Teach me
how to Juggle
Featuring
Bethel Glumac
University
Student
Of
of Houston
Staff
the
Member
Year
Table
1. Introducing Bethel
2. Attractions (programs)
3. Repertoire (activities)
4/5. Three Rings
- RHA/RA
- School
- SWACURH
of
contents
6. Letter of Good Standing
7/8. Recommendations
Appendix. Job Description
About Bethel
Major: Media Production
Hometown: Houston, TX
GPA: 3.2/4.0
Position 2010-11:
RHA Secretary Treasurer
Un
ive
rsi
t
Position 2011-12:
yo
Be f Hou
sto
t
n
he
Gl
um l
ac
Resident Assistant
RHA Secretary/Treasurer
1
Oct. 20
Sept. 22
April 28
2011
2011
2011
Beauty Bowl: A well-known RHA tradition; each residence hall builds a team
to compete in Powder Puff football,
where the girls play football and the
boys cheer them on!
Rooftop Coffeehouse: Another RHA
program that Bethel was heavily involved in. Poets and singers performed
in front of a crowd of 100. The audience enjoyed coffee and snacks.
Pajama Jam: A nighttime activity
that included residents dressing in
their favorite PJs. Bethel promoted
the fun and games while advertising
for residents to join in!
Nov. 9
April 15
Feb. 3
2010
2011
2011
Let’s Get Ready for
What does AAHSA stand for?
Afri ca n American Honors Student Association
Who can join?
Anyone and Everyone!!
First Meeting
Thursday, February 3rd
4:30pm – 5:30pm (Right after the SGB meeting)
Honors Commons
Discuss Current
Issues with your
Peers!
FREE
FOOD
RHA Game Night: A break for students
after midterms to play a variety of
board games and sing karaoke, Bethel
planned as well as served snacks while
students interacted with each other!
Not Only for
AfricanAmericans!!
m
Questions? Concerns. Comments…
Contact Bethel Glumac at:
[email protected]
or Joshua Ellis at
[email protected]
AAHSA Meeting: The AfricanBreaking the Silence: The day of silence
American Honor Student Association.
is about protesting LGBT bullying. At
the end of the day, Bethel helped plan Bethel strives to provide a forum for
a party for all of the participants to talk African-American Honors College students to discuss current events.
for the first time that day.
Oct. 1
Oct. 27
Aug. 22-27
2011
2011
2011
Paint Your Nails Pink: Bethel, as an RA,
volunteered to paint residents’ nails
pink in order to raise money to fight
breast cancer and support cancer prevention research.
Guest
Speaker: Dr.
Leveaux
‘Beat Rice’ Flash mob: A really active
way to get residents excited about RHA
and school spirit. Bethel organized the
entire flash mob and allowed residents
to be part of something new!
Move-In Weekend: A list of events
for residents to attend their first
weekend at halls. Bethel encouraged residents to attend and got
them hyped about starting
2
BETHEL
GLUMAC
Resident Assistant
Bethel preparing for a RHA
block party.
Director of Finance and Communications
for the University of Houston RHA
Bethel and the rest of the
SWACURH 2010 delegation
at TCU.
