These procedures are designed to standardize the practice of all members of the department, and to offer a guide to many of the decisions and situations that may be encountered.
Each situation is somewhat unique, and you will need to use your common sense and best judgment. Procedures below are not a complete guide of every possible situation to be encountered. This should be used as a tool to assist you while in the RA position.
In the event any situations occur during the course of the day that are considered not in the scope of the RA position, contact their supervisor or the Professional Staff On Duty (256-603-7560) or the Central Office (256-824-6108). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Professional Staff On Duty after 5:00 PM.
Many situations below have steps that are intended for Professional Staff to either do or assist in handling.
If you are not confident on how to respond, Call Up. If you need help, guidance, or reminders, Call Up. We would rather you ask for help and receive it, then overlook the process.
Note that for all expectations, policies, and procedures that our staff should expect to practice any UAH and Alabama University System policies regarding physical distancing, face covering procedures, and potentially the use of digital/virtual resources were appropriate. If you are ever uncertain about a process or have precautions please call your supervisor for guidance and help. University information & guidance can be located here.
Review the “Run, Hide, Fight” video.
Review this pocket card from the Department of Homeland Security.
Remember the three responses to an active shooter situation (in preferential order):
Get Out (Run)
Hide Out (Hide)
Take Out (Fight)
Staff Policy:
Student Staff must follow state and federal laws on and off campus in regards to alcohol.
Student Staff must not be in the presence of illegal activity.
The Student Staff member is responsible for reporting any underage alcohol consumption.
Be responsible; Student Staff are role models and representatives of the Department of Housing and Residence Life.
Student Staff (of legal drinking age) must not be visibly intoxicated on campus grounds and should not drink within the 12 hours before they go on duty or while on duty.
It is expected that no UAH Student Staff member ever reaches the point of gross intoxication.
Student Staff are role models regardless of their physical location on or off-campus. These expectations extend beyond a Student Staff member’s assigned residential community.
As a student at UAH, it is expected that Student Staff abide by all policies in the Code of Conduct, Housing Handbooks, and local, state, and federal law.
Student Staff who are 21 years of age or older are permitted to quietly consume alcohol in moderation in their rooms.
Underage persons should not be present during the consumption of any alcohol.
RAs are not allowed to consume alcohol with residents they have supervision authority over (i.e. residents of your residence hall).
Failure to meet any of the above expectations can result in a Student Staff member’s immediate termination. Student Staff will be referred to the Dean of Students Office as appropriate. The adjudication process is separate from the employment process.
Please see the student staff “Student Staff Expectations Agreement” for more details.
If underage residents are found drinking alcohol or hard liquor on campus:
Situations with 3 or less people can be handled by student staff if comfortable
Explain the underage drinking policies.
Contact the UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) or 256.824.6596
Contact the Pro Staff On Duty (256-603-7560) to inform or assist based on the situation
Have the resident pour out the alcohol after the Police has concluded their investigation.
NEVER confiscate alcohol.
Take picture of the violation with the duty phone if possible and upload it with the Incident Report
Submit an Incident Report.
Signs & Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning:
The person is known to have consumed large quantities of alcohol
The person cannot be awakened
Vomiting or vomiting while passed out
Seizures
Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)
Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, clamminess, paleness
Mental confusion, stupor, or coma
If there is any suspicion of an alcohol overdose, Contact the UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies)
Then contact the Pro Staff On Duty (256-603-7560)
Don't try to guess the level of “drunkenness.”
Never leave them alone to “sleep it off.”
Most people who die from alcohol poisoning were left alone.
Make sure to find out which hospital the individual will be transported.
Submit an Incident Report.
The majority of bias incidents that occur consist of offensive language written on a resident’s door or in a common area. Other forms of bias include hate speech or harassment based on a protected identity.
Call the Pro Staff On Duty (256-603-7560)
Await the arrival of the Pro Staff On Duty and their instruction
With Pro Staff On Duty, Meet with impacted student(s) to offer options and support services.
Notify UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 if assistance needed, something has been vandalized, or if the incident could possibly be considered a hate crime.
If the harassment is in the form of vandalism, submit a work order after the police have taken the report.
Submit an Incident Report. Be sure to attach a picture of any damage to your Incident Report.
Assist in investigation and resolution as necessary or requested.
Work with supervisor to consider and implement programming ideas to address community impact.
If someone reports there is a bomb on campus, do not show alarm. Remain calm with the caller/reporting person, using a business tone of voice.
Write down the phone number/line on which the call is received and record the time.
Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. Obtain as much information as possible from the individual. Inform the individual delivering the threat, “I am not empowered to help you with this. Let me call someone who has the authority to help you.”
If at all possible, signal for someone near you to call UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies)
If UPD was not called, contact them upon termination of the call.
Discuss with the officer the feasibility of remaining at your current location. If the officer advises you to leave the building, identify an immediate location where the officer can meet you for debriefing.
Do not broadcast to employees or the student body that a bomb threat has been received.
