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Role Modeling Professionalism Ethics - RA Training 2003 Fall - Justin Meyer
Role Modeling Professionalism Ethics - RA Training 2003 Fall - Justin Meyer
Ethics,
Professionalism
&
Being a Role Model
RA Training 19Aug03
Presented by
Justin Daniel Meyer
Please set all beepers & cell phones to silent.
Overview
• Professionalism — Who?
R E
August ??, 2003 Stevens Institute of Technology J. D. Meyer
Office of Residence Life
Who is professional?
• What is “professionalism”?
Who is professional?
• What is “professionalism”?
– How a person performs in a position of responsibility
– (inherent) not the outcome but the approach
– Actions and preparedness
What is “Professionalism”?
Characteristics Required
Role Modeling
• Working definitions?
Role Modeling
• Working definition?
– Leading by example
– Being visible
– Visible consistency
Role Modeling
• Examples?
– First, is imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
– Examples of obvious influence: former residents on whom you made an
impression?
• Imagine for a moment that you are traveling abroad and are
planning on stopping in one country for a few years. Since you
wish to enter this society, how do you figure out how to pick a
mentor or guide (who may not know they are being scrutinized)
to emulate?
• So you have what they want or need (at least for now)…now
what?
• How can we reach these residents (they may be few… but the
squeaky wheels are the most noticed… and the most likely to
get an RA feeling down)? Ideas?
• “To thine own self be true and then it follows as night the day,
thou canst be false to no man.” -W. Shakespeare
August ??, 2003 Stevens Institute of Technology J. D. Meyer
Office of Residence Life
What is Ethical?
• Working definition…
What is Ethical?
• Working definition…
– Doing what you consider good
– Upholding the (societal?) code of conduct
– Believing in and standing up for your beliefs
– By definition: not always logical or common sense
– Set of standards on which individuals build
Ethical RAs
• Respectful
• Trustworthy
• Judgmental (reservedly?)
• Full of integrity
• Consistent and Fair
• Honest
• Compassionate
• Firm
• Willing to admit fault and take corrective steps.
• Fair and consistent in policy enforcement training info
• Show NO favoritism
Common Scenarios:
Wrap-up…
• Provide your residents with your best qualities and work from
there.
• Questions?
Additional
slides
August ??, 2003 Stevens Institute of Technology J. D. Meyer
Office of Residence Life
Discussion Questions
Common Scenarios:
• You are over 21. Your friends invite you to go out drinking and dancing. Earlier
you overheard some of your underage residents making plans for the same venue.
What do you do?
• The RA on duty knocks on your door to investigate marijuana odors. The police
have been called. You find a room, knock, and the door is answered. Then the
officers arrive and tae over. One of the officers seems to know one of the residents
and steps into the room for a few minutes. When the officer emerges, “it has been
taken care of” is the only response you receive.
• One of your residents comes to talk to you about an experience they had last night.
Their description suggests attempted date rape. The resident does not want to do
anything. When you learn the alleged perpetrator’s name, it is someone who has
been accused of similar aggressions before. How do you proceed.
• At the next staff meeting, your RD instructs you that the Institute is implementing a
new policy. Despite your strong objections, no compromise is possible. How do you
reconcile your job with your belief that the Institute’s policy is wrong, possibly
morally so?
August ??, 2003 Stevens Institute of Technology J. D. Meyer
Office of Residence Life
Further Thoughts
• Separating yourself from others due to responsibility & conflict
of interest. (this is what makes you human!) If you didn’t do it,
you would have to be an emotional amoeba in order to avoid
breaking down!
• The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big
Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (examples of social
epidemics which started small and grew quickly)
• Truth
• Credibility – the reputation you come in with will work for or
maybe against you, you build from there – no illusions, here.
• Consistenty
• ICFs in fairness/consistency, etc
• Pronoun selection “one” for “we”, s/he for they, etc