Running Head: RESIDENTIAL LIFE NEEDS ASSESSMENT 1

Organizational Assessment of Residential Life Needs

Donavon A. Barbarisi

Fort Hays State University

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Organizational Assessment of Residential Life Needs

This needs assessment was conducted on the Residential Life department of Fort Hays

State University, a mid-size teaching university operating out of central Kansas. The assessment

was conducted in the second semester of the academic year 2016-2017. The central investigator

was a graduate assistant for the department, previously coming from a residential life position at

another Midwestern midsize teaching university.

Information for this needs assessment was gathered through personal observation,

interviews, and reports. Personal observation stems from being an employee within the

department, and will color all of the perspectives even while attempting to remain as unbiased as

possible. Interviews were conducted with employees ranging from Resident Assistants (a

position below entry-level, student staff) to assistant directors, which was done in order to

provide more varied perspectives on the different organizational aspects. Finally, reports and

publications were utilized to see what perceptions were shown to the public, and which were

held more within the organization.

Central elements of the department’s culture and organization include a major dichotomy

in organizational perceptions, an unclear reporting and power structure, as well as a lack of

symbolism in the department’s operating style. First, the organization utilizes a human resource

frame for decision making as possible, but frequently is forced to analyze choices and judgments

from a political framework. Next, the basis of power on some occasions comes from a

hierarchical position and in others from a tenure lens with roles often overlapping or leaving

gaps. Finally, the department was relatively young, with its longest serving employees only

having worked for 4 years, and records from prior years being rare.
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Structural Analysis

The structural frame exists as a lens on leadership that focuses on the goal-based

approaches for decision-making as well as how an organization develops coordination and

communicates roles. This frame operates under a very rigid ideal that organizations want to be

as efficient as possible, and that issues do indeed arise in the process of this. Finally, it can be

argued that this is a robotic lens where people have a specific role that they would be best in and

developing an organization is rooted in this ideal (Bolman & Deal, 2013).

Organizational Goals

The goals of the residential life department are assessed yearly in terms of departmental

culture in order to meet the needs of students and the organization. The key participants in the

decision making process are upper-level administrators within the department and above who

often refer to mid- and entry-level hires for feedback. There are four main goals expressed to

students in community, accessibility, resident centered, and educational support. These four

goals are key in decision-making processes at a departmental level; however, there are additional

goals not expressed to students, or clearly written, including retention, efficiency, and earnings.

The various stakeholders readily agree upon the goals of the department, though the

responsibility for achieving them is divided in part based on role. The Assistant Directors within

the department find specific goals or aspects of goals as falling more within their realm of

responsibility than others fall. As mentioned previously, the four expressed goals provide the

bulk of direction for the department and often serve as building blocks to achieving the unwritten

goals of the department.

Roles
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Responsibilities are often allocated based on initial position descriptions; however, when

task areas are gray as to who should be responsible there is sometimes an unclear assignment

structure in the department. The main example is the division of Assistant Directors with one

being focused on Student Experience with another centered on Business Operations. While there

are clear times to go to one over the other, when a question could fall to either there is not always

a clear protocol for asking one over the other.

Another example of role differential is the expectations that Hall Directors place on

Graduate Assistants. Graduate Assistants in the department do have set responsibilities of

supervising their respective desks and the related staff. Some Hall Directors give additional

opportunities ranging from program modeling to hall council engagement based on the needs and

skill of the graduate assistant.

Authority and Derived Decision Making

Due to recent turnover at the Director level for Residential Life, there has been a loss of

clarity regarding authority. Typically within the department, position is the main condition for

authority and responsibility; however, due to the Director still being within their first six months,

decisions often come from Assistant Directors with longer employment experiences within the

department. This appeared to be a temporary occurrence akin to an acclimation period and with

more experience in this specific position would return to a standard positional authority.

Based on this structure of authority, decisions often are made by the Assistant Directors

on the condition that the Director gives approval. The communication between the two levels of

authority are kept wide open so that and problems that arise are immediately assessed and

addressed from various levels as opposed to relegating a single person to finding a solution. This
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creates a very positive problem solving atmosphere that allows multiple voices to be heard while

still giving opportunity for those in upper levels to exert their authority when absolutely

necessary.

