When Kappa’s Resident Director left, [Assistant Director] became a temporary adviser in Kappa Fall 2016. The focus of the department was on getting a new Resident Director for Kappa, though in the meantime Kappa was hurting. The Resident Advisers continues to exceed all expectations; completing expectations and going above in beyond by doing more than the required 80% of scheduled meetings with residents along with assigned daily duties. Without a boss we have had to do more than our fair share, with a heavier burden due to the situation I am writing about. [Assistant Director] has intimidated, harassed, and overwhelmed the people s/he is in charge over. Beyond that, aspects of the job have been left uncompleted with questionable choices made.
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From our first meeting I learned [Assistant Director]’s speaking style: s/he was completely in charge and only when [Assistant Director] called on an RA would they have a brief opportunity to speak, until s/he quickly cuts them off. During our November 21st staff meeting there was a climax of not being heard with cut-offs and no opportunities to finish. RA #1 was repeatedly told “No!” when s/he asked “Can I please finish my sentence?” and was not the only one. [Assistant Director] tends to stand the entire time showing their power and intimidation with their speaking style that persists to today. S/he tends to stand exceptionally close to their listener (for they usually aren’t allowed to speak) while using wild hand gestures which are thus used to interrupt others. When presented with feelings and facts from their staff (such as that I am feeling unheard or that [Assistant Director] is not responding to emails) s/he constantly disregards both feelings and facts as untrue or unfair to her. S/he stresses in our January 3rd meeting that we are failing at our jobs in this transitionary time (between RDs) though we have been doing more than what we are paid for to keep Kappa running and checking in on our poor residents who have been affected by her inadequacy. S/he told me after this January 3rd meeting (which I will discuss) that we have failed at providing her a clean slate each day, and it is disappointing that we have been unable to do so.
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The January 3rd meeting was just like every meeting with [Assistant Director] though it ended worse than usual. [Assistant Director] had all the power and used verbal and physical (hand gesture) intimidation techniques while constantly failing to listen to her staff or let them speak. It got so bad multiple RAs had to excuse themselves for a minute with tears in their eyes. I have personally suffered much emotional distress from [Assistant Director]’s immature and threatening actions I will be setting up a time with the counseling center. I constantly cry during multiple staff meetings with no comment from [Assistant Director]. S/he doesn’t stop when I or anyone else starts crying. S/he keeps lecturing like nothing happens, which it does. I feel emotionally drained and have no solace. After each meeting the RAs also lose more time for a needed debrief each one. The January 3rd meeting ended when [Assistant Director] dismissed us, with multiple RAs crying after stating once more that we were acting unfairly to her. As I left I told her “it’s not just unfair to you, it’s unfair to us”. S/he proceeded to look away from me stating “I dismissed everyone, leave”. After taking a minute to compose myself away from the outside door, after bawling for a couple minutes, [Assistant Director] directly came up to me saying “we should talk”. I felt scared to talk to her alone after constant feelings of being overwhelmed, intimidated, and harassed though I stayed in concern for my position and image, for an almost hour long conversation. Honestly my flight response kicked in and I wanted to run. Constantly my entire staff fears for retribution if we speak up to her about our fears.
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Time writing documentation like this along with dealing with the mass amounts of distress, while putting in extra work to keep Kappa running has added up. I have less time and energy to dedicate to my studies and helping residents. I feel drained and anxious. My staff works so hard to talk to [Assistant Director] but are constantly dismissed without any progress. S/he has fostered a hostile environment. S/he is harassing and I could even use the word a bully. [Assistant Director] has physically laid a hand on my co-worker when [Assistant Director] felt her power was threatened (when my coworker was going into a meeting with [Director of Residence Life]).
Harassment, I tell my residents, is not tolerated at this school. So why is someone in as high as power as s/he able to? This is completely inappropriate, not to mention unprofessional. S/he is unfit to continue working in her current position of power, with the department and especially with us. S/he misses scheduled staff meetings, RA supervisory meetings, Hall Council meetings; doesn’t respond to emails (even when they contain sensitive timelines); fails to sign paperwork on time; and hired a full-time Administrative Assistant without a workable job description (which Leonard Jones agreed was a personal assistant to [Assistant Director] though s/he denies it) who is a misappropriation of government funds (for s/he has been seen watching hallmark movies while working on personal errands during work hours over winter break seen by an RA).
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[Assistant Director] has outwardly admitted s/he does not want to be in her position. I will do what I need to complete my job description but I cannot do so as well having these issues looming over my head by a harassing boss who does not complete her own job requirements. I am intimidated by this woman and I need help. I fear the next time s/he corners me, when I know I still will not be heard. I especially fear retribution like many others in Residence Life have felt already by her.