By Geoff Peckham, News Co-Editor
Three McDaniel residential assistants were recently fired by Residence Life, each for different violations of RA conduct.
Junior Dave Robertson, and sophomore Ross Smith along with another junior RA were all removed from their positions for separate reasons. This was in addition to the firing of RA Anna Moffit last semester. There was also another RA, former McDaniel student Casey Funkhouser, who decided to quit.
Residence Life did not comment on the dismissals, nor did Moore. Robertson was unable to comment as well, and Funkhouser and Moffit could not be reached by press time.
Senior RA Jonathan Schultz confirmed that all the RAs were dismissed for different reasons.
“During RA training, we are told what is and is not acceptable for RAs to do. Most of them are common sense. RAs know that they cannot do what most other college students do because they have to uphold the RA contract, the image of Residence Life and the college and most importantly, their personal integrity,” he said.
Smith said that he had already received warnings and violated probation by missing a staff meeting. He said he was not surprised when he was called into Rouzer Area Coordinator Dave Dahlberg’s office and told of the decision.
“I was highly considering quitting,” Smith said. “It was obvious I was not getting along with [the Res. Life staff] at all.”
Smith said he disagreed with many of the warnings he received throughout Fall of 2007. He said that Residence Life is in desperate need of more RAs, after firing four in one school year and having one quit.
“I think that the Residence Life staff has to seriously consider the way they manage their RAs. They do not take into consideration the need of the RA’s,” Smith commented. He said that they are very strict with small details like community builders and door tags, but do not focus as much on the actual job. “I know many other RA’s are frustrated with the way the Res. Life staff upholds these rules.”
All final decisions on these firings came from Head of Residence Life Michael Robbins, who recently replaced Liz Towle. Schultz said that it has been difficult to adjust to the change because of the affection for Towle, but that everyone is getting used to Michael.
A current RA who wished to remain anonymous was not very surprised about the firings because of how strict Residence Life has been percieved since Robbins took over.
“They like to keep a clean reputation and anything that threatens that is dealt with immediately,” the RA said. “Residence Life believes that there is no other option other than termination for any infraction of college policy.”
The RA commented that Residence Life is in poor shape right now, and as a result would not be returning as an RA next year.
“Setting an example for the student body is one thing, but constantly being scrutinized for every action I take is just too much for me.”
“Residence Life, in recent years, has been made up of so many different personalities that it is almost impossible for students to consider the office as a single, cohesive department,” said senior Kateyln Raab, a former RA herself. “Some employees have proven to be genuinely valuable members of the McDaniel community, and others have acted in ways that lead students to seriously doubt [their] professionalism.”