Provide all information received to the responding officer.
UAH Police will decide how to proceed.
Call the Pro Staff On Duty.
Follow any instructions from police or HRL pro staff.
Submit an Incident Report.
Bulletin boards are to be changed once a month.
Door tags are to be completed once per semester. Tags are to be replaced if a new student moves into the community or if tags are damaged/removed.
If there is trash in the hallways, talk with members of the community to find responsible parties and get the trash removed. If not remove it yourself.
Consult with supervisor on any additional expectations in the community/area.
Resident conversations, conduct violations, and other personal matters should be held confidentially. HRL staff members should share up to their supervisors, on-call staff, or UAH Police as appropriate but should not share out to friends, other residents, or peers on staff.
Room/Phone Information:
Inform the person requesting information that for privacy and security reasons the Department of Residence Life does not release room numbers or student information.
We do not typically confiscate items as a housing department, unless they are a Fire Hazard. Student staff should not be the ones to physically remove items unless given direct permission by their supervisor.
HRL staff are not allowed to keep, hold, or acquire any resident belongings, confiscated or abandoned, for their personal use or gain.
If an illegal item is found,
call the Contact the UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) or 256.824.6596
Call your supervisor (during the day) or Pro Staff On Duty before taking any further steps listed below
Follow the guidance of those two groups
If a prohibited items is found (non Fire Hazard):
When the resident is not present:
Leave a Notification of Entry door hang tag notifying the student(s) that your supervisor will be back in 24 hours to make sure the noted item has been removed.
Supervisor will email the residents of the issue.
Submit an Incident Report
Follow up with residents within 24 hours to ensure the item has been removed.
When the resident is present:
The resident needs to remove the item from the building immediately (i.e. put in car, with a friend off campus, etc.).
Submit an Incident Report
Follow up with the resident within 24 hours to ensure the item has been removed.
If residents do not remove items within the time period:
Let them know they will be documented for failure to comply and should look for an email about a future conduct meeting.
Submit an Incident Report.
If a prohibited items is found (Fire Hazard):
When the resident is not present:
Call your Supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty to collect the items. They will leave a Notification of Entry door hang tag notifying the student(s) that the item has been removed and placed in the Office of the Building's Professional Staff member. Professional Staff may elect to wait until the resident is present to remove the item, depending on the item or its value.
That building's Professional Staff member should notify the student via email that they have 10 days to retrieve the item and remove it from the building
Submit an Incident Report
When the resident is present:
Ask the resident to immediately remove the item from the building by either putting it in their car, throwing it in an outside dumpster, or other means that will not bring it back. If the resident can't do any of those things, call your supervisor or Pro Staff On Duty to take the item and place it in the building's Hall Director office.
Inform the resident they have 10 days to retrieve their item and remove it from the building. That building's Professional Staff member should notify the student via email that they have 10 days to retrieve the item and remove it from the building
Submit an Incident Report
If an animal is found, follow steps listed in the section labeled Pets
Lost & Found
Staff should not hold lost and found items at their front desk or offices.
Staff should work to identify the owner of property quickly
Items such as Identification Cards, Credit Cards, Social Security Cards, Student Id Cards, Textbooks, Jewelry, Wallets, Handbags, Electronics, Cellphones, Prescription Glasses, Currency & Coins should be given to UAH Police
UAH Police will accept items at their office or pick up items if needed. UAH police will want information related to who gave you the item
Start by knocking on the door of the room you are confronting. Introduce yourself and why you are there.
If residents refuse to open the door or attempt give you the “silent treatment” in hopes you will leave:
Do the Housing knock three times and announce yourself.
If that does not work, Call the Pro Staff On Duty to assist
If keying in determined to be needed, You must have permission from Professional Staff to key into a room and you can never key in by yourself.
If residents do open the door and let you in:
Try to keep yourself with clear access to the entry door.
If someone tries to run out of the room, state aloud to “Don’t Leave the Scene,” but do not give chase.
Keep a positive attitude—confront the behavior, not the student.
There is no need for you to apologize for the confrontation or doing your job. Do not take the blame for the situation.
Explain the policy and make sure that everyone understands it. Let the people in the room know that you are going to document the situation.
Keep confidentiality. The confrontation is between you, the residents, and the Professional staff. No one else should be filled in on the details of a confrontation or documentation, including other RAs.
Document incidents immediately after they happen with an Incident Report. This is helpful to your supervisor as they try to follow up with residents. Remember to include each person in the room on the documentation. Reports should be thorough, factual, and follow a timeline order.
Best Practices
Maintain consistency with policy enforcement, do not talk about other staff decisions or our procedures with residents if questioned. Refer those questions to your supervisor.
In some cases, following up with a resident later that day may be appropriate. Talk with your supervisor for guidance.
We support residents and we address behavior. Keeping a positive attitude with all residents is important to show support.
Don’t actively avoid helping a resident or label students as “bad” for past incidents
Never hesitate to call Pro Staff On Duty or University Police if you are dealing with a situation with which you are uncomfortable.
