Last semester, popular outcry from students and administrators alike contributed to the eventual scrapping of "EagleEye," a proposed Housing and Dining program.
Originally considered too intrusive by students and too confusing by resident assistants, Residence Life Director Rick Treter went back to the drawing board, narrowed the scope of his plans and quietly unveiled a new program called "Intentional Interactions." The revised program, in place since January, has been made more student-friendly and less intrusive.
What this program tries to do more than anything is codify what it means to be a good resident assistant. The program encourages RAs to ask their resident' specific questions in an attempt to strengthen the student-RA relationship.
"I want students to understand that their RA is not just an enforcer of community standards, that they are not just there to police the floor," Treter told The Eagle.
Improving communication between the RAs and students is an admirable goal. It is important that students - especially freshmen away from home for the first time - have someone to talk too that isn't a friend. RAs, already natural authority figures, need to take this role.
Good RAs already make themselves available to their residents, good RAs already keep a watchful eye over their flock, good RAs already do all the things that this program requires of them. For a good RA, this program has no use. This program was made necessary for the duds among them. A student should not be robbed of a personal confidant and friend based on unlucky placement in the dorms. This program ensures students will have someone to talk to when things get tough.
We hope this program will help the less motivated, less personable RAs on campus come out of their shell - even if it takes a little prodding. By forcing "Intentional Interactions," students and their RAs will have no choice but to grow closer.
The university, and specifically Rick Treter, deserve credit for continually trying to improve resident life on campus. EagleEye was decidedly off-base, but this scaled down, non-Big-Brother-esque new program is a worthwhile endeavor.
