It has been no secret this year that the Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL) at Tufts University has experienced severe difficulties. A group of articles in the Daily, Primary Source, and Observer, culminating last week in a direct and scathing critique of the ORLL's inadequacies brings to light many of these fundamentally disturbing issues. Having to deal with gaps in communication and a lack of professionalism for the last eight months as RAs in Miller Hall and Houston Hall, we find the source and blame of the ORLL's problems in the hands of one individual: Director Yolanda King. Therefore, we call for the immediate resignation of Director King for the health and well-being of not only the seventeen staffed dormitories on campus and their respective residents, but also for the entire Tufts University community.
A critical flaw of the ORLL is its lack of organization. Beginning with Resident Assistant (RA) training in August 2003, Director King has been at fault for improperly communicating RA responsibilities and university policies to both new and returning RAs. Perhaps no other example is more indicative than the now-famed alcohol policy debate, in which Director King presented a brand new alcohol policy to the ORLL community. Director King was unable to produce a single written piece of documentation stating the new alcohol policy in regards to RA discretion (RAs on this campus will remember Director King's pathetic plea that, despite students physically moving into the dorms, the policy was "still being printed."). Other key university policies, such as disciplinary action resulting from a TEMS call, were still in question at the start of the academic year -- the fault of not only the ORLL but the Dean of Students office as well.
Unfortunately, this atrocious behavior continued throughout the year, with flip-flops on the alcohol policy continuing well into the fall semester and a dismal attempt to gauge student input with an Alcohol Policy Forum this past February. When RAs were asked by campus media to provide input at student-led policy forums, the ORLL sent an email reminding us that we were not to speak about policies in a negative manner -- effectively censoring RAs from speaking freely. Director King has made no attempt to admit her weakness in formulating an effective orientation program and has made no attempt to incorporate or even acquire RA feedback in how to improve the ORLL policies and procedures. These failures call for none other than her resignation from the post of Director.
Almost two full academic years have passed since the hiring of Director King and yet basic administrative procedures have been neglected. At the very core of an RA's responsibilities lies the procedure for reporting incidents ranging from noise violations to alleged hate incidents. The ORLL's almost humorous reliance on carbon-copy incident reporting forms -- when only two years ago incident reporting, event proposals, and other critical RA functions were managed through an online website -- has minimized communication between members of the ORLL staff and RAs. Issues such as depression, suicide, hate, sexual assault, and others require timely responses. The current infrastructure is not effective in providing quick responses to these crucial student issues. From our perspective, we feel it is incumbent upon the ORLL office to follow-up on incidents that occur in our halls. Instead, we find ourselves being informed of disciplinary action through the students directly involved instead of from appropriate campus officials, most specifically Director King. This lack of communication directly hinders our ability to provide answers and guidance to our residents. We do not find it unreasonable to request to be informed of disciplinary proceedings within the confines of student's privacy; and yet the ORLL has consistently neglected RA feedback and input. When dealing with basic and fundamental matters concerning student heath, academic performance and well-being, no excuse -- despite the plethora that Director King has provided in the last eight months -- can substitute a basic phone call to a genuinely concerned RA.
Another crucial administrative shortcoming this year has been the ORLL's laughable attempt to conduct a fair and respectful RA hiring process. Some applicants were made to inquire about the status of their application up to one week after RA decisions were mailed out. The ORLL's inability to conduct even this, the most basic of functions in the Residential Life community, does not bode well for its claim to be the creators of a living and learning community.
The proper handling of other elementary functions this year has also eluded the grips of Director King. Virtually any current freshman at this University will attest to the mockery and chaos that unfortunately took place at this years housing lottery. While the annual housing lottery has always been a moment of beloved madness, undergraduates were always informed of their responsibilities and tasks, thereby preparing them to act accordingly in a slightly chaotic setting. Unfortunately, this was not the case this year. It should be noted that the mastermind behind the housing lottery, Lorraine Toppi, left the University but one week before the scheduled lottery.
Our final point concentrates on the lack of professionalism exhibited by Director King time and time again throughout the year. In one-on-one meetings that each of us have had with Director King, we have been subjected to her continued apathy and ambivalence towards our opinions and sentiments. As concurrent with our job descriptions and the selectivity of the RA position itself, we are made to believe that we are central actors in the creation and sustainability of living and learning communities. However, Director King continues to marginalize and de-legitimize any RA that wavers even slightly from her submissive and subordinate ideal of what constitutes the perfect RA.
Starting meetings called to discuss crucial resident concerns by saying bluntly "I don't know why we are meeting" not only shows Director King's lack of compassion for both student and RA concerns, but also demonstrates her sheer ignorance of the gravity and magnitude of the effect of both her and her office's incompetence. Indeed, a culture of intimidation and apathy has managed to shackle any positive effect that the ORLL can have on student life on this campus. Students' perception of the ORLL has reached the nadir of its existence, a far cry from its respected position under the leadership of Lorraine Toppi and Dean Gendron.
It is no surprise that current RAs remain jaded about the ability of the ORLL to provide an effective infrastructure for RAs to build a healthy dormitory community. Most importantly, it is no surprise that many students on this campus no longer rely on the ORLL community as a reliable and effective resource for student concerns. As second-year RAs and seniors on this campus, it is personally offensive and heartbreaking to witness this decimation and degradation of what used to be a highly respected institution. Our candidness here comes not out of spite, but rather as a heartfelt plea to every student, parent and campus official to reform the ORLL into a genuine conduit for a living and learning community. We do not believe that such a transformation can occur under the leadership of Director Yolanda King.
Pritesh Gandhi is a senior majoring in International Relations and Economics. Shaunik Panse is a senior majoring in International Relations. Both have served as RAs since fall 2001.