Their role is to give you the support and assistance you need.
Always call University Police and the Pro Staff On Duty immediately if the incident involves a medical emergency or a suspicion of drugs.
Always notify the Pro Staff On Duty if University Police are called into the residence hall for any reason.
Never initiate or take part in a physical or verbally abusive incident. Remove yourself from harm’s way and solicit backup from University Police and Pro Staff On Duty.
One (1) live in Professional Staff member will be on duty each day, all day, during the regular academic year.
General expectations are that you would contact your supervisor first when they are in office or available, Monday-Friday, 9 to 5pm.
After hours, Student Staff should be contacting the Pro Staff On Duty (256-603-7560) for questions, to follow procedures or handle emergencies such as (but not limited to):
COVID19 Concerns
Alcohol & Drugs
Resident arrest
Sexual assault
Bias incidents
Assault with weapon/Assault in general -fight in severe circumstances
Personal harm/potential suicide
Student death
Hospital transports
Fire, flood, or other major facilities concerns
When unsure or in need of guidance
Contact the UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies).
Provide dispatcher with name, job title, location, and type of assistance needed.
Follow protocol for contacting your supervisor. After business hours, follow protocol for contacting the Pro Staff On Duty.
Be available to consult with police officers when they arrive.
Document the situation by Submitting an Incident Report online.
If possible, collect the police report number for the incident if one is being written by the officers
If University Police approach you, follow protocol for contacting your supervisor. After business hours, follow protocol for contacting the Pro Staff On Duty and inform them of the situation.
Inform students that counseling appointments can be made by contacting the Counseling Center at 256.824.6203.
Offer to help make the call with the student. If the counseling center will see them, you can guide the student to the Counseling Center, if needed, during business hours.
In an emergency after hours, Follow procedures for contacting the Pro Staff On Duty and follow their instruction.
Always inform your supervisor of the situation afterwards.
In a community/common area:
Call your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty.
They will assess the damage/vandalism and take pictures of the issue.
If possible, determine responsible party.
Contact UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) if the vandalism is connected to bias.
Consider and implement programming ideas to address community impact.
Submit an Incident Report (attach pictures) and a work order
In a student room:
Follow the steps above if the damage was caused by someone other than the room occupants.
If the residents of the room caused the damage through inappropriate behavior or unauthorized room modification, inform the residents of the conduct process and/or Housing damage charges (as appropriate).
NEVER DISCUSS OR SPECULATE IF A RESIDENT WILL BE BILLED FOR DAMAGE OR HOW MUCH IT MIGHT BE
Submit an Incident Report (attach pictures) and a work order
The HRL Professional staff will inform the Residence Life department on the situation and specific steps to take.
The University may issue a “shelter in place” notice, which means students should stay inside the building and seek safe places
Hall staff cannot ultimately keep students from leaving the residence halls but should try to educate the residents about safety measures.
Be prepared to follow instructions from Professional Staff or University officials if other measures need to take place.
Tornado Watch: The National Weather Service issues a watch when conditions, which may produce tornadoes or severe thunderstorms, are present or developing. Continue normal activities, but have a safety plan in mind, and be ready to implement the safety plan, if the warning is issued.
Tornado Warning: A warning is issued when a tornado or severe thunderstorm has been detected or sighted. The warning will tell you the location and movement of the severe weather. If you are in the path of the storm, implement your safety plan immediately. Take shelter if you see or hear a tornado or threatening weather approaching. There may not be time for an official warning.
Notes:
Two tornado warning sirens are located on campus. They are activated whenever the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for any portion of Madison County. Seek shelter immediately when you hear the siren.
UAH also utilizes the UAlert emergency notification system to alert the campus community of a tornado warning. The University will issue a warning alert whenever the National Weather Service issues a warning for Madison County. Seek shelter immediately when you receive a UAlert tornado warning, even if you cannot hear the campus warning sirens.
If, after the UAlert warning is issued, the University determines that there is no immediate tornado threat to the campus (the tornado warning is only for a specific segment of the county and does not include nor is likely to later include the UAH campus) an "All-clear" message will be issued. Remain alert to changing weather conditions and be prepared to seek shelter should conditions change.
All exterior rounds are suspending for the length of weather advisories
There will not be time for residents to travel to other communities during. The CVA MPR is a storm shelter, the rest of the safe spaces in the buildings are in the inner hallways away from windows. Southeast residents should get in their bathrooms.
Seek shelter immediately in designated areas.
If you’re inside a building...
Go to the lowest level of the building, if possible.
Stay away from windows.
Go to an interior hallway or into your bathroom.
Use arms to protect head and neck in a "drop and tuck" position.
If there is no time to get inside...
Lie in a ditch or low-lying area or crouch near a strong building.
Be aware of potential for flooding and flying debris.
Use arms to protect head and neck in a "drop and tuck" position.
Use jacket, cap, backpack or any similar items, if available, to protect face and eyes.
