For the fiscal year of 2020-2021, UCA has decided to cut pay for residential assistants. According to UCA’s operating budget for 2020-2021, UCA’s base state appropriating budget line has decreased by $7,229,921. This decrease is in response to the economic shut down related to COVID-19.The largest portion of the decrease is attributed to a reduction in projected registration revenue of $5,542,021, which is based on a projected decrease in enrollment of 5%. The budget now totals $185,318,864, which is $14,171,192 or 7.10% less than the October revised budget. In the budget book, it says that there has been “significant adjustments within existing budgets, mainly focusing on salaries, fringe and M&O.” The exact salary amount for residence halls were not listed.
Despite the cuts to salaries in housing, the budget also reports that there has been a 5% increase in room and board. Normally, resident assistants are paid based on the amount of housing but this reduction in pay doesn’t equate the cost of housing this semester. This decision has left many resident assistants confused and frustrated.
An anonymous source that works in housing says this payment deduction is unfair. “I thought that the decision was kind of out of left field… there wasn’t really a lot of discussion, they kind of just made us choose getting lower pay or not having a job at all. I thought that was kind of unfair,” anonymous said.
The normal duties of an RA include making rounds around the dorms, hosting programs, office hours and ensuring their residents are safe and comfortable. However, this semester due to COVID-19, resident assistants are asked to enforce precautions to keep their residents safe. “We have to make sure that everyone is wearing a mask while inside. We have to ensure that there aren’t any outside guests in the building. We have to make sure everyone is being safe and sanitary,” anonymous said. Anonymous says this has kind of made the job tougher.
Along with the new tasks RAs have to take on, some RAs have to take on more tasks due to a shortage of staff. “In the entirety of residents and housing life there are so many of us that have left,” Anonymous said. The anonymous source also explains that in their residence hall there are no male RAs, making it difficult for staff to oversee and assist the male side of the dorms.
“It’s stressful but these kids really need help. I feel like we are the only people that are close enough to do anything about it and even then it’s very difficult to help them when they need it,” Anonymous said.
Former resident assistant for Hughes Hall and senior, Remington Gonser, says that given the duties of being an RA, this payment cut is not right. “I feel like the school definitely has funding somewhere that we could probably put into housing. Housing is probably one of the most important parts of campus, especially for freshman students,” Gonser said. He says that according to friends of his still in housing, the current state of housing is really bad and can be mentally draining.
“I know that the RAs and [peer coaches] that are still working are really trying their best and they could use a lot of support right now,” Gonser said.