The 2010-11 Resident Assistant Agreement is looking to expand weekend building duty requirements to 24-hour coverage, said Torry Brouillard-Bruce, assistant director of Residence Life.

“”We’re looking to redefine what it means to be on duty over the weekend,”” Brouillard-Bruce said. “”The concept is that there will always a resident assistant on duty who is able to respond for (a) 24-hour time frame over the weekend.””

Residence Life will not have 24-hour coverage during the school week because community directors are in the office, desk staff is available and buildings and offices are open.

“”We have people around during the week that can address situations as needed,”” Brouillard-Bruce said.

Right now, duty coverage lasts from 7 p.m. on Friday to 7 a.m. on Saturday, 7 p.m. on Saturday to 7 a.m. on Sunday, and 7 p.m. on Sunday to 7 a.m. on Monday.

“”We’ve identified the fact that from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, there’s no one around to help residents out,”” Brouillard-Bruce said.

There are no other Resident Assistant Agreement changes being made at this time.

Residence Life is in the process of interviewing and hiring RAs for the 2010-11 academic year, and RAs will be selected in March. There will be an all-staff meeting on April 17, by which time the final draft of the 2010-11 Resident Assistant Agreement will be finalized.

Residence Life has communicated the 2010-11 Resident Assistant Agreement changes to prospective RA applicants.

“”Our biggest goal is to let resident assistant applicants know what we expect from them right off the bat rather than surprise them later on down the line,”” Brouillard-Bruce said.

For the 2009-10 school year, Residence Life instructed RAs not to talk to media outlets. Page 6.2 of the 2009-10 Resident Assistant Agreement states, “”I will not speak to any media/communication outlet as a representative of the university or Residence Life.””

Community directors were under the impression that they could not speak to the media without permission from Assistant Vice President of Residence Life James Van Arsdel.

“”Only James Van Arsdel can talk to the media,”” said Bethany Anderson, community director of Coronado Residence Hall.

Various other community directors would not comment on the 2010-11 Resident Assistant Agreement changes.

RAs are welcome to write in letters to the editor of the Wildcat as students, but not as representatives of Residence Life, Bruce-Brouillard said.

“”One resident assistant is not representative of Residence Life as a whole,”” Brouillard-Bruce said of the policy. “”This is also a growing experience for resident assistants. It will help them learn to be careful with what they say, and they won’t risk being misquoted.””