NOTE: Students are responsible for their safety in these situations. It will not be the responsibility of the hall staff to go door-to-door to inform residents of the situation. Staff should seek safety as well.
Notify your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty.
Provide support for the resident and offer resources such as:
the Counseling Center for emotional support
the Dean of Students Office to help if classes need to be missed or the resident needs to complete a medical withdrawal
If you encounter a resident who appears to not be breathing, contact UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) and ask for medical help right away.
Notify your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty.
Do not touch anything or allow other students to enter the room.
Work with HRL professional staff to determine next steps and appropriate documentation.
Refer all calls/questions to the Central Housing office.
Meet with your supervisor to plan for community response and resources.
Remember to take care of your own physical and emotional well-being. You should also consider taking advantage of campus resources such as the Counseling Center.
Departmental keys are defined as keys used for job related purposes (i.e, Master Keys, Office Keys, etc).
Do not allow anyone else access to, or use of, departmentally issued keys.
Staff members must have successfully completed appropriate background checks to be signed out or given access to departmental keys.
Pro Staff & RAs have access to certain keys located in offices in their area.
Staff should only use the key for a limited amount of time to complete their task and then immediately return it as soon as possible
Such as: Lock Outs, Emergency Situations, Opening/Closing Tasks, Health & Safety Checks
Staff members should not have more than one key checked out at a given time unless given permission from professional staff
Staff members should not take keys outside of the specific residential community unless given permission from professional staff
Staff should only access keys for work related purposes, staff who abuse access to keys will be subject to documentation and potentially termination
Lost keys should be reported immediately, cost of replacing the key can be charged to the individual who lost the key along with documentation
Staff should never loan their Charger Card for other staff to use and staff should report immediately if they have lost their Charger Card so that access can be removed until the card is replaced.
Please notify your supervisor if keys do not work
If a student discloses an incident of discriminatory conduct including sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, stalking or any other form of discrimination based on a protected status to you, Listen closely and attentively.
Remind the student of your role as a mandatory reporter and let them know you must immediately contact your supervisor or the Pro Staff on Duty.
Contact your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty.
While waiting for your supervisor or the Pro Staff member On Duty, provide the student with the Resource Card and review its contents. You should not ask the students questions about the incident.
Give any information on the situation you have to your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty who will be submitting an Incident Report. You should only report what you heard and/or observed and avoid summarizing or labeling.
More info on Title IX can be found here
Familiarize yourself with what drugs and drug paraphernalia look like – a good website to use is www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com/drugs.
Medical marijuana may be legal in the state of Alabama, but it is still a potential violation of the UAH code of conduct. Follow the procedures below regardless of any claims of medical marijuana from residents or guests.
If you smell marijuana in the hallway:
try to pinpoint the specific room, utilize another RA or Professional Staff member for help if available
if you can distinctly narrow it down to a specific room, you can call UAH Police for assistance then your supervisor or Pro Staff On Duty if after hours
do not knock on the door until the police are with you.
If you are already in the room and you see drugs:
call the UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies)
call the Pro Staff On Duty immediately.
Follow any instructions from police and professional staff.
Do not touch the drugs or drug paraphernalia.
Explain the conduct process to the student and that they should be checking their email in the next week for a letter from the Dean of Students Office.
Gather information and submit an Incident Report. .
RAs are on duty from:
5:00 PM until 8:00 AM [12 hours] - (Sun to Mon, Mon to Tues, Tues to Wed, Wed to Thurs, Thurs to Fri)
5:00 PM to 5:00 PM [24 hours] - (Friday to Sat, Sat to Sun)
24 Hour duty will also happen anytime the Central Housing Office is closed and during holidays.
RAs are to call in, text, or slack message the Pro Staff On Duty at 5:00 PM and change any posted signage to reflect that they are the RA On Duty.
The RA On Duty should be accessible at all times via the RA duty phone and should wear their staff shirt and name badge when on rounds and responding to incidents.
One round is to be completed between each of the following time frames: 5pm to 8pm, 8pm to 11pm, 11pm to 2am
The first round should include an exterior check of the building, weather permitting.
All Southeast rounds are exterior, weather permitting
Rounds may be postponed or cancelled in inclement weather (i.e. thunderstorms, lightning, tornado watches). Contact the Pro Staff On Duty for these exceptions.
During rounds, RAs should carry any duty related materials or supplies given or supplies.
While on rounds, RAs should check for safety concerns, damage/vandalism, and policy violations.
Document information as necessary in the duty log. Utilize work orders and submit online Incident Report when appropriate.
Follow protocol for contacting your supervisor.
After business hours, follow protocol for contacting the Pro Staff On Duty as necessary to resolve situations or problems beyond control or expertise.
Consult your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty as to any additional expectations while on duty.
In situations of a sudden campus closure (e.g. emergencies, weather, etc.), Duty times may be extended to maintain coverage and support for residents.
