One of my RAs had a great idea for a program he wanted to host on campus. It being April he thought it would be nice to invite some women in the entertainment industry (he's a Public Relations major) and have them talk to the student body about career options for women, how they got to where they are, etc. He teamed up with a student organization and did everything he was supposed to do in order to make this happen.
It just so happens that in addition to being a Community Director, I am also the advisor for the student organization he partnered with. But instead of using the name of the organization he put down the name of my dorm, which means that it has to be signed off by my supervisor. I brought this to him, trying to play up all the work the RA is doing to make this a success, and he takes it personally that no one asked him before today. He feels that the RA backdoored him by going directly to the Vice-Provost office and THEN coming to him. I explained that he was working with a student organization and that it was never intended to be a Residence Life affair. He still feels slighted, as though the sheer fact that there's an RA putting on a campus program automatically means that he needed to be consulted.
Again I say, the only reason that Residence Life's name is attached is because I am both a Director AND the advisor for the student organization, and that the Vice-Provost's office knows who I am. It was their decision, not mine and not the RAs. Supervisor decides to sit on the contracts I brought him to approve because he wasn't sure about liability issues, even after I told him that they were already reviewed and approved by the Chief of Staff of the Vice-Provost's office, who by the way is an exceptionally trained lawyer. I also looked them over. While I am not an exceptionally trained attorney, I am a fair-to-middling law school graduate. I like to think that I can handle the basics. Contracts still sat on. Official reason given: the department is already sponsoring a program on Thursday, and there's no need to overextend anyone. Oh. Okay. Because somehow a Caribbean themed party in the gym at night will conflict with a panel discussion on women in entertainment hosted in the afternoon.
The program is supposed to happen this Thursday. I was given the information a little late, but there was (and is) still time to make it happen. I just happen to believe that the only reason he didn't give his approval was: his personal feelings about the RA, and his feelings about being "bypassed" as the RA and those he was working with went directly to the Vice-Provost's office. Pah.
When a student organization wants to host this kind of event, they fill out the paperwork, have their advisor sign off on it, and submit it to the VP's office. Because the RA was working with a student organization and it was not meant to be a Residence Life function, he followed their protocol to get it done. There was actually no need to consult with my supervisor until the VP's Office decided to list it under the name of my department instead of the name of my student organization. That's what sup didn't seem to understand. I also may not have explained it well. I'm willing to accept that possibility. However I still feel pretty strongly that his pride got in the way, and that kind of pride never got anyone anywhere.
Legal Note: Opinions in this post are my own and not representative of the university I work for or the people I work under. All suppositions, presumptions, theories, hypotheses, etc. are my own. This blog is for entertainment purposes only, blah blah blah. There are purposely no names included in this post, and I have revealed nothing that violates either general expectations of privacy or the University confidentiality agreement, which, actually... I never signed anyway. All of that is to say...don't be trying to sue me.
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