Secretary of the Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Honor
Association (PTKAA)
Member of the Food Service Advisory Committee
Copy Editor/Staff Writer/Photographer at The Daily Cougar
Member of the Cougar Village Communications Committee
Member of the Honors College
Founder/President of the African-American Honor
Student Association
Honors College Mentor
University of Houston Academic Excellence Scholarship Recipient
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Scholarship Recipient
National Achievement Scholarship Recipient
Cougar Trading Card Scholarship Recipient
Part-Time
Banquet
Server at the
Hilton
Member of a
UH Intramural
Football Team
Captain of a
UH Intramural
Volleyball
Team
Member of the
UH Volleyball
Sports Club
Attended
SWACURH
2010
Attended
NACURH 2011
2011-2012 Student Staff Member of the Year
Cougar Preview Volunteer
Model for Transitions Magazine
Family Weekend Volunteer
Honors Student Governing Board
Fundraising Committee
Summer Staff at Helen Hall Library
O-Team Leader
Executive Board
Green UH Intern
Participant at Undergraduate Research Day
Personal Access Liaison (PAL)
for first-year students
3
RHA
Bethel is an expert when it comes to juggling three different responsibilities—the most important of which is her involvement in the University of Houston Residence Halls Association, as well as being a Resident Assistant to her residents. The story of the affiliation of UH’s
RHA is an inspiring one. After not being associated with the national
organization for three years, Bethel was part of a team that helped RHA Bethel taking minutes during RHA
become better than they had ever been. In her newly elected position as meeting
Secretary/Treasurer, Bethel was in charge of sifting through what had
been left behind by the previous RHA to find out what worked and what could be worked on. She took it
upon herself to look through the copious amounts of records and paper and electronic form. After that, she
made sure to always do minutes at every meeting so that whoever took over RHA after would always
know what it takes to run a successful organization.
“Bethel has repeatedly shown her commitment to being a student at the University of Houston, as
well as a leader, through not only her involvement, but her continued dedication and perseverance.
She is certainly an asset to the campus community and continues to exceed my expectations.”
-Rymonda Davis, RHA President
RA
As an RA, she uses her experience as a freshman to shape programs for her residents. Because of a new
RLH programming model, building relationships with residents is encouraged more than programming. At
the beginning of the semester, Bethel made sure to instill a mandatory floor meeting and have each resident
fill out a questionnaire asking for some important characteristics. Using these answers, Bethel was able to get a good idea of what each resident was
like. Throughout the whole year, Bethel can treat her residents with their
favorite candy bar and have a party whenever its their birthday. Also, Bethel made it a floor tradition to have Monday Night dinners at the new dining
hall. This way, she could check in with her residents at the beginning of the
week, and receive updates on what their week was going to look like. In adBethel during RA training
dition, Bethel is always finding new programs to hold for her residents to
come to, as well as other residents from other hallls. Recently, Bethel held a girls night program, in which
she provided comfort food and a place for female residents to talk about what was on their mind. In the future, Bethel will do a guys night event in which the male residents can play video games and talk about
whatever is on their mind.
“Bethel puts emphasis on personal relationships and is able to balance school work, her personal life,
and her professional life.” -Yuval Klein, Senior RA
Bethel is like a big sister to me– always giving advice and caring about me. If I ever have a question,
Bethel is always there to help. -Amir Strong, Bethel’s resident
4
School
Bethel has been involved in a plethora of things on campus outside of RHA. She’s a member of the Honors
College and she serves as an Honors Advocate. During the spring 2011 semester, Bethel founded and became president of the African-American Honor Student Association (AHSA). In this organization, Bethel
leads discussions about minorities in academia. Bethel has done an amazing job at balancing school, work,
and RHA. Being in the Honors College is no small feat yet Bethel is able to excel in academics while doing an exceptional job in RHA, going above the requirements in her role as an RA, and working a part-time
job at the Hilton hotel on campus.
“Bethel is a motivated young woman who takes the initiative to accomplish tasks beyond what are assigned to
her. Her team work is an asset to our banquet department!”
-Natalie Barry, Conrad N. Hilton College Banquet Manager
“Bethel Glumac is a proven leader. As a freshman she
single-handedly resurrected the African American HonDuring the summer, Bethel served as an O-team leader
ors Students Association at the University. Now in its seand a model for a magazine for incoming freshmen!
cond year under Bethel’s leadership the organization continues to grow largely due to Bethel’s passion and commitment. Bethel is driven and focused and continues to be
an asset to the University of Houston.”
-Christine LeVeaux-Haley, Ph.D.
Swacurh
Bethel has been an avid supporter of everything related to SWACURH. Her
excitement about conference has inspired many others to attend conference
to see what it is about. She played a huge role in SWACURH 2010 preparation by helping make the banner, clothespins, and teaching all of the cheers
to the delegation. At conference, Bethel kept the delegation on track and
she made sure they stayed spirited the whole time. Because of her involvement at SWACURH, Bethel was a perfect candidate to bring to NACURH.