It is the RAs responsibility to know their duty schedule and prepare accordingly for any limitations that being on duty for the community creates
RAs must remain in the building while on duty unless given permission by the Pro Staff On Duty. Permission is typically only given for extreme circumstances or departmental responsibilities (i.e. joint staff meetings, HRL hosted campus wide event, etc)
Fri-Sat: RAs are allowed to leave the community for short periods, but must remain on campus. RAs should call the Pro Staff On Duty to ask to leave the community. Weekend Duty RAs are expected in the community from 5pm to 8am and will not be allowed to leave.
If an RA on duty needs to be off campus for some reason, they need to find someone to hold the phone for them.
Your supervisor must approve RA duty exchanges 48 hours in advance in writing.
Emergency swaps are approved by the Pro Staff On Duty at time of call in.
If another RA will be temporarily holding the duty phone for a period of time, you must text or call the Pro Staff On Duty to let them know when the new RA gets the phone and then again when the phone is returned to the original RA on the schedule.
Please keep in mind the importance of fairness and teamwork when approaching duty switches and asking people to hold the duty phone.
After an evening of duty, the RA On Duty should fill out the Electronic Duty Log Form and answer all it's questions
Electronic duty log is due each day by 10:00AM (Sun-Thur) or 5:00 PM (Fri-Sat or any additional 24 hour shift) immediately following your duty shift
Be mindful this log goes to multiple levels of staff in and outside of the department. Keep the written comments appropriate and remember that Incident Reports are for details
If the elevator breaks down during business hours:
contact your supervisor
submit a work order
place “Out of Order” signs on the elevator doors on each floor.
If the elevator breaks down after hours:
Contact the Pro Staff On Duty to assess if elevator repair can wait until the morning or if maintenance needs to come right away
Submit a work order
If people are stuck in the elevator:
Call the Pro Staff On Duty and UAH Police.
UAH Police and/or Maintenance will assist in helping people out of the elevator.
NEVER try to pry open a door or ask trapped occupants to pry open the door.
Reassure occupants that you will contact the appropriate personnel for assistance and that you will communicate with them all updates.
RAs must remain with entrapped occupants until instructed to leave by a Professional Staff or UAH Police.
On some occasions, maintenance will need to call the elevator service company in to address the issue. Encourage the people in the elevator to stay calm until help arrives.
Knock once and identify self as “Housing & Residence Life”
Knock again and announce again
Knock a third time before entering room, saying “Housing & Residence life, I am keying-in”
After leaving, fill out a Notification of Entry door hang tag place it in the room/apartment letting the resident know why & when you were in the room
Note
Never allow anyone access to another student’s room.
Two Staff members must be present if an occupied room is being keyed into.
Just because we "can" doesn't always mean we should or have to enter a room. Work with supervisor or Pro Staff On Duty to verify a need to enter a room if it is not part of a scheduled process (Health & Safety Checks, Closing room checks, etc.)
Do not put yourself in harm’s way.
Call the UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) if not already on scene.
Call the Pro Staff On Duty (256-603-7560) .
Help provide crowd control.
Submit an Incident Report.
If a fire alarm goes off, leave the building immediately. Do not knock on doors or put yourself in harm’s way.
If working the front desk, take the duty phone
Follow protocol for contacting your supervisor. After business hours, follow protocol for contacting the Pro Staff On Duty.
Call the UAH Police at 256-824.6911 to verify that they know the alarm has sounded.
Contact the Pro Staff On Duty if not on scene and inform them of the situation.
Student staff should be instructed to exit the building to provide crowd control assistance and direct residents to the muster station of your area or a safe distance as directed by emergency personnel:
Central Campus: Grassy area in front of Wilson Hall. Not the grassy area in the round-about.
Charger Village Addition: Courtyard area on the Greenway behind the building.
Charger Village Original: Courtyard area on the Greenway behind the building.
Frank Franz: Faculty and Staff parking lot east of the building (between Franz and North).
North Campus: Parking lot across from the front of the building.
Southeast Campus: Sand volleyball court in Southeast
Greek Houses: Island in the middle of Greek Row (grassy area)
Wait for direction from Professional Staff.
If professional staff is not present, the first RA to the muster station would be responsible for giving direction to the other RAs as to what is needed until the RD or Pro Staff On Duty shows up.
Assist fire/police officials as necessary.
Assists with crowd control as directed by the Professional Staff, or designee.
Follow directives of supervisor and UAH Police.
Do not reenter the building until UPD and Pro Staff has given the all clear, even if the alarms have stopped.
Be prepared to assist in the re-entry of residents & guests
Once back in the building, reset and secure the emergency exit doors/alarms.
Document the situation through an Incident Report.
If a fire panel goes off, follow protocol for contacting your supervisor. After business hours, follow protocol for contacting the Pro Staff On Duty.
Read to them the Code and any informational message with it
Wait for direction from Professional Staff.
Notify the UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) if assistance is needed.
Document the situation through your duty log or Incident Report as directed by the Professional Staff.