Meetings and Committees

The Residential Life department hosts seven committees whose membership ranges from

graduate level to Assistant Director level based on the needs of the committee. One issue that

arose regarding committees was area of overlap or unclear responsibilities. Tasks occasionally

appeared to fall under one committee but would be reassigned based on workload. This led to

some uncertainty about responsibilities. Similarly, unless committees shared members, there

was often a lack of communication between the various areas leading to some doubling up or

missing core areas.

Overall, the department hosts approximately 1-2 meetings per day at the entry- and

graduate-level, which jumps exponentially when upper-level administration is included. Often

lower-level meetings do not see the Director, and vice-versa. Meetings between Director and

entry-level positions tend to be more informal and occur when the participants run into each

other as opposed to structured methods.

Evaluation

Evaluation processes within the department of residential life vary based on level, as

student staff and graduate positions are clearly evaluated by a rubric from supervisors, higher

position levels see themselves evaluated based on goals through compliance assist. The

evaluations for student staff are conducted twice per year, and overall feedback is designed to
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improve with no real risk or reward besides contract renewal. Student staff is evaluated through

a performance lens, which sees all areas of their responsibility and assesses their abilities.

Upper-level administrators are not required to obtain evaluations from supervisees which

occasionally resulted in potential areas of improvement going unaddressed. Compliance assist

does address key areas of job performance; however, it does not address specific areas of

improvement, e.g. timeliness and administration, which while not imagined to be as prevalent in

upper-administration, does still occur. Upper-level administration is evaluated through an

outcome based focus, which leaves small details unaccounted for in performance, but does

ensure overarching goals of a community and building are being met.

Human Resource Analysis

The human resource frame is a lens for organizational leadership that is rooted in the

development of people. This lens is much more focused on fit wherein a person’s energy and

attitude are more important for the position, and the rest (the skills) can be taught down the road.

This lens also tends to be much more focused on employee perceptions, as a happy employee or

one who perceives themselves as belonging, is more likely to contribute greatly to the

organization (Bolman & Deal, 2013).

Diversity of Background

The department of Residential Life in terms of social backgrounds has an element of

diversity; however, it is not completely representative of the overarching population. While the

office is split at an almost even ratio of male to female, the department only has a few members

that do not represent the white, Anglo-Saxon, protestant background. In terms of age, the office

is also limited, with the oldest member being 40. While this age range does account for a vast
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majority of the student population, it does not account for all, as well as representing a very

specific part of the culture from which the university would have evolved.

In terms of educational and skill based background, the department does have elements of

diversity. One member’s roots are in business as opposed to student affairs, which accounts for

some elements of the department’s goals from a lens that many would not be able to see. The

department also has members that come from community college, private college, and research

university experiences, which allow for several opinions and experiences that could help the

department evolve.

Perceptions of Work

The motivations for why people in the department work varies quite drastically between

employees. Some do it because they truly enjoy working with the residents, while for others it is

just a job to tide them over until they find something better. One employee has repeatedly

remarked that as soon as they find a new job “they are out”. For those that are working for the

students the times that others find rough, e.g. interviews and students of concern, are easy and

actually drive them to work harder.

Overall, in the work setting it appears as if everyone enjoys their work. When in more

private settings people feel freer to voice displeasure about how things are going. This serves as

a major roadblock to departmental development, as avoiding the issue or talking to people in

private does not have the effect of moving things forward.

Relationships

Within the department, relationships typically developed in pairs of closeness. Within

these pairs, there is often more of a jab and tease style of relationship with banter going between.
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These relationships have proven vital to people feeling as if they belong and have a positive role

within the workplace. There was a noticeable decline in enjoyment for a staff member when

their pair left for another position. There does not appear to be much camaraderie based purely

on positional authority especially within the upper-levels of administration.

Training

The training regimen within the department is very focused on the aforementioned goals

of student development. The aim of the training is to protect the students, and understand their

needs based on a variety of diverse identities. Similarly, many sessions of training are oriented

on the methods in which the department retains those students, and what can be done to promote

their overall enjoyment of campus life.

