On Thursday last week, day 13, we got to spend sometime in several different places including payroll, Reslife, a manager's meeting, and we got to explore some of the faculty-in-res rooms.
To start, Brandie in payroll got to explain to us how they manage that area of housing and food service. She gets to deal with all the new hires which includes doing background checks, lots of paper work, and managing the direct deposit stuff. So every two weeks, they go through all the logged hours that employees have work from clocking in (those who aren't on salary base) and make sure that nothing is a miss, then they input these in the computer and that is how they make sure everyone is payed correctly. If there is a problem when an employee gets paid, they will typically get a phone call and review everything. At the start of every month, they also get time sheets from those staff who are on salary and input the days that were taken as sick leave, vacation etc. which automatically adjusts their pay for the month. She is also in charge of posting any new jobs which are available through the university.
Next we were off to Reslife with Erin who is in charge of the Walker Centre residence hall. So essentially she is in charge of about 1200 students! Crazy I know. There are 4 of them to cover all 4000 frosh since it is mandatory for them to live in res for the first year. In total, there are about 70 RA's (one per hallway) and 2 RD's per building to help her. They essentially hold floor meetings, do room checks, and help out for program events put on by the faculty-in-res professors. So Erin gets to deal with a whole variety of things herself. So say if someone was caught with alcohol in their room (which is not aloud since they are a dry campus), the RA will send down the individual to talk with Erin and she has to go over rules on this basis as well as give them their first or however many strike. Once a student get's 3 strikes then they are officially kicked out of residence but she said that this rarely happens. She also gets to help organize move in and organize what is similar to our frosh week at home. She is also like the 'house mom' so if any freshman, or RA for that matter, needs to come and cry on someones should then they'll go to down her office on the first floor of the building.
After we spent some time with her, we got to go to lunch and then we sat in on a manager's meeting. They were going over things like switching suppliers for non-slip shoes (H&FS will give $30 towards a new pair of non-slip shoes for their employees, per year, from a company which makes them - this goes out for bid and the best offer wins), crimson corner (frosh week event), using C-bord, and a few other small things. Nothing too exciting and a lot of it didn't really pertain to us.
We then got to go and check out one of the faculty-in-res rooms that are currently being renovated for the summer for a new prof and their family. This is hands down one of the coolest things I've ever heard of a university doing! So essentially what it is is there are 6 of these apartments available on campus (one in each residence building) which are used for professors only and their families. There is a waiting list for profs who are interested, however the president of the university will typically choose those who he feels would be good for the position. So if chosen, then the prof and their family gets to stay for up to 3 years in the apartment free of rent and utilities, given free meal plans, fully furnished living room, as well as a budget to run programs which is the main part of the deal. As a FIR, then the professor must hold 'programs' for the students within the building, at least 3 per semester with a mixture of academic and for fun type events. The apartments consist of a living room open to the dining area and kitchen and this section is where the programs are typically held. It can be closed off from the rest of the apartment (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, several storage spots) where their personal belongings are during when the program is run. This main area is what is furnished by the apartment and it is beauuutiful!
We actually got an opportunity to go and visit with a french professor who is currently living as a FIR. He explained how he runs some of the programs for the students in the Adam Centre where his apartment is at (all apartments are on the first floor). The most successful program that he's held with his wife for the students was a 'massage night', which he's done both years he's been there, where they rented students from the massage school in OKC and allowed students to sign up for 10 minute sessions.. for free!! How amazing is that?? He's also held during finals week midnight breakfasts where they make pancakes for the studying students, as well as a Harry Potter week where right before the last movie came out in theaters he played through all of the movies. It is the coolest thing. Although he did mention that some profs aren't as enthusiastic as others, and he also mentioned that his wife (who is also on staff at the university) is almost more exciting to do the programs then he is! She's always baking and putting treats out for students to come and have. It really is a brilliant idea as long as you get the right kind of people doing it.
After work, Kelsey and I went to a small get together that her brother was at for his baseball team at one of the host houses. He was here for the week playing in an all-star tournament for high school players. We only stayed for a bit after meeting some of his teammates and then headed home to relax. That was it!
*****NOTE: all my pictures are going to be up on facebook now because it takes too long to upload them here! But I'll try and post as soon as anything happens :)
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