Bethel and 4 others journeyed 17 hours to NACURH 2010 where she
learned so much valuable information to bring back to campus. Bethel has
Bethel and the other executive
also pushed people to write OTMs on campus. During RA training, she
board members at NACURH 2011
helped teach all of the RAs how to write OTMs. Bethel also submitted an
OTM for October.
―Bethel is extremely helpful to me when preparing for conference. For our
delegation, she acts as a leader when I’m stuck in Boardroom. She is invaluable to me before, during, and after conferences.”
-Bryan Haver, NCC
5
6
Professional Recommendations
October 25, 2011
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter serves as my personal recommendation for Bethel Glumac. Due to her involvement
here at the University of Houston, Bethel is a great candidate for the Student Staff Member of
the Year Award. Currently, I serve as Bethel’s immediate supervisor and find her a joy to work
with. Bethel consistently completes assignments, has taken the time to get to know her residents and is always there for her fellow Resident Assistants. Part of Bethel’s role as a Resident
Assistant requires her to serve on several committees. Bethel has been integral to the success
of the Cougar Village Communication Committee which requires that she works well with others to produce a bi-weekly newsletter.
Besides being a Resident Assistant, Bethel also serves on Residence Halls Association (RHA)
as the Director of Finance and Communications and is the current President of African American Honor Association, a group which she was also the Co-Founder for. Although sometimes
reserved, Bethel is a role model amongst her peers and is creative in her programming ideas.
This is further illustrated in her role as an Honors Mentor, Executive Orientation Leader, and
intern for Green UH. Furthermore, Bethel’s gift toward programming is demonstrated with her
work on events such as RHA Homecoming Week- Beauty Bowl, Study Nights, Ice Cream
Wednesday, and Free Cup Friday which continually brings rave reviews and a great turn out.
Despite being extremely involved, Bethel also manages to still give great attention to her studies and demonstrates remarkable work life balance. Bethel is also a very humble individual
who remains positive and continues to be a hard worker. Due to these reasons, it is my pleasure
to recommend Bethel for the Student Staff Member of the Year Award.
If you have any questions regarding my recommendation for Bethel please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Kind Regards,
Jamica Johnson
Area Coordinator – Cougar Village
Department of Residential Life and Housing
University of Houston
832.842.6028
[email protected]
7
Dear Selection Committee:
It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Bethel Glumac for consideration of student staff member of the year. I have
known Bethel for the past two years, both as an advisor and as an indirect supervisor. I have personally watched as Bethel
has grown from an involved freshman to a stellar student staff member. I admit, Bethel maybe disadvantaged in her consideration for this award as a first year staff member, but I do believe her contributions have been significant.
At the University of Houston this year we have implemented a relational model of programming. I feel it is important to
mention this because our programming model is slightly different than at other universities. An element of this model has
to do with the individual relationships that the RA has with each resident on his/her floor. Programs are no longer a requirement of our RA’s, in fact, our funding has been significantly reduced funding is hard to acquire. However, the relationship model has worked for us thus far, encouraging our student staff to build a positive and lasting relationship based
on the individual.
So…why do I mention all of this? This transition to a non-programming based model has been hard for many RA’s.
However, Bethel has exceeded in building positive individual relationships with the residents that are on her floor. Bethel
knows the names of all of her residents, knows their majors, and is familiar with where they came from prior to attending
UH. Bethel is consistently available to her floor and is a superior resource to her residents than others.
An element of the relationship model of programming is getting each member on one’s floor involved somewhere on
campus. Bethel has truly achieved this, partly through her own involvement on the university campus and encouragement
of others to be involved. Bethel is actively involved in the campus newspaper, Honors College, Phi Theta Kappa, member of the food services advisory committee, and one of the founders of the African-American Honor Student Association,
as well as an Orientation team leader, and involved in intramurals.