Job-specific training however is less focused and is frequently left up to the individual to

understand and develop. The various building communities are quite different, and this plays up

most in how specifically to run a desk or develop a programming model. These job specific

tasks are left undefined which while allowing for uncertainty, also allows for a large range of

creativity and freedom to create the environment most appropriate for the area.

Out-of-Work Environment

The out-of-work environment as mentioned in perceptions of work is very de-stress and

de-load heavy. The pairs are often engaged as much outside of work as they are inside with

events arranged to ensure they feel they have people to trust and share with. Some groups

outside of work demonstrate a much higher social acceptance, willing to welcome others who

wish to engage in similar activities, while other find themselves more in a clique mindset

oriented so only they engage one another.

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As a department, a majority are in a relationship (half are engaged or married) while most

of the remainder are content with their relationship status and do not define themselves based on

it. As it stands, the divorce rate within the department is nonexistent, though the department as a

whole is young as mentioned. Only one member is a persistent smoker, which was a behavior

from before the position and not developed while occupying the position. Finally, most of the

staff perceived drinking as a social activity with only a few engaging in more persistent alcohol

use.

Political Frame Analysis

The political frame is an oft-misunderstood lens, wherein resources and differences are

the defining features. This represents that organizations make decisions in order to have access

to more resources even when it may not appear to be the best immediate option, or perhaps goes

against their vision. Also, this frame accounts for human differences as everyone has a

perspective, and the important aspects are managing perceptions from these perspectives and

addressing the issues that may arise from them (Bolman & Deal, 2013).

Power Division

In the department of Residential Life, similar to the aforementioned gaps and overlaps,

there is sometimes a division of positional power versus a tenure-based power. While the

director has the positional power and this shows on the organizational chart, the assistant

directors are often more trusted. This stems from being in the position longer and having a better

working knowledge of how things work here as opposed to broad understandings. Additionally,

power is clearly more divided when it comes to specific issues, based on who has more

experience working with a specific area.

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People in power tend to cycle on whether they connect to people not in power. During

the lower impact times, those in power tend to focus their time on developing relationships.

When high-stress times occur, this focus diminishes and switches to task orientation. This

transition, through conversations with staff, is sometimes off-putting with such a stark contrast.

Overall, there is not often evidence of inappropriate use of power, only arising during serious

conflicts when positional power is utilized as the means of making decisions.

Conflict Development and Management

The main issues that create conflict tend to be those discussions when people want things

to stay the way they are. In these cases, powers again resort to utilizing positional power to

resolve the conflict. Conflicts often resolve through these means though on occasion it comes to

a more rational discussion. One major detail on the meetings is that the powerful people are part

of many if not all of them. This means their mobilization is almost instant, and conflict tends to

resolve quickly because of this.

Relations and Coalitions

Similar to details from the aforementioned human resource frame, the coalitions tend to

develop based on paired relations. Due to the relationships developing in pairs, there is a strong

feeling that where one party will support an idea, there will be a peer doing so based on the past

experiences. Additionally, there are coalitions that develop based on placement, or stemming

from the structural frame. Due to buildings having a Hall Director and Assistant Hall Director it

is reasonably assumed that they will be on similar pages with similar long-term goals.

Overall, the coalitions seems to be relatively stable but also open to a point. Past

interactions have demonstrated that new peers are given several chances to align with a coalition,
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but should they elect not to than they will not be considered later on. Regarding specific issues,

the coalitions do not have a tendency to disband. This stems in part from relationships extending

outside work, but also the reliance on someone in a similar power structure level as one’s self.

Arenas and Accessibility

There appears to be two clear arenas in which political power is exercised, being in the

meeting room as well as behind closed doors. The meeting room arena is the more visible side,

wherein decisions are out in front of all parties and communication occurs relatively openly.

Behind closed doors is where most decisions appear to actually be made. While the meeting

room has discussion, power-possessors tend to meet privately to make final decisions, and the

meeting room is only for those people.

Put-downs in the arena are usually veiled to maintain a proper working atmosphere.

When a contradictory opinion is voiced, parties felt that people in the department will repeatedly

remark why it is a bad idea, even when the initial speaker is relented. The comments are never

outright, instead choosing to destroy ideas as being stupid, as opposed to the voicing party.

