 Senior resident assistant Vonté McKenith has a This fall, many RAs dealt with situations that could have been mitigated by the ability to talk with residents in a private setting, said Vickie Hawkins, associate director for university housing and residence life.
Living with a roommate puts limits on the amount of one-on-one conversations RAs can have, Hawkins said.
“The reaction is overwhelmingly appreciative, excited and thrilled because RAs know, too, that they’ll be able to better perform their job by more effectively assisting their residents,” she said.
RA Council President Vonté McKenith wrote a supplemental four-page support piece in addition to the original proposal that was submitted.
The RA Council passed the proposal in early November and McKenith sent the support piece to university administration Nov. 17.
“From there it has been a waiting game as it moved up the ladder through University Housing and Student Development,” McKenith said.
McKenith, an RA of three years, said single rooms for RAs can be highly effective.
“As an RA, you spend numerous hours dealing with various issues, from a resident having relationship problems to those residents seeking someone to talk to,” McKenith said. “With these encounters and more, having a place in the building that you can go to with that resident is essential.”
Currently, Appalachian and UNC-Asheville are the only UNC System schools that do not provide single rooms for RAs.
Because RAs will be given a private room next fall, they will not receive a pay increase in the next two years. Pay for the position typically increases each year in alignment with housing and dining costs, Hawkins said.
Additionally, there will no longer be a Senior RA position.
“We also know that the Senior RA position is very stressful,” Hawkins said, after speaking with students currently serving as Senior RAs. “We want to spread out the opportunity for all returning RAs to step up into a leadership role and serve as mentors to first-year RAs.”
Freshman biology major and Justice Hall RA David Snotherly said he is looking forward to the change.
“I am very excited to have my own room,” Snotherly said. “It’s a great opportunity for establishing independence and the residents can feel more inclined for open discussion.”
Story: KELLI STRAKA, Senior News Reporter
Photo: OLIVIA WILKES, Photography Editor
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