9/15/2020

To Syracuse University Administration and Office of Student Living:

Syracuse University Resident Advisor Formal Demands to Office of Student Living

Addressed to: Office of Student Living at Syracuse University

To whom it may concern,

In the enclosed document are the immediate demands from Resident Advisors employed by
the Syracuse University Office of Student Living. The immediate demands encompass the
necessity of a response for Resident Advisors from the Office of Student Living as soon as
possible. These demands range from COVID response to Compensation for the Resident Advisor
position. These demands are critical and address a variety of issues stemming from Hazard Pay
from the increased exposure of RA’s to residents, to clarification of emergency planning in the
event that campus closes. If there is no response from the Office of Student Living concerning
the immediate demands from the Resident Advisors, alternative measures will be taken. It is
imperative that these concerns are addressed in a timely manner for the safety of the Resident
Advisors and the residents of residence halls across the Syracuse University campus. The
immediate demands are as follows.

IMMEDIATE DEMANDS
1. Further clarification of the Resident Advisor role in the event that Syracuse University
shuts down due to an increase in COVID-19 infection rates beyond the New York State
Department of Health regulations.
a. This should stem from clarification of the protocol in regards to Resident Advisor
testing, the timeline, as well as direct communication from the Office of Student
Living outlining the step-by-step procedure for Resident Advisors due to the case
of a closure
2. Resident Advisors should receive a hazard pay in correlation with the added
responsibilities from the enforcement of Stay Safe Pledge guidelines in residence halls.
a. The compensation is recommended to adopt a biweekly stipend model in
reference to the calculation that follows
 i. Additional 2 hour per week workload enforcing Public Health Guidelines
multiplied to the $12 per hour rate that the Office of Student Living has
been providing for additional Resident Advisor Opportunities. This is in
addition to the sixteen week period of the Fall 2020 semester resulting in
additional hazard pay for each individual Resident Advisor being $384 for
the semester.
ii. The Hazard Pay also acts as recompense for the 20 hour Welcome
Move-in which exceeded the normal requirements due to COVID-19
restrictions. This is expanded upon due to the increase of Stay Safe Pledge
Violations by both residents and their respective guardians that assisted in
moving in. The Hazard Pay for this time period is $236 calculated by the
20 hour workload that Resident Advisor’s had during Welcome Week
multiplied by the $12 per hour rate the Office of Student Living has been
providing for additional opportunities.
iii. It has been agreed upon by Resident Advisors from differing Residence
Halls that it is in the best interest for Resident Advisors to receive this as
stipend provided biweekly until the semester concludes.
3. Resident Advisors should be given the option to be involved in the decision making
processes concerning Office of Student Living Policy Implementations, as well as
decisions made concerning resident policy guidelines within residence halls.
a. This also calls for open forums with Office of Student Living Administration
concerning but not limited to: issues with residents encountered in halls, living
policy in resident halls, and feedback concerning Professional Staff in Residence
Halls
4. Resident Advisors should be provided with additional personal protective equipment
(PPE), stemming beyond the COVID safety-kit that was provided to residents. The
following in requested but not limited to:
a. Lysol availability in front desks
b. Small, Medium, and Large gloves available for Residential Staff
c. Clorox wipes available for Resident Advisors for cleaning purposes
d. Masks that are different sizes to accommodate different Resident Advisors and
their needs
e. Utilizing the GET app and the tap system used by RCSO for packages and main
desk duties that require contact with Resident ID. This is to limit the exposure of
transmission for Resident Advisors when in coming with contact with Residents
5. In the circumstance that the University were to close early due to an exceeding amount of
COVID-19 cases on the Syracuse University campus:
 a. If Resident Advisors chose to leave for the fall semester due to family
emergencies or illness. Their position will be guaranteed for the spring semester
dependant if accurate documentation is provided to the Office of Student Living
b. A more fluid and transparent communication concerning updates about Stay Safe
Pledge Guidelines, News about COVID on campus, and updates from the Office
of Student Living. This can be approached with a weekly OSL listserv with
updates directed toward Resident Advisors, Professional Staff, and Office of
Student Living Administration.
6. An expansion of the relationship between the Office of Student Living and the Office of
Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs.
a. A further investigation of the relationship of being work-study eligible and the
accepting the Resident Advisor position. The Resident Advisor position is earned
and students should not have their work-study removed if they chose to accept the
position.
b. Financial Aid for Resident Advisors should be exclusive and separate. Financial
Aid should not be lowered if the student’s finances remain the same with the only
difference being the Resident Advisor position. Several Resident Advisor’s have
been negatively impacted based on the acceptance of the position.
7. The Office of Student Living should provide further clarification on the process of winter
move-in and quarantine that may be required from RA’s that reside in “hot states”
a. The Office of Student Living should also provide a further clarification detailing
the winter training
8. In an effort to further expand on the connection between the Resident Advisor position
and mental health, a Resident Advisor circle should be provided where a neutral
counselor allows Resident Advisors to have a “safe place” to express concerns including
but not limited to
a. Position Concerns
b. Residential Staff Relationships
c. High Pressure Situations
d. Emergencies from Residents
9. An immediate increase regarding accountability for documented Department of Public
Safety Staff including Officers and RCSO’s that do not address Stay Safe Pledge
Violations when contacted by Resident Advisors
a. A more direct form of communication and understanding is required from the
Office of Student Living and the Department of Public Safety concerning how to
address violations of social distancing, mask wearing, and any additional
COVID-19 Safety guidelines.
 b. If Professional Staff, and/or Resident Advisor’s bring a concern against a specific
DPS staff member, the staff member in question should be investigated and
questioned.
c. The Department of Public Safety should hold the main responsibility in regards to
dispersing large gatherings due to no mask wearing and social distance violations.
It has been documented that in past situations DPS officers have not documented
students, and only provided “verbal warnings” for large gatherings.

The attached demands above are vital, and required to be addressed as soon as possible. As
Resident Advisors we strive to assist residents in any way, however the personal public health,
safety, and financial stress should not be risked when accepting this position. It has been
demanded by the Resident Advisor staff from their respective residence halls that an update is
provided for each and individual demand in a one week timeframe

Respectfully submitted,

Syracuse University Resident Advisors