Residential Life adjusts to new structure

Last semester the College trimmed $3.2 million from this year's operating budget, partly by cutting about 40 positions, in order to eliminate what administrators have called a structural deficit - or, a gap between the College's revenues and expenditures that cannot be closed through any simple one-time measure.

The Residential Life positions cut were two administrative assistants, four commons coordinators (CC) and two assistant coordinators. Now there are four CCs, two ACs and a co-op coordinator.

Last year CCs were responsible for 200 to 300 students. This year, CCs oversee 500 students.

The campus is now divided into five areas: areas one and two consist of the North Campus dorms, area three consists of the program and special interest houses, area four consists of the South Campus dorms and area five consists of co-ops.

Members of Residential Life staff said that fewer positions has resulted in an increased workload, but has not posed any major problems.

Barbara Mehwald, a CC for Dascomb, Fairchild, South and Talcott said that while there may be more work and responsibility required by the job this year, the staff's teamwork and creativity has made the transition easier. "We're doing more with less," Mehwald said. "We're all working hard to make it work."

Mehwald said that the new Residential Life structure has both its good and bad points.

While Mehwald said that some staff-student interaction has become less personal, adjustments are constantly being made to keep Oberlin a "good, safe, and healthy community."

Mehwald said, "This is where we are, and I'm okay with it ... Do I want to work 60 to 70 hours per week? I don't know. I just want to work with the students."

Junior Carolina Peñalva, a Residential Coordinator (RC) in North, said, "The way things used to work has changed, but it's still efficient." Peñalva said that she hadn't experienced any new problems in her duties and responsibilities.

The main issue of concern among many RCs was the increased workload of their ACs.

Senior Scott Hennesy, an RC for Dascomb, said, "I understand many cutbacks had to be made. I don't think they can keep it this way because the ACs have to be there [for students], but right now they're hampered by paperwork."

Noel Tieszen, a House Manager for South, said the new structure, "worked out better than I thought it would," but added that it put, "more responsibility on the ACs for the little things."

This view is also held by senior Lynne Drouin, the only RC in Baldwin, who said that with regards to working with students the new structure is "not as personal in some respects."

According to Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk, the cuts in administrative assistants, which were based primarily on seniority and classification, resulted partly from the merging of the pre-existing Office of Residential Life and the Office of Residential Services.

Cole-Newkirk explained that merging the two offices lessened the amount of staff - particularly administrative assistants - needed.

The decision to merge was partially due to the amount of complaints received from students about confusion resulting from having two separate offices.

Cole-Newkirk said, "We'll constantly be evaluating positions and getting student input."