Note: This is an evolving petition which has been written by a neutral party who is neither an RA, nor a person with the college’s financial interests in mind. The information and demands have been collected and condensed into the most pressing concerns of anonymous RAs who have contributed to the petition, and continue to contribute with more input. 

This petition is directed toward: The College of Wooster, Presiden Sarah Bolton, Dean Myrna Hernandez, Nathan Fein, and Residence Life.

Terms:

”We” refers to the student body in general.; “Community Care Agreement” refers to the Fall 2020 campus-wide document students must read, agree to, and sign, before moving onto campus.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has widely affected the globe, including the College of Wooster. The administration, specifically Pres. Sarah Bolton, has come forward with information about spending upwards of 2 million dollars this Summer in infrastructure toward getting most students back on campus.

The administration claims to value the safety of the student body— indeed, we commend them for having paid for new technologies, widespread testing capabilities, printed reminder stickers and signs, and cleaning supplies. However, they have taken the most elementary, insufficient, inexcusable, bare minimum measures to protect the health, safety, and financial security of one particular group of students: Resident Assistants. 

The office of Residence Life (hereby referred to as “Res. Life”) has thrust our RAs into an unprecedented role of health monitoring, with the expectation that they are to put themselves in harms way without basic protections beyond social distancing and masks, per the usual.

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These are the most pressing concerns of anonymous RAs, submitted and discussed with compiler. (Updated 08/15, 12:24AM)

I. Health and Safety: “So many feel unsafe and we’ve already lost some RAs”

Many RAs feel unsafe on campus in their roles. The College has a duty to engage with these concerns immediately. Not a month from now, and not next semester. Immediately. The student body will not stand for RAs being expected to directly engage with students who do not follow community health guidelines, without proper, well-communicated safety measures in place.

The administration is strongly urged to take concrete steps toward securing the health and safety of RAs in ways that may surpass that of the rest of the student body. Not many students on campus are required, without proper compensation, to approach students without masks, to request they comply. Thus, RAs will be inevitably more likely to suffer the consequences of those who do not adhere to the Community Care Agreement.

These steps could include making very clear the disciplinary actions that will be taken against students who continously put their RAs at risk through their behavior, and holding those students accountable, in haste.

II. Hazardous Labor and Compensation: “Many can’t risk losing their job...its the only way we’re getting ourselves through Wooster”

RAs are given 50% off room and board their first year in the role, 60% in their second year, and 70% off in their third year as RAs, all at double room rates. This may have been enough when we were not in the middle of a global pandemic. It is not enough now. Despite the massive changes made to the duties and roles of RAs at Wooster, Res. Life and the administration has made no public attempt to fairly compensate these students, who are most often FG/LI (First-Generation/Limited Income) students.

III. Communication and Transparency: “We are currently struggling to get even the most basic protections for our interactions with the community.”

RAs have publicly expressed their concerns with a lack of communication and clear expectations set by Res. Life. This is a problem, because when there are severe safety risks, there should be no confusion, and no lack of transparency.

Many RAs have reported that they feel their contracts have not only been overstepped in this process, but abused. There should be an impartial group to investigate and rectify this.

We demand more safety regulations for our RAs to keep them as safe as possible. This must be in conversation with RAs directly, and must address their concerns.

We demand that student RAs at The College of Wooster be fairly compensated for their dangerous, emotional labor through the 20-21 school year. This must also be in conversation with RAs directly. It is up to those doing the labor to decide what that compensation looks like.

We demand that the administration and Res. Life are completely transparent about the expectations and dangers of the position this semester.

We demand respect for the contracts of Resident Assistants, and a detailed review of how those may have been abused.

Show your respect for these people. The school will fail without them.