Editor’s note: For this story, two RAs who currently work in the dorms were anonymously interviewed. The reason for this is because the RA manual instructs RAs not to respond to requests from the media.
With dorms opening across campus for fall term, mixed feelings fill the rooms of the Residential Assistants. This year brings with it new rules and regulations surrounding dorm etiquette in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical distancing, mask requirements and other COVID-19-related policies have become commonplace around the University of Oregon’s living areas.
RAs are a part of the system in place to ensure that residents follow the rules around the dorms. Making sure residents wear masks when appropriate, no one oversteps physical distancing guidelines and people adhere to the new guest policy are just a few of an RA’s tasks.
“The role of an RA is a very challenging one,” Anna Schmidt-Mackenzie, Director of Residential Life and Educational Initiatives, said. “Holding folks accountable or asking people to comply by the rules is a hard part of the job.”
RAs mentioned the university’s guest policy as a particularly challenging rule. At this time, dorm rooms and common areas, other than the lobby, are off limits to anyone who does not live in the same dorm. For example, a student living in Carson Hall cannot enter the rooms or common areas of the Hamilton dorms. The RAs residing in each dorm hall are expected to enforce these rules.
“It’s going to be hard to enforce,” said one RA, who asked to remain anonymous. “We can’t always know exactly what is happening behind closed doors if someone decides to bring guests to their room.”
According to the interviewed RAs, the possibility of the residence halls shutting down in the event of an outbreak among residents is another circulating concern. Many worry how this may affect their living situation.
“If you’re an RA, and I am speaking very [broadly], but most RAs become RAs because they can’t afford housing or food. So a lot of us don’t really have a choice. It was either our health or coming back for the housing because we can’t afford it otherwise,” a second anonymous RA said.
Schmidt-Mackenzie said the university has the benefit of learning from schools with a semester schedule that opened sooner for fall. By seeing how they handle infections, parties and outbreak responses, the university can prepare with stricter guidelines and rules. University Housing has already outlined many contingencies regarding outbreaks in the dorms.
“We have protocol in place for an isolation space,” Schmidt-Mackenzie said. “There are dedicated floors in Barnhart residence hall, and we have a support system for the student while they’re living there.”
According to both anonymous RAs, UO Housing is doing everything it can, short of closing the halls, to prevent an outbreak amongst the residents. Both Schmidt-Mackenzie and the RAs agree that much of what can be done relies on the cooperation of residents within each community.
RAs have been met with understanding from many of the residents.
“For the most part, freshmen have been working with us,” the first RA said. “They understand that the situation isn’t ideal, but they have been working very well with us.”
Despite this, the first anonymous RA said that many dorms around campus have already experienced issues with residents crowding lounges and study rooms above their maximum occupancy. The second anonymous RA recalled a similar situation and expressed disappointment at the residents’ actions.
“On one of my rounds, one of the lounges was packed with 20 people when there should only be 10 people max,” the second RA said. This isn’t very promising given that the school year hasn’t even started yet and stuff like this is already happening.”