Res Life staff members are not trained to perform first aid.
The role of the staff member is to report an illness, injury, or accident to the appropriate personnel.
If residents feel sick, they should be referred to the Student Health Center or to the nearest hospital.
UAH Police are trained to handle medical emergencies and should be contacted if a resident needs immediate attention. UAH Police will also be able to determine if EMS and an ambulance should be called in to help the resident.
Housing and Residence Life staff members, including Resident Assistants, are not to transport residents to the Student Health Center, hospital, local pharmacy, or any other location
Student staff members must follow housing policy in regards to guests.
No guests may be left in rooms unattended, including a student staff member’s room.
If it comes to your attention that a guest policy is being broken or the guest is causing a problem, contact the Pro Staff On Duty.
Guests may be asked to leave depending on the situation. If the guest is not compliant, contact UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) .
Illegal Occupant - “Squatter”
Illegal occupants are defined as guests who stay more than 3 consecutive nights and/or more than 9 nights a semester.
Instruct the non-resident to vacate immediately.
If necessary, contact the Pro Staff On Duty and UPD.
Submit an Incident Report.
Minor Guests
Our Guest Policy states that: Residents who wish to host a minor sibling, must meet with their Building's Supervisor and obtain written permission prior to their arrival. The University is not responsible for supervision of minors visiting residents in Housing.
Staff should be given notice by their Building's Supervisor of an approved minor guest. Building's Supervisor will have also given a signed copy of the form to the resident for the purpose of verification.
Treat violations of this policy like all other guest visitation violations by addressing the concern and documenting the situation.
Call the Pro Staff On Duty.
Await further instructions from the Pro Staff On Duty.
Meet with the impacted student to offer options and support services. Instruct the student to keep track of any occurrences of harassment.
Notify UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) if assistance is needed and if the harassment is in the form of a bias incident.
If the harassment is in the form of vandalism, follow protocol for a work order after the police have taken the report.
Submit an Incident Report. Be sure to attach a picture of any damage to it.
Consider and implement programming ideas to address harassment.
10 days will be designated for the Health and Safety inspections to occur
Only once per semester
Approximately 6-7 weeks into the semester.
Students will be emailed at least one week in advance to the inspection and any additional information.
48 hours out from the inspection students need to be informed of who the RA’s are that will be conducting their inspection. 2 RA’s will be present.
Resident Assistants enter the suite within the date and time frame given to the students.
RA assesses suite for unauthorized items, major cleaning issues, fire/safety hazards, and pets.
RA uses THD Mobile to log any findings or that the room is cleared. Below are the options available in THD Mobile.
Pass
Fail-Policy
Fail - Cleanliness
Fail-Both
If there is a violation, the RA types in the issue in detail so the Professional Staff can follow up appropriately.
If the RA sees a prohibited item, they will contact their supervisor to confiscate the item and bring it to a designated location in the residence hall.
Designated area will be decided on by the Professional Staff
The Professional Staff will contact the student(s) to have a conversation and ask them to properly remove the prohibited item from the building.
Follow up from Professional Staff
The Pro Staff only has to follow up if the student/suite failed the first round. The follow up must be done within the 10 days designated for Health and Safety’s.
The student/suite is given 48 hours from the email notification to correct the issue.
The Pro Staff and one RA will conduct the follow up inspection.
If the student/suite fails for cleaning a second time, an incident report will be submitted with photos of the failure.
Call the UAH Police (256-824-6911) if not already on scene
Call the Pro Staff On Duty (256-603-7560)
Follow UAH Police instructions
Submit an Incident Report.
Incident reports should be utilized to document all situations while working for Housing & Residence Life.
Incident reports should be written in the third person.
Incident reports should include all parties involved and their information, such as A#, date of birth, place of residence, student/non-student, etc.
Incident reports should contain specific details whenever possible, such as “1/3 bottle of 750 mL Smirnoff Vodka” instead of just “Vodka”.
Write the incident report immediately after the event, as information is the most fresh in your mind.
Incident reports will automatically be emailed to the staff of the area in which the issue occurred.
Residents are responsible for their own personal belongings. Except as required by law, the University and department does not assume the responsibility for the loss of, or damage to, personal articles by fire, theft, or any other cause. Refer to the HRL contract for more information.
If a laundry machine is broken, contact the number of the laundry service provider to report the issue. This number is on the wall in the laundry room or on the machine itself.
Submit a work order with detailed information on the problem and specific machine.
Post an “Out of Order” sign on the laundry machine.
In the event a student’s lock is not functioning properly, submit a work order.
After business hours, follow protocol for contacting the Pro Staff On Duty.
Resident Assistants should handle the majority of lock-outs.
Check the student’s identification (Charger Card) to be sure that they live in the room you will unlock. Verify this information with photo identification against the hall roster.
Inform the resident that there is a $10 lock out charge associated with the lock-out. Do not collect any money from the residents at this time. The charge will be assessed to the student’s account the next month.