People in the department are relatively spread, excluding those in power. Those in power

sit in a central office where they are not actively involved in the day to day of any specific

community. On one hand this evidences a potential for trust, but it also potentially shows a

disconnect with the actual communities. Being that those in power are in a central office, it is

not instant in order to access them, instead requiring time on a calendar to actually be blocked off

to make the trip and discuss upcoming issues.

Symbolic Frame Analysis

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The symbolic frame is a lens that represents a lot more of what actions mean further

down the road, and the influence they have on decision making. This lens takes the stories and

traditions and examines why they develop as they do, and what it means in terms of maintaining

the culture designed by the organization. A major understanding in this perspective is that all

actions have a different perception for everyone, and as such the continued influence of choices

is greater than many often initially perceive (Bolman & Deal, 2013).

History and Visible Culture

The first major aspect of the departmental history to arise is the constant reminder that

the longest serving staff member has only been there four years. This appears to illustrate that

the department is constantly changing with the intent of growth. With that also comes a

particular lack of historical significance. Many traditions established within the department tend

to be only two-to-three years old.

Another major historical aspect is that of the actual buildings. Currently, three of the

communities originated in the ‘60s. This appears to show a pride for the campus history. A

major symbol in this instance is that one of the oldest buildings is being demolished, which some

have attributed to an out with the old in with the new attitude. This attitude also appears to be

reflected in the overall campus culture, which may reflect something greater than a part of the

smaller divisional perspective.

In terms of the visible culture, the first thing that often comes to mind is again the

espoused values of the department. These values are put on the forefront, often being the focus

of documents prepared for distribution recruitment. By putting the values on almost all

materials, it gives a standard to be met by the department as well as something for incoming
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students to look forward to. While the words behind the values have not changed, the meaning

has in part. One idea has been a focus on being student-centered, which was once about giving

students what they need to be successful, but has switched to giving them what they want (even

though it is not always in their best interest).

Heroes and Heroines

In regards to heroes and heroines, the first lens is on the current director. During her

interviewing process it became clear for the department that they were centered on the core idea

she voiced. As she has become more part of the department there was a major cultural shift

which lost the support of some staff. First, it meant a shift of power, wherein the person

previously making decisions would be relegated to making recommendations. Secondly, the

cultural shifted from a get things done mentality into a get to it when we get to it which again

was a transitional struggle for those long-standing members. One key feature is that she does

inspire emotion, though in a different way from past directors according to staff members.

Another major feature of the heroines in the department is looking at the standards

established by the previous director. Their view of being student-centered involved being a lot

more secretive with information sharing. This for some staff members was beneficial as it meant

respecting a student’s privacy whereas other perceived it as being more focused on FERPA than

on the actual needs of the student. Additionally, those long-standing staff members also tend to

cling to her decisions when it comes to change. When ideas are brought up, for some the typical

response is well the old director, which has been an attitude change since the filling of the

position.

Stories
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The stories of the department tend to come from the assistant directors, two of the three

longest serving members. The main stories tend to be about the growing of the department, and

how things have changed within the culture. Often, these stories are heard shared with inquiring

applicants, and focus on the things that have grown well. There is a distinct lack of negative

aspects (which makes sense in interviews), but it at times feels like a strategy to lure people in

based on a semi-true narrative. Interviewees have remarked in one on one communication that

they would be interested in seeing the real side or the struggles the department goes through.

For these people, the struggle is not something to shy away from, but instead a major opportunity

for growth and chance for a person to find their niche within the department.

Related Theories

Schein’s Five Mechanisms

The most useful theory in terms of creating and maintaining the culture established in

residential life would appear to be Schein’s Five Mechanisms. This theory enumerates five ways

(what leaders focus on, reactions to incidents, role modeling and coaching, reward allocation,

and mobility/termination) that leaders can emphasize ways of thinking to support the culture in a

department. Currently, the department is very big on demonstrating focus and reactions, but

could develop more in terms of the other three mechanisms. By doing so, it would appear to

motivate staff to see the job as more than just that, and drive employees to want to support the

established culture. In terms of current behavior, the department could also be driving employees

away from the culture by being somewhat sporadic/erratic with their other three mechanisms

(Schein’s leadership culture…, 2016).

