Gustavus Adolphus College

2010-2011 CF Selection Timeline

February 16, 2010

CF Open House: 6-8pm, Courtyard Cafe

Interested students will learn more about the Collegiate Fellow program and the responsibilities of the position.  Central staff members, Head Residents, and current CFs will be on hand to talk about their role, the role CFs play in the residence halls, and to answer any questions about the application/interview process.  We want you to be able to figure out if the CF position is a good match for you!  Make sure to check out two other leadership opportunities that night!

Gustie Greeter Open House: 6-8pm, Gustie Den
Peer Assistant Open House: 6-8pm, PA Office

March 1, 2010

Applications Due, 4:30 pm in the Residential Life Office

Applicants will select an Interview Roundabout slot of 2 hours when they submit their application materials.  Your two references must be received by March 1, 2010

• Cover letter outlining interest in applying for the CF position
• Resume
• Application (don’t forget to sign it)
• Essay Answers
• Two reference forms (one from ResLife staff member)
• Background Check Consent Form

March 9-11, 2009

CF Candidate Interviews , 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm at the Board Room

Interviews consist of 5, 8-minute interviews with a current CF, a Central Staff member or Head Resident.  Afterwards, candidates participate in two 25-minute group activities facilitated by Head Residents or current CFs.  Last, you will meet with the Director of Residential Life and current CFs to discuss the position, expectations, compensation, or any other questions you may have about joining the Residential Life team!  The group activities may require you to sit on the floor, so please plan your apparel appropriately, but remember that this IS a job interview.

March 26 , 2010

Candidate Notification

Candidates will receive a letter in their P.O. Box indicating their status:

• Placed—Candidates will receive an position offer letter and a hall placement
• Hireable, but not placed—Candidates are “alternates” who will be considered for placement (if they meet the hiring criteria) and positions open
• Not Hireable—Candidates did not indicate through the process that their skills met the requirements for the position

Students receiving placement or deemed to be hireable will also receive a letter of intent and a Background Check Consent Form to be returned to Residential Life on April 22, 2009

April 9, 2010 - Friday

Status Letters Returned, 4:30pm to the Residential Life Office

April 18, 2010 - Sunday

2010-2011 Staff Kick-Off, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm in the Confer/Vickner 127

August 23, 2010

Collegiate Fellows arrive for fall training

REPORTS TO:

Regarding student conduct & performance responsibilities:
One of the following Residential Life Central Staff Members

• Area Coordinators
• Assistant Directors of Residential Life
• Director of Residential Life

Regarding community-building activities:

• Head Resident

COORDINATES WITH:

Dean of Students & Assistant Deans of Students
Assistant Directors & Area Coordinators in the Residential Life Office
Campus Safety
Physical Plant and Housekeeping Offices
Advising/Counseling Center
Coordinator for Alcohol and Drug Education
Residential Life Administrative Assistant

POSITION GOALS:

• To assist in providing a safe and supportive environment within the residence halls that is conducive to academic achievement and overall personal growth;
• To assist in performing administrative tasks related to the general operation of the residence halls (e.g., record-keeping, key distribution, building maintenance and safety, damage assessment, hall opening and closing procedures, communication with residents, etc.);
• To support the orientation to college life and personal development of students, by a) scheduling and implementing educational, social, cultural, recreational, and community building activities in the halls that complement comprehensive learning and development; and b) offering resource and referral information to students regarding academic and personal issues, relevant programs and services, and campus organizations and events;
• To represent, interpret, and enforce College objectives, policies, rules, regulations, and goals to students, and to convey student attitudes, opinions, and actions to appropriate College officials;
• To serve as a role model for students living in the residence halls.

Collegiate Fellow Performance Responsibilities

Agent of the College & the Residential Life Office

• Support the goals, objectives, and philosophy of the Residential Life program and the educational mission of the college
• Assist in maintaining the College’s image when dealing with students, parents, staff, and visitors to the halls
• Be an active member of the Collegiate Fellow team both at the campus and hall level

Administrative Duties

• Communicate official notices and other information to residents through postings or newsletters, meetings, etc.
• Maintain hall records as directed.
• Complete administrative duties and other work in accordance with established deadlines, timelines and procedures
• Assist with distribution of keys as students occupy rooms and to be available as requested in the event of lock-outs
• Conduct health and safety checks monthly, and report concerns to the Area Coordinator, as described in the Residential Life Manual.
• Assist in all openings & closings of residence halls as designated by the Area Coordinator
• Remain or return to campus in time for the closing and opening of the halls at break periods (Fall Opening, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and Spring Closing) to assist as directed by the Area Coordinator
• Assist in CF Selection, including recruitment, interviews, and other activities.
• To undertake all other reasonable duties in the hall that are requested by the Head Resident, Area Coordinator, Director, or the Dean of Students