To log a lock-out after the first week of each semester, Housing staff members will go to THD and under the appropriate student choose "Create a Log Entry" and under log category choose "Lock Out". In the "Log Entry" write the time/date and your name as the one performing the lock-out.
Unlock the student’s room.
If the student has 3 lock outs, the Housing staff member will need to assess if the student has lost their room keys. A lock change charge would be placed on the student’s account if the keys are found to be lost.
Inform the resident they need to place a work order for lost keys and that a charge that will be assessed to their student account of $50 for a lock change. If the mail key is missing too, the total charge will be $55.
If a student’s key was stolen, have the student complete a police report if they have not done so already. The police report case number will need to be sent to housing@uah.edu so the lock change charge is waived.
In the event that a staff member loses their Departmental Keys, contact your supervisor immediately and they will determine the next steps.
Notify UAH Police at 256-824-6911 so emergency medical services can be contacted
UAH Police or emergency medical services will determine if transportation to a local hospital is necessary.
Make sure to note which hospital the student will be transported to for the report.
Contact the Pro Staff On Duty if not on site
Submit an Incident Report.
Follow protocol for Electronic Duty Log.
Work with Professional Staff on completing Post Incident Support if needed
Be sure to announce in your first floor meeting and during situations that you are a mandatory reporter and must report to the university any instances in which someone has been assaulted or situations in which someone threatens to harm themselves or others.
Examples of a mental health concern/emergency include:
Planning or acting on a suicide threat.
Homicidal or threatening behavior.
Self-injury needing immediate medical attention.
Severely impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Highly erratic or unusual behavior that indicates very unpredictable behavior and/or an inability to care for themselves.
Contact your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty (if after hours) and follow their instructions.
UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) as directed.
UPD has access to on-call counselors that can speak with a student during non-business hours.
The police will determine if transportation to local hospital is necessary. Make sure to note which hospital the student will be transported
Submit an Incident Report. Please note in the IR if the student was voluntarily transported or was involuntarily transported to a psychological emergency center.
Work with supervisor regarding follow up and potential community impact.
Contact your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty
Together Gather information from roommates, floormates, and staff.
Notify UAH Police at 256-824-6911 if instructed by professional staff
Follow protocol for Electronic Duty Log.
Submit an Incident Report.
Work with Professional Staff on completing Post Incident Support if needed
The phone, computers, office desk, and other supplies are limited to use by Housing and Residence Life staff for work-related purposes only.
Please contact your supervisor if something is out of order or if supplies are about to run out.
Inform the person requesting information that for security and privacy reasons the Department of Housing and Residence Life does not release room assignments or phone information.
Contact your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty if needed
Call your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty and follow their guidance
Pro Staff should check The Housing Director (THD) in the Student Tab to look up the student. On their information page, click the “Animal” tab and it will list if they have an approved animal.
If not listed, Pro Staff will check with DSS to confirm if the animal is approved or not approved
If not approved, the student must remove the animal immediately. The animal can not go to another room on campus. Residents will be charged for the animal violation based on the length of time, up to $350 dollars
In Case of Emergency
In rare occasions an animal may need to be taken from the room, professional staff may have to coordinate with emergency contacts to pick up the animal
In a situation where the emergency contacts refuse to collect the animal, and the student is not scheduled to return within a reasonable time period, professional staff should coordinate with the Madison County Animal Control to collect the animal.
Contact your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty
Working the Pro Staff, the following could occur:
Attempt to fix through the breaker box by flipping only one switch at a time.
In the event the power is not restored or the power outage is building wide. Contact UAH Police to confirm a power outage.
All communities except Southeast have generators. If power is out for an extended period of time or overnight, utilize the emergency glow sticks to light the hallways and stairwells.
Flashlights, batteries, and other resources are also available at the Front Desk for staff. These are not to be used or given to residents.
Follow protocol for Electronic Duty Log.
As a member of the Department of Housing and Residence Life, do not speak to members of the press or discuss department issues or residence hall matters with the press.
Press includes: in and outside of the university, student or professional reporter, large story or campus project, in person or electronic request.
Refer all members of the press to the Central Housing Office.
If press or media are inside the community, contact your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty immediately
RAs are held to the same housing policies in the contract and handbook.
A list of restricted items can be found in the Resident Handbook.
Follow Confiscation/Abandoned Items protocol.
A room freeze is in place the first 10 business days of each semester.
It is preferred that residents go work with their RA or supervisor for roommate concerns before a room change is approved.
Any room change requests need to be sent to the Housing Office email at housing@uah.edu. .
The resident will then need to meet with Pro Staff to explore the request and will be notified through email if their room change request has been approved.
Contact your supervisor if residents switch keys or change rooms on their own without approval. Unapproved room changes may result in a Improper Room Change Fee and should be documented with an Incident Report.
Vast majority of roommate conflicts are connected to a lack of communication in some form.
RAs should encourage all residents to fill out a Roommate Agreement at the beginning of the year before any issues arise.
