Life in the City of Syracuse (Click Here to Learn More About 40 Below)

About the Division of Student Affairs                                                                                           top

The Division of Student Affairs at Syracuse University is made up of 22 departments. To visit the main Division of Student Affairs website, click here.

North and South Campuses                                                                                                           top

NORTH CAMPUS houses primarily first-year and second-year students in its 18 residence halls: Boland, Brewster, Brockway, Butterfield House, Day, Dellplain, Flint, Haven, International Living Center, Kimmel, Lawrinson, Marion, Sadler, Shaw, Walnut, Washington Arms, and Watson. Each hall has a variety of configurations: Watson , Washington Arms, and Walnut halls house only upper-division students. First-year students are assigned to housing randomly. Each of the halls has a main desk staffed by students. Students can check out equipment, pick up mail, and leave messages for staff at the main desk. All halls are wired for Internet connection.

SOUTH CAMPUS is composed of apartments and three residence halls for undergraduate and graduate students. Family housing is available. South campus is 1.5 miles away from North Campus and is served by frequent free shuttle buses. South Campus offers unique apartment-style living, including one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, all with kitchens and bathrooms, in buildings containing 8 to 12 apartments. All apartments were recently renovated.

Specialty Housing                                                                                                                           top

For information on learning community and lifestyle housing options, visit the learning communities website: lc.syr.edu
 

ORL Staff                                                                                                                                           top

Assistant Residence Directors

The assistant residence director (ARD) is a full-time position. The ARD helps in the management of the hall(s) to which he or she is assigned and reports to the residence director. The ARD advises hall council, supervises MDAs, and assists with the supervision of RAs.

Residence Directors

The residence director (RD) is a full-time professional staff member who has earned a master's degree. RDs live and work in the residence halls for which they are responsible and administer community development and educational programs. Each RD is responsible for administering a residential program in a residence hall of 350 to 600 undergraduate students. The RD directly supervises between nine and 18 RAs and one ARD or PA, and oversees the supervision of a student staff of MDAs.

Coordinators

There are three coordinators: the coordinator for residence life operations, assessment and technology is responsible for the operational and assessment components of the ORL; the coordinator for staff selection and training is responsible for the recruitment, hiring, and training of staff; and the coordinator for communications is responsible for developing and implementing communication and marketing initiatives for the ORL. Both the Coordinator for Communications and the Coordinator for Staff Selection and Training work with Human Resources.

Central Office Directors

The central office director (COD) staff includes the director of residence life, four associate directors of residence life, and four assistant directors of residence life. CODs supervise professional staff. Each has a specific responsibility for one of the following functions: diversity, budget and operations, residential leadership, staff selection and training, learning communities, student development, civic engagement, and academic and intellectual initiatives.

Foundational Areas                                                                                                                        top

The Academic and Intellectual Initiatives Committee collaborates with faculty, staff, and students from across the University to recognize academic achievement, provide academic success opportunities and programs, identify and support academically at-risk students, and encourage academic creativity.

Assessment Committee members are trained in creating learning outcomes, conducting focus groups, survey design, web-based assessment, statistical analysis, qualitative methodology and analysis, and assessment planning.

The Civic Engagement Committee is responsible for creating, implementing, and assessing programs and initiatives that serve to break down boundaries for students between the traditional campus and the larger world. Some of these activities include service-learning projects and educational programs on government access.

The Diversity Committee advocates a residential community that celebrates diversity by providing educational programs, training, and resources for staff and students. The diversity committee creates student support programs (such as peer education and peer mentoring); plans events for Dream Week and Women's History Month; and responds to hate incidents on campus.

The Leadership Committee is charged with providing year-round training and development opportunities for emerging student leaders. Programs and services created by this team include the Community Council Action Training Guide for all hall council members, the GOLD Experience Leadership course in individual effectiveness, an advisor support program, and several one-day conferences for skill enhancement and networking.

The Student Development Committee is responsible for working with our professional staff to provide learning opportunities and resources that help staff assess student needs, help students determine appropriate goals, and provide the department with a programming model that fosters the development of first- and second-year students.

The Staff Selection and Training Committee is responsible for developing and implementing the recruitment and hiring process for all levels of staff in the ORL, including resident advisor, graduate, and professional staff. This committee is also responsible for new staff orientation, staff training, and ongoing development programs. Additionally, this committee implements large-scale recognition events for student and professional staff.

Benefits                                                                                                                                             top

Office Space: Offices for residence directors, assistant residence directors, and assistant directors are located in the residence halls. Each RD, ARD and AD is provided with an IBM-compatible computer and a printer and access to department forms, information, and documents via a public server. E-mail service is provided to each staff member.

Apartments: Apartments for professional and graduate staff are located in each residence hall. All campus residences are smoke-free, and smoking is not permitted. Each RD, ARD and PA apartment varies slightly in size and layout. All apartments come with full furnishings, including bedroom, living room, and kitchen furniture.

Meals: A meal stipend is provided to the RDs, ARDs, and PAs. The mean plan includes SUpercard, which is a declining balance account for use in snack bars, dining areas, and student centers.

Parking: All full-time University employees are charged for parking based upon their salaries, and all graduate staff are charged based on the student rate. Parking in garages (rather than surface lots) is available for an additional charge and is the responsibility of the employee.

Work Schedule: In an effort to improve the quality of life for staff, we have adjusted the regular work schedules for live-in staff to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the workweek when classes are in session. This provides flexibility for expected night and weekend commitments. RDs who begin employment before July 1 will receive 20 vacation days annually.

Summer Responsibilities: RDs are involved in a variety of summer responsibilities. These may include preparing for RA training and orientation, assisting with staff recruitment and interviewing, or working with other summer projects.

Professional Development: ORL is committed to providing staff members with a wide range of daily responsibilities that will enhance their professional development. Additionally, staff members are provided numerous opportunities during the course of the year to attend campus events, lectures, and workshops. All new employees participate in a dynamic orientation and training program for Syracuse University 's Division of Student Affairs. Orientation occurs within the first semester of employment.

University Benefits: The University offers a very progressive benefit plan for employees. Health plans vary to meet each staff member's needs. The cost for each plan varies and is competitive among universities nationwide. University employees are also eligible for 12 credits of remitted tuition per year (graduate classes may be subject to taxation). Participation in TIAA/CREF is available after one year of employment, unless the staff member is already enrolled in TIAA/CREF, in which case it may begin immediately. The University contributes a sum equivalent to 11 percent of the employee's salary. A dental plan with preventive and comprehensive options is available to staff for a monthly fee. All full-time employees receive a life insurance policy of $10,000. For more details about the University's aggressive, comprehensive benefit package, please see the benefits page at http://humanresources.syr.edu/benefits. Full-time exempt employees, such as assistant directors, coordinators, residence directors, and assistant resident directors are paid on a semi-monthly basis. Programming assistants are paid weekly. Graduate assistants are paid semi-monthly.