Michigan Housing has both professional staff in the residence halls and student staff, many of whom are Resident Advisors (RAs). The RAs play a significant role in building community on the floor, providing connections and looking out for the wellness and safety of your student. We received word on Wednesday that some student staff in particular buildings have opted to stop work, sharing a number of concerns. Other resident advisors have shared they are continuing their duties.
Please be assured that despite the work stoppage, involving less than half of our RAs, there are RAs working in every residence hall who are available to your student. Every floor and every student resident will be supported and have access to support resources during this time. If your student feels they would like additional resources to turn to, Student Life has a number of services that can be accessed, outlined in this article “Support Programs, Resources for Students.”
Our student staff care deeply about their communities, and they care about safety. We share those same priorities, and look forward to coming to a better understanding, to support our residents. Michigan Housing, during this unprecedented time, remains committed to a diligent, public health informed approach to ensuring student well-being and safety.
The student staff have a critical job to do, so Michigan Housing takes all concerns seriously. Through forums and meetings since the beginning of term, we have gathered input and have already addressed a number of requests, such as providing additional PPE. Michigan Housing continues to meet with the RAs individually and in smaller team groups to respond to their concerns.
We realize you will have many questions, so here is some key information:
- RAs and full-time staff members are still available to help and support residents.
- Residents will continue to have access to programs throughout the institution. Current offerings can be found on Happening @ Michigan.
- The Division of Public Safety and Security will continue their nightly rounds.
- Michigan Housing continues to monitor and reinforce our rigorous and robust conduct process for public health policies.
- Although we may need to adjust hours of mailrooms, residents will still be able to access their mail and packages.
As a reminder, COVID Testing is available for all students. U-M offers a COVID-19 Community Sampling and Tracking Program that is available to your students as well as faculty and staff. It is a free, opt-in, voluntary surveillance testing program for those on the Ann Arbor campus.