Utilizing the Resident Handbook for standards, RAs and Pro Staff should be able to work together to resolve roommate conflicts between students. Some roommate conflicts may result in the need to make a roommate agreement or update a roommate agreement being signed by all parties while others may be resolved by one or more roommates changing rooms.
If the conflict becomes aggressive or rises to the level of violence, the parties should be split up so they have time to cool down and so staff can hear all sides of the story. UAH Police may needed if physical harm has occurred or student requested
Document roommate conflicts with an Incident Report.
See Drugs for procedures related to marijuana
The UAH Smoke and Tobacco Free Policy can be found here
If you see a student smoking inside the building or in the outside areas around the building please do the following:
Remind the student of the UAH policy and ask them to stop
If student gets argumentative or refuses call your supervisor or on-call support as needed
Document the situation with an incident report
The department of Housing and Residence Life must hold its employees accountable for performance issues.
If a student staff member does not live up to job expectations, violates the Resident Handbook, or violates UAH's Code of Conduct, the staff member could be:
Given a verbal reprimand
Given a written warning letter
Placed on job probation
Assigned to a different position in the department
Restricted in job functions or have additional requirements
Asked to resign
Terminated from the position
A student staff member that fails to meet job performance requirements will meet with their supervisor. If deemed that the student staff member will continue in their position, they will fill out an action plan for improvement and will possibly be placed on probation.
Academic Probation:
A student staff member that does not maintain at least a 2.5 cumulative and semester UAH GPA during their appointment will be placed on academic probation and will fill out an action plan for improvement with their supervisor.
Student staff members who do not have a cumulative UAH GPA of 2.5 or higher in the Spring semester will not be considered for re-application.
Any semester UAH GPA below a 2.5 will be evaluated when considering academic probation or rehire.
Student staff members should maintain a course load of 12 hours. If a student staff member drops below the required credit hours/course load, notify your supervisor.
When a violation of policy occurs, document the situation online through Maxient with an Incident Report.
HRL professionals and staff in Dean of Students Office review incident reports daily.
Some incident reports will be filed away as informational.
Minor violations of HRL’s Resident Handbook will most likely be handled as a Housing Intervention (an educational conversation with the Pro Staff ).
Repeated violations and major violations of UAH’s Code of Conduct will go through the university’s conduct system.
Students will receive emails regarding the conduct process so they should check their UAH email account daily after an incident occurs.
More information and details about the conduct process can be found in UAH's Code of Conduct.
Notify UAH Police at 256-824-6911.
Call the Pro Staff On Duty.
Do not leave a person unattended unless your safety is in jeopardy.
Have the RA on Duty or another staff member provide crowd control if needed.
Campus police will determine if transportation is necessary. Make sure to note which hospital the student will be transported to in the report
Submit an Incident Report.
Work with the supervisor to determine ways to follow up and address any community impact.
Housing staff cannot investigate crimes, if a student believes someone stole their items (big or small), UAH Police are the proper channel for a student to report and address it formally.
Notify UAH Police at 256-824-6911.
Call Pro Staff On Duty (256-603-7560).
Submit an Incident Report.
Follow protocol for Electronic Duty Log.
Only UAH Police and the Office of Student Ethics & Education can give students a Trespass or ban from being on campus or in housing. Upper level housing administration can also initiate this process working with them.
If UAH Police arrive and need your help to execute a warrant, call your supervisor or the Pro Staff On Duty immediately
Pay attention to where the person is headed and what they are wearing.
Do not approach the person if you believe your safety is in jeopardy.
Call the UAH Police Department at 256.824.6911 (Emergencies) if they are not already on scene.
Call the Pro Staff On Duty.
Submit an Incident Report.
Call supervisor or Pro Staff On Duty
If a weapon or gunshots are reported on campus:
Call the UAH Police (850-824.6911) and the Pro Staff On Duty immediately
Note: Sometimes gunshots can be confused as fireworks. Unless someone has directly seen the fireworks, we advise treating fireworks sound reports as potential gunshots.
Follow UAH Police and Pro Staff instructions.
If found, Police & Staff will have the resident remove the weapon from the residence halls immediately if the weapon is not confiscated by UAH Police.
Submit an Incident Report.
“Work Order” is for any maintenance, pest or laundry request for University Housing.
Students can complete work orders through a Wufoo form that can be found on the housing website. All staff members use the same form to submit work orders.
Office Manager receives the Wufoo form and will then create an official work order with Physical Plant for maintenance technicians to complete.
Pest Control is called out approximately once a week for any requests received.
Laundry Vendor is out as needed for issues reported each week.
Any follow up requests by staff members will need to be directed to the Senior Residential Facilities Manager through email.
If requested, Staff can submit work orders on behalf of the student requesting the work, but we encourage staff to teach residents how to submit work orders as well
For emergencies during business hours, contact the Work Order Desk at 256-824-6490.
For emergencies after hours, follow protocol for After Hours Maintenance.