What is important about Bethel’s multi-tiered involvement is that she involves her residents and others as well in these
activities. It is in this area that Bethel excels, tying in relationships of students to other students through various organizations and her own involvement in them. This is perhaps the greatest reason I recommend Bethel for consideration.
Ms. Colleen M. Schmidt, M.Ed
Residential Life & Housing | Moody Towers | Area Coordinator
4401 Wheeler St, Houston, Texas 77004
w: 713.743.6050 | f: 713.743.5474 | e: [email protected]
Bethel and Colleen during
SWACURH 2010.
University of Houston
Residential Life and Housing
POSITION DESCRIPTION & CONTRACT
TITLE:
Resident Assistant
DEPT:
Residential Life and Housing
LEVEL:
Student Worker
REPORTS TO:
Hall Director/Area Coordinator
POSITION(S) SUPERVISED:
None
POSITION SUMMARY:
Resident Assistants (RAs) supervise and facilitate activities, programs, and operations on a floor or area within a residence hall. Resident Assistants are
graduate or undergraduate staff members in Residential Life and Housing who report to and are directly supervised by Hall Directors and Area Coordinators. Resident Assistants interact most frequently with residents; therefore, they have an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the development and
education of these students. They work to develop a sense of community among floor members, maintain an atmosphere conducive to sleep, study and
personal growth and facilitate a quality residential experience for University of Houston residents.
QUALIFICATIONS:
A. Leadership potential as evident by previous leadership experiences, references and skills, and potential as perceived by the evaluators in the selection process.
High level of maturity exhibited in sound judgment, emotional stability, flexibility and willingness to accept responsibility.
Strong interpersonal skills through proven ability to interact effectively with others and as perceived throughout the interview process.
Current full-time undergraduate or graduate student with overall minimum 2.50 UH GPA (for undergraduate students) at the time of interview and
throughout the period of employment; graduate students must maintain good academic standing within their college. It is an expectation staff
will also maintain a 2.5 semester UH GPA while employed by Residence Life and Housing.
At least one semester of residence hall living or comparable living (at any University).
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The major duties and responsibilities of the Resident Assistant role are:
I.
Student Relationships:
Resident Assistants strive to help each resident develop fully as a person, a student, and an active member of the University through their multiple
roles as adviser, friend, administrator, and accountability agent. Resident Assistants demonstrate respect for the health, safety, welfare, and rights of
everyone living in the residence halls.
Learn the name of each student assigned to floor/area.
Learn something about each resident's personal background, special interests, and academic goals.
Be responsive to student needs, concerns and questions. Help students with personal, vocational, social, academic and general concerns.
Associate with all residents on the floor/area and assess the need for education, intervention or assistance; refer when necessary.
Set a positive example for residents by exhibiting good academic and study habits and proper personal conduct.
Maintain a positive attitude toward others and an appreciation of lifestyles and attitudes different from own.
Maintain the confidentiality of information when ethical and appropriate to do so.
Time Commitment:
The Resident Assistant position is considered to be the RAs principal non-academic activity. Extracurricular activities should not conflict with the
time needed to perform effectively as a RA through the entire year. Additional employment must be approved by your supervisor (no more than 12
hours). The RA is expected to be available and visible to students on the floor at least four nights per week (including either a Friday or Saturday
night). The RA is also required to staff the information desk at least 6 hours weekly.
Establish and maintain scheduled Nights on Floor for maximum accessibility to residents.
Attend weekly staff meetings and individual meetings with supervisor and Team (Every Wednesday at 9:00pm).
Participate in the on-call coverage of assigned area on a weekly basis.
Staff will work the Information Desk (Front Desk) of their respective halls at least six hours weekly and additional hours if opening and closing dictate a need for staff.
Consultation and Referral:
The Resident Assistant should be aware of students in need of personal help and provide appropriate consultation and referral. When faced with
such concerns, the RA is expected to:
Demonstrate an ability to listen to others and to reflect an attitude of caring and support.
Discuss all situations of a referral with the Area Coordinator and/or the appropriate professional staff member.
