Dorm worship, Chaos Day, retreats, one-on-one meetings with the resident director (RD), one-on-one meetings with dorm residents, resident assistant (RA) meetings, being a presence in the dorm, working at the front desk — too much!

“With so many events, meetings and activities that you are expected to go to as an RA, I find myself going through the motions but not really giving 100 percent,” senior Megan Peshek said. “If I am going to give my time to something, I’d rather really give it my all than just being present so that other people notice.”

Are any changes being made to RAs’ workload? While the dialogue has continued between RAs, RDs and residence life regarding these pressures and feelings of being overworked, no adjustments have been made yet.

“Their feedback is important,” said John Witte, dean of residence life, “and even as we acknowledge that not everything about the job can change, I think this will be a good process.”

In the future, changes may be forthcoming. Residence life and RDs are making an effort to hear what RAs have to say about their workload. Recently, residence life sent a survey asking how valuable certain events were to RAs.

Witte said the survey was formed to give specific feedback and will be helpful information for residence life.

Not everything can be changed, but one thing Peshek found frustrating is all the events that RAs have to attend. These events are not all particularly useful to the RAs, and some of them conflict with academics.

“There’s so many events on campus and in dorms,” Peshek said. “Besides being on your floor you have other commitments and even being a student first becomes hard.”