RAs fired for celebrating, leaving hall

Two resident assistants in Grimes Residence Hall have been kicked out of their rooms and forced to seek housing elsewhere even as the end of the semester looms.

At least one of the RAs said the punishment is more of an inconvenience than a major roadblock. But the unusual case has attracted the attention of many on campus.

The RAs left Grimes to celebrate the men’s national basketball title April 4, violating a requirement that they stay in their campus community for the entire evening.

The RA staff was required to remain in the upper quad for the entire evening, an e-mail from the Olde Campus Upper Quad community director states. RAs could not watch the game in the Smith Center or on Franklin Street and had to remain in their residence halls after the game.

Senior Mike Steele, one of the recently terminated RAs, said the e-mail was sent to staff members about 5:30 p.m. the day of the game.

Steele already had left to make his scheduled rounds and did not read the e-mail until his shift was over at 8 p.m.

“By that time, I had already made plans and served my shift,” he said.

Steele said that in the past, for major events such as Halloween and the UNC-Duke men’s basketball game, senior RAs have signed up for shifts first, doing their work earlier than underclassmen so that they could celebrate elsewhere.

“I just assumed this would be the same process since I didn’t hear differently until that Monday night,” he said.

University housing administration classified the night under “Code Blue” guidelines. Those guidelines are enforced during events that require more staff attention.

There is no specific number of RAs that needs to be present in each residence hall under the Code Blue guidelines. That decision is up to the directors of each housing community, said Larry Hicks, director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education.

“We have an established protocol for special events, which institute an RA presence and a certain staff presence to ensure the safety of the students during these types of celebrations,” Hicks said.

Members of the housing department drafted their current rules and codes based on years of experience in dealing with big events, Hicks said.

Steele’s job officially ended Tuesday, and he has until Friday to move out of Grimes.

“Thankfully, I’ll be able to move stuff to my house that I’ll be living in next year,” he said. “I’m not so sure that others are going to be that fortunate.”

Steele said he remembers that at least six to eight RAs were not in Grimes that night. But he said he only knows of two, both seniors, who were fired.

Three incident reports were filed April 4, a number Steele said is low given the circumstances.

Steele said that although he understands the reasoning behind his termination, it is a “little ridiculous” because of the timing.

“I’m not bitter. That’s just life.

“Being an RA, you have to blend being a student and being a leader at the same time. That night, as a student and as a senior, I wanted to celebrate our basketball team.”

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.