Demonstrate knowledge of referral options within the University (e.g. Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, University Career
Services, Student Academic Support) and be able to explain these options to residents seeking help. Whenever appropriate, the RA should utilize the professional staff as a referral option.
Be prepared to advise residents on class registration process and to refer them to the appropriate academic office when necessary.
Act as a facilitator and mediator when conflicts between residents arise. Maintain objectivity and professionalism when dealing with conflicts.
Recognize the limits of his/her training and experience as a support mechanism for residents.
Programming:
The Resident Assistant is expected to promote an atmosphere for individual and group development by initiating, advising, and implementing programs in the residence hall. In providing a learning atmosphere, the RA is expected to:
Encourage student interaction with faculty, administrators, and other members of the University community by initiating programs involving these
groups.
Encourage residents to participate and contribute to hall programs.
Determine the types of programs that the residents need.
Meet the minimum programming and community development expectations set by supervisor and Residential Life.
FYRE RAs will be responsible for joint programs with the Peer Mentor Staff.
University Policy:
The Resident Assistant is expected to support and enforce University policies and regulations. In functioning within the physical and social environment of the hall, the RA serves as a model for others. The RA must assume responsibility for creating an environment in which optimum personal and
social growth may occur. The RA is expected to:
Encourage by example the principles of individual responsibility and respect for others.
Explain, support and follow the regulations and policies outlined in the University of Houston Student Handbook.
Be able to articulate the purpose and practices of the department’s Behavior Education process.
Respond in a positive and helpful manner when confronted with behavior or infractions, which disrupt the environment and discuss all violations and
infractions with the AC.
Provide written documentation of all contact with students of a judicial or mental health nature.
Emergency Situations:
Fire, black-outs, hurricanes, student disturbances and individual crises demanding medical attention, hospitalization or the need for Police assistance
are examples of emergencies which confront the Resident Assistant. In order to respond rationally and appropriately in an emergency, the RA is expected to:
Be familiar with procedures and instructions provided during training.
Provide calm, reasonable response to emergencies and crises.
Assist in conducting a scheduled fire drill each semester.
Report all individual and/or hall emergencies to the AC or appropriate professional staff.
Provide additional availability in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster.
Assist Residential Life and Housing staff, as directed, in implementing emergency procedures.
VII. Administrative:
The Resident Assistant is expected to complete the following duties in a timely and thorough manner, which are necessary to the operation of the residence halls:
Assist in the management functions of the hall and report damages or repair needs to the Housing Maintenance Office.
Prepare a room condition report for every bed space on floor/area.
Complete a program planner and evaluation form for all programming efforts.
Conduct monthly occupancy checks and/or room inspections.
Assist with check-in and checkout procedures for residents throughout the academic year.
Communicate to residents regarding updates about living environment from Residential Life and Housing.
Answer messages and/or return calls from supervisor(s) within 24 hours and check e-mail daily.
Submit weekly reports of any activities on floor or resident concerns.
Assist with the selection process of new RA staff.
Perform extra tasks or other duties as assigned under the direction of supervisor or professional staff.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
The terms of employment for this position are:
I.
Pre-Requisite Expectations
A.
Grade Point Average
All RA candidates must have a minimum UH cumulative and semester GPA of 2.5 to be considered eligible for appointment. This requirement is in line with
the University’s academic standing policy and other compensated leadership positions across campus.
As pre-service training is scheduled to occur during mid-August, it may not be possible for RLH to verify summer school grades. Therefore, candidates who
are hired for the upcoming academic year must earn a minimum UH cumulative and semester GPA of 2.5 with their spring semester grades. Newly hired RAs
who fall below the required cumulative GPA will be notified and replaced with a candidate from the Resident Assistant Alternate Selection List who is qualified.
During the RAs term of employment, Residential Life and Housing expects that a UH semester and cumulative GPA of 2.5 will be maintained. If a RA should
fall below a 2.5 semester or cumulative GPA during their term of employment, they will be placed on probation. Failure to raise the cumulative GPA to at least
2.5 during this probationary period will result in termination.