Transformation vs. Transaction

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Another major related theory, or set, is transformational versus transactional leadership.

Currently the department is very transactional, wherein employees are expected to follow

department goals, and very driven by the task. Due to how student affairs is structured,

transformational leadership would probably be more effective. The leaders would be more likely

to model behavior and values (similar to Schein’s mechanisms) and also be much more about

individual development. Finally, similar to the mention of Schein, this would drive the

employee to want to be part of the organization for more than just work (Northouse, 2016).

Political Frame as Dominant Lens

The surprising fact that arose during this assessment was the way the department wants to

lead versus how it does. The department thinks about decisions publicly in a very human

resource lens, but when it comes to actually making decisions it is more political, maintaining

ties to connect resources and also keep constituents happy. These political decisions are more

evident in construction based on who has had a say in designs, and who during the construction

process has had access to the site and information. Another major understanding here is that this

is necessary. As rough as it is to say, universities are political, and department administrators

must be willing to play the game. The biggest struggle is the attempt to hide the political

motivations for fear of what it may mean, though it is important that staff be aware in order to

support the mission, especially when it is covert.

Recommendations

My initial reaction for residential life stems from the related theories. It is important to

create an investment in organization ideals, and I feel that by taking more time to recognize

individuals and the success they achieve, the department would be more successful in employee
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retention and satisfaction. Additionally, this perspective would likely lead employees to better

espouse the values and ideals of residential life to their student. Finally, this trickle down system

of creating happy employees to create happy students would likely result in greater retention, one

of the unrecognized missions of residential life. The most difficult aspect of this would be

changing organizational culture, or understanding. To enact these steps, administrators must

understand that the current operation may not be the most effective, which could have

repercussions in the other frames of understanding.

Another major recommendation would be to account for the weaknesses of the political

frame. While the political frame does offer many benefits, there are weaknesses including the

secrecy and power division that administrators need to address. By doing this, administrators

can create a greater degree of buy-in for employees. As a student, it would be beneficial to see

more of the political frame at work in an organization as it will always operate differently than

the text predicts. On the other hand, being within the political frame it is important for me to

recognize that there may be more reasoning going into the secrecy than I may be aware or

informed of.

My final recommendation would be to develop a stronger symbolic frame. This currently

stems from the lack of history, traditions, and stories that the department has. While residential

life is a portion of FHSU, it should not rely on the overarching university to serve as its only

method of developing history. This will come with time, so the first step would appear to be

better documentation so that future employees can see past successes and failures within the

department. Follow through would be assessing what students actually perceived of the event, as

doing an event the organization enjoys does not necessarily mean it will reflect equally in the

students eyes.
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Problem Reframed

One major problem experienced by the department is the development of trainings and

resources for student staff. Currently, the department views these trainings very politically,

letting others make the decisions on scheduling and some session focuses. By looking at the

problem in a more structural manner, it may clear up some of the struggles. The organization

can and should consider what is the most efficient way to do the trainings, and allow others to fill

in when they can. In a way, this would be exerting a type of power over other departments,

which could very well be a sink or swim effort. Additionally, the structural frame would place

emphasis for what is most important in the position and what would be most vital for student

staff to be successful in their role.

This switch of lens again would be very sink or swim. Being that residential life is such a

vital part of campus, I feel as though it is okay for the department to use that to their advantage

on occasions (though they must be careful not to abuse it). I feel as though other departments

would be obligated to follow along, and as such maintaining those relationships in other ways

would be necessary. The overall effect would be a student staff who is better equipped to deal

with the specific issues of residential life, on a schedule set by residential life, and could mean

more effective follow-through during the year.

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References

Bolman, L. G., Deal, T. E. (2013). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. 5th

edition. San Francisco, CA; Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Northouse, P., G. (2016) Leadership: Theory and Practice. 7th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA.

Sage Publications, Inc.

Schein's leadership culture-change actions. (2016). Retrieved May 12, 2017, from

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/actions/schein_culture.htm