expected that student staff members do not use their position title when expressing views on any aspect of the University of Delaware to the media or in any written or on-line mediums. Staff should refer to the procedure statements found in the Residence Life Staff Manual regarding the “Expectations for Internet Usage and Conduct” and to the “Staff Interaction with the Press and other Media” for more information.
Staff members are certainly allowed and encouraged to express disagreement to their supervisors when personal values, mission, and philosophies are not congruent with the Office of Residence Life and the University of Delaware. Discussion of this sort is considered beneficial and will be valued and appreciated. If student staff members ever feel that their concerns are not received appropriately, they should escalate these concerns to the Director of Residence Life.
RAs are required, during their first semester on contract, to register for and successfully complete UNIV 320, "Contemporary Issues for Resident Assistants." Standard full time tuition rate allows a student to take between 12 and 17 credits. If UNIV 320 takes a student's total number of class hours to over 17 credits, the student will be required to pay the additional fee per credit hour. RAs may take the class pass/fail as long as they fulfill all course requirements as outlined by the syllabus.
Any staff member who resigns or is terminated during the contract period must vacate the staff room/apartment within 72 hours of his/her employment separation, unless otherwise arranged with the supervisor. Upon separation, the staff member remains bound by the full year Residence Hall Agreement.
Positions are only open to students enrolled in the undergraduate or graduate colleges of the University of Delaware. All staff members must be fully matriculated in a degree granting program. Once degree requirements are met, eligibility for staff positions is discontinued. Continuing Education students are not eligible for employment.
Loss of student status for any reason will result in the loss of the Residence Life position.
The demands placed on staff members by their academic and Residence Life responsibilities make the following limitations necessary; however, please discuss any concerns you have with these limitations with the Assistant Director of Residence Life for Selection and Training prior to signing your contract:

Staff members must maintain a normal credit load (12-17 credits for undergraduates, 6-12 credits for graduate students). Enrollment in winter term classes in not required although you are expected to be on campus fulfilling job responsibilities unless permission to be absent has been granted.
Because staff members are academic role models, undergraduate staff members must maintain a 2.2 cumulative GPA or higher and graduate staff members must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher. Failure to do so will result in termination of the contract. The contract of any undergraduate staff member who receives a semester GPA of 1.0 or less will be terminated.
Undergraduate staff members may work outside the Office of Residence Life only with the advance approval of the Complex Coordinator, in consultation with the appropriate Associate Director of Residence Life. If approval is granted, the staff member may work a maximum of ten hours a week.
Because staff members are community leaders, they must adhere to University policies. A staff member will be terminated if (s)he violates University policies while employed unless an exception is authorized by the appropriate Associate Director and the Director. Please note that exceptions to this policy are extremely rare.
Major academic and extra-curricular commitments beyond class work must be limited and undertaken only with prior approval of the Complex Coordinator, in consultation with the appropriate Associate Director of Residence Life. This includes but is not limited to internships, sports teams, outside employment, leadership positions in organizations and multiple evening classes. Members of sports teams that travel extensively may not be Resident Assistants. Members of teams or organizations whose practice schedules conflict with summer staff training must be able to attend ALL training sessions as stated above.
Undergraduate staff members are not allowed to student teach or engage in co-operative educational activities (CO-OPs). The Office of Residence Life will consult with the appropriate department for staff members and candidates who will be involved in clinical experiences associated with the Nursing, Medical Technology, Physical Therapy and any other similar programs before permission will be granted to hold a student staff position while undertaking such endeavors.

Staff members are not permitted to attend social functions on campus involving illegal drugs or where there is underage drinking. Illegal possession or consumption of alcohol and/or drugs on or off campus will result in job action.
The University of Delaware is an educational institution. Therefore, the expression of a variety of viewpoints is encouraged. However, Residence Life staff members should refrain from using their position to promote a particular religious doctrine or partisan political viewpoint.
Resident Assistants are required to purchase a meal plan (except Christiana Towers Resident Assistants). This includes Winter Session, when a special, discounted plan is offered to RAs for the winter session only. Arrangements for the purchase of meal plans should be made directly with Dining Services.
Actual or perceived conflicts of interest may arise when an amorous or romantic relationship exists between Residence Life supervisors and employees or between Residence Life staff members and building residents. An amorous relationship exists when two persons have a sexual union or engage in a romantic partnering. A Residence Life staff member who enters into an amorous relationship with an employee or resident, where a professional power differential exists, places himself or herself as well as the University of Delaware in a difficult position. In situations where a conflict or the appearance of a conflict of interest arises, Residence Life would take whatever action it deems appropriate (including reassignment) to minimize such conflicts and charges of favoritism and to decrease the likelihood of sexual harassment in the workplace, this policy applies to all employees, including regular, temporary and part-time employees.

Hall Director/Graduate Assistant Conditions of Employment:

In accordance with the Office of Graduate Studies' contractual responsibilities of funded graduate students, the following stipulations apply to Hall Directors and Graduate Assistants who are graduate students.

Student Status - All funded students must maintain full-time status, regular status, and good academic standing each semester to be eligible for continuation of an award in the next semester. Graduate Assistants/Hall Directors are required to fulfill the requirements of their positions up to and including the last day of their contract, generally three days after the end of the spring semester. Failure to provide these services may, at the discretion of the University; result in terminating the student's award.
Withdrawal - If a student withdraws from the program after the free drop/add period, the student is responsible for paying the tuition for that semester to the University, and the University's responsibility for the tuition portion of the contract that semester is negated. In addition, the student's eligibility for the stipend portion of the contract will terminate at the time of withdrawal.
Employment Restrictions - Students may not hold employment within or outside the University during the fall and spring semesters. Hall Directors/Graduate Assistants may have supplemental contracts to assist in courses or to teach courses during the winter and summer sessions.

The Office of Residence Life will pay normal in and out-of-state tuition costs associated with the fall and spring semester for double hall directors. Special fees for certain academic programs and summer and winter term course tuition are not covered.
Graduate Hall Directors/Graduate Assistants may not hold any additional assistantship, fellowship, or other outside employment.

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The University of Delaware is committed to assuring equal opportunity to all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status, age, or disability in its educational programs, activities, admissions or employment practices as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, other applicable statutes and University policy. Inquiries concerning these statutes and information regarding campus accessibility should be referred to the Affirmative Action Officer, 305 Hullihen Hall, (302) 831-2835 (voice), (302) 831-4552 (TD