Ethics & Role Modeling

• Behave in a manner consistent with the Ethical Guidelines for Collegiate Fellows.
• Act as positive role models on and off campus, and set an example both in knowing and in abiding by College policies and local ordinances.
• Live in a single room and maintain it as a model for the community and to the credit of the institution

Community Development & Programming

• In conjunction with, and reporting to the Head Resident, intentionally create community-building and learning opportunities through floor/section programming, personal interaction with all floor/section members, and all hall social and educational activities
• Assist with initiating peacekeeping, mediation, and conciliation to deal with interpersonal conflict within the residence halls as directed by and in consultation with the Area Coordinator.
• Serve as a resource and advisor for those seeking to develop activities and events for the halls
• Work with the hall staff to schedule, promote and attend a meaningful program of cultural/educational/social activities and events
• Identify, promote, and assist student leadership in the halls, including hall governance initiatives.

Community & Behavioral Standards

• Understand, abide by, and enforce all College policies, and assist students in understanding the College’s residential mission and community living policies.
• Monitor the hall environment and develop an atmosphere conducive to self-discipline and a consistent expectation that noise and other distractions not prevent residents from having adequate time for study and sleep
• Confront students when violations of rules or standards are observed, and to intervene appropriately as outlined in the Residential Life Manual
• Work with the Head Resident, Area Coordinator, the Director, or other staff in dealing with inappropriate behavior trends they encounter.
• Respond appropriately to emergencies as discussed in the Residential Life Manual, and as directed by the Central Staff or the Dean of Students Office.
• Participate regularly in the hall duty schedule.

Individual Support & Referrals

• Collegiate Fellows charged with violation of campus regulations, ethical standards or civil law will be subject to suspension and/or dismissal.
• Have sufficient knowledge of College resources to provide effective referral to various counseling services
• Advise, counsel, and listen to residents and to monitor staff concerns about individuals or situations

Availability & Time Commitment

• Maintain visibility and accessibility to residents in assigned residence hall.
• Participate fully in staff training activities.  Training is a year-long process consisting of August Training and Continued Training sessions throughout the year.  Absences are approved by the Area Coordinator, and CFs must complete make-up work.
• Participate fully in regularly scheduled staff meetings and individual supervision meetings with Head Residents and Area Coordinators.  Participate fully in any necessary meetings as determined by the Head Resident or Central Staff.
• Remain on campus for the duration of Interim.  Requests to travel over Interim for travel courses, approved music ensembles, or approved athletics teams must be made during the Spring application process.  Central staff will approve requests on a space-available basis, and may make hall placement decisions to accommodate travel requests.  Other short-term requests are approved by the Area Coordinator in consultation with the Central Staff.
• Weekends away must be communicated ahead of time to Area Coordinators, and are generally limited to one per month, with exceptions made by the Area Coordinator in consultation with the Central Staff.  Special weekends (including but not limited to Homecoming and Case Day) are designated as “closed weekends” that require CFs to remain on campus.  Expectations for these weekends are determined by the Area Coordinator in consultation with the Central Staff.
• Arrange in advance and in writing all absences from campus for an extended period of 3 or more days with the Area Coordinator.

Conditions for Employment

• A student may not be awarded or maintain a Collegiate Fellow position while on academic or disciplinary probation, and must be full-time with at least a 2.50 cumulative GPA.  Not meeting this expectation is grounds for release from service.
• CFs must live on campus for January Term, 2009, unless given prior permission.
• Involvement in other employment or activities (as proscribed below) is contingent upon satisfactory performance by the Collegiate Fellow.
• Collegiate Fellows may not be employed off campus without prior written approval from the Area Coordinator, and are limited to a maximum of 10-12 hours per week.
• Significant on-campus employment and extracurricular involvement (e.g., varsity athletics, touring ensembles, student organization leadership) should be approved in writing and in advance.