Criminal History Record Investigation
Resident Assistant positions are security sensitive, meaning that the people in those positions have access to keys, information and other items that can be mishandled or abused. By state law, we are responsible for checking the criminal background of all employees for any convictions that might be a liability for our
students and the University. Failure to pass the CHRI process will result in immediate termination of the individual from any security sensitive position, but
the individual will be paid for any work performed prior to said termination.
C.
Financial and Disciplinary Eligibility
Institutional policy will not allow the employment of any individual who is financially indebted to the University. Similarly, as one of the primary roles of the Resident Assistant position is to serve as a role model for residents, each RA must be in good disciplinary standing with the University and the Department of Residential Life and Housing.
Expectations in the Role
Period of Employment
The period of employment is one academic year beginning up to 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the academic semester and ending after all tasks have been completed following the closing of the halls (generally 2 –3 days after the last halls officially close). Each Resident Assistant is expected to remain until released by the
AC staff at the end of each semester. RAs will be expected to work when halls remain open for Thanksgiving, Spring Break, and semester breaks (in Cougar Place
only).
Employment Continuation
Employment is dependent upon successful completion of all tasks, positive evaluation by the Area Coordinator, and continued exhibition of growth and enthusiasm
for the position. RAs may be required to go through a rehire process and remain in good academic, financial and judicial standing with the University of Houston.
C.
Probationary Period
In compliance with the University of Houston’s employment policy, each Resident Assistant is on probation for the first six weeks of each semester of employment.
The first evaluation of her/his performance will be conducted at the end of the probation period.
D.
Training and Development
All RAs must attend all Fall and Spring training sessions to prepare them with the necessary skills and information to work with residents. Selected Fall staff are not
to take any UH Session IV summer school classes or external courses that would interfere with the extensive days of Fall training. Failure to complete all or part of
Fall or Spring training sessions will be cause for employment review and probable action for termination.
E.
RA Seminar
All new RAs must have already completed the designated academic course prior to their employment in the role or they must be enrolled in the seminar concurrent
with their first semester of employment. This class provides new RAs with valuable information about their new position and how to manage all their new responsibilities. The seminar will be held on Wednesdays at 8:00pm (before 9:00pm staff meetings) for the first 6 weeks of the semester.
F.
Work Load and Other Employment
Due to the .30 status reflected, the Resident Assistant role must be the primary non-academic commitment. Therefore, any outside employment must be approved in
advance by the Area Coordinator, and in no case, shall 12 hours of employment outside the RA role be permitted. If an extracurricular activity is interfering with the
RAs ability to perform his or her duties to the standards set by the Area Coordinator, the RA will be asked to make immediate necessary changes to come back into
acceptable standards or to end their outside position.
G.
Remuneration
Resident Assistants shall receive a compensation package that includes a single room, a meal plan, and a salary of one hundred and twenty five dollars ($125.00) per
RA pay period (approximately monthly). Board is available only when cafeteria facilities are open to residents.
III. Role Severance
A.
Termination from the Role
The disciplining and termination of Resident Assistants is the responsibility of the Area Coordinator. To terminate Resident Assistants, a recommendation for termination complete with appropriate documentation is submitted to the Assistant Director for Residential Life. With the Assistant Director’s approval, the termination
is processed. However, any Resident Assistant can be terminated for serious violation of University of Houston or Residential Life and Housing policy or public
law at any time deemed necessary.
B.
Resignation or Abandonment
If you leave before the employment period is through, and wish to live in the Residence Halls, you will be charged for room and board for the remainder of the semester.
Termination or Resignation Penalties
Resident Assistants who resign or are terminated from the position are subject to penalties associated with the departmental purchase of a meal plan and/
or housing termination fees. Meal plans are non-transferable, as such, resignation or termination of the position may result in the former employee being
charged the remaining pro-rated amount of their meal plan. In the case that a former employee resigns or is terminated from the position and chooses to
live off campus, the former employee maybe subject to normal housing penalties associated with breaking the housing agreement.