Ethical Guidelines for Collegiate Fellows

One of the functions of your Area Coordinators and Head Residents is to help you make appropriate and ethical choices.  We also want to help you to understand the power you have to influence and shape the attitudes and behavioral norms in the residence halls.  It is of primary importance for us that you wield that power and influence responsibly and with care for individual students and the larger community.  When possible, consult with your supervisors about ethically ambiguous situations before they occur.  We believe in supervision as a developmental tool and understand that everyone can make a mistake.  In situations where serious errors of judgment are evident, however, employment termination may be required both to maintain the integrity of the entire CF program and to meet our ethical obligations to residents.

We have put together the following list to help you understand the types of behavior that we believe to have ethical implications. There will always be gray areas and no list can cover every eventuality.  You are responsible for knowing, understanding, and following ALL College policies and, in addition, for representing, monitoring, and enforcing those policies for other students.  You compromise your effectiveness if you fail to follow or represent them, and face consequences ranging from reprimand to dismissal.

Put simply, you should use common sense and exhibit responsibility:

• If the behavior is illegal, DON’T DO IT.
• If the behavior appears to violate policy, DON’T DO IT.
• If the behavior may jeopardize your credibility, or the credibility of the CF program, DON’T DO IT.
• If you have any doubts, DON’T DO IT, until you ask and find out if it is appropriate.

Expectations

• Be a positive role model, both in your academic work and your behavior.
• Build positive relationships with your residents and fellow staff members (Area Coordinator, Head Resident, and Collegiate Fellow).
• Assess the needs of your residents and plan programs/activities accordingly
• Participate in your staff duty rotation, which may include College breaks
• Remain for hall closings and assist with room checks, as determined by your Area Coordinator
• Set standards for a positive, just, safe, and inclusive community in your area
• Serve as a referral and resource person for residents
• Maintain a positive, professional attitude without misusing your position or authority

Unacceptable Behavior

• Violating Residential Life or College policies, or violating Statements of Student Responsibilities.
• Underage CFs:  Possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages, or possession/use of a fake ID.
• Of-age CFs:  Consuming alcohol or using illegal substances with any underage students.  Purchasing alcohol or illegal substances for any underage students.  Consuming alcohol or using any substances, illegal or otherwise, that affects your ability to respond during or before Hall Duty.  It is expected for the duration of one’s Duty shift that CF’s BAC will be 0.000. Using alcohol or illegal substances in an irresponsible manner that jeopardizes your credibility as a CF.
• Engaging in questionable or illegal activities in off-campus situations where other students could be aware of your actions.
• Making little or no effort to meet expectations
• Breaching confidentiality
• Being placed on academic or disciplinary probation

Other Issues of Note

• You should be supportive of your staff team, their decisions, and their policy interpretations.
• Your hall and area staff should demonstrate consistency in dealing with situations or conflicts that may arise.
• You should be firm with your residents and model behavior that they can learn from.  The distinction is subtle, but your emphasis should be concern for acceptable behavior rather than simply enforcement and discipline.
• You should be fair and honest with yourself and with residents, which may involve placing disciplinary actions before friendships.
• You should attempt to build a community that respects and celebrates a variety of opinions.
• You should attempt to provide a living environment that is pleasant and enjoyable, both for your residents and for yourself.

Facebook & Other Online Social Networks

Since the majority of you already have Facebook or other social network profiles, you are likely familiar with what it is about.  Ideally, these networks are great keyword-searchable, web-based tools for students to connect and communicate with each other both academically and socially.  Some CFs and other student groups use Facebook to connect with students and even spread the word about activities or programs of interest.  Here are some other points to consider that may not be as understood about Facebook and other social networking sites:

• Many students are under the false assumption that content is private information because the site is “password protected.”  To the contray, information and pictures posted on the internet are in the public domain.  This public content (i.e. pictures, statements, quotations, group affiliations) creates a public persona.
• Facebook members have an opportunity to provide viewers with SIGNIFICANT pieces of private information, including room numbers, phone numbers, pictures, and class schedules.  Nationwide, this has created an increased concern from College and University law enforcement officials that Facebook provides potential stalkers with all the information they need.
• Many students don’t realize when they set up their accounts that there are ways to protect some of this information from being posted.  These options can be adjusted at any time for example, by going to the “My Privacy” tab of the Facebook main page.

The prevalence of online social networks has both positive and negative implications for Collegiate Fellows.  We expect CFs to understand the influence they have on other students as role models and agents of the College.  This includes CFs behavior both on and off campus.  Many sites to include Facebook makes public students’ choices and affiliations (i.e., behaviors stated or implied by pictures, statements or group affiliations).  Residential Life believes that one’s online persona needs to be consistent with expectations for being a positive role model for the campus community.