Physical Environment
I observed the South wing of Eigenmann hall. This hallway begins in the main lobby where the Center Desk and elevators are located as well as the women’s restroom, the custodial management office, various RPS offices including that of Residence Life Coordinator for Student Development (RLC-SD), the Graduate Supervisor (GS) Office, and the Resident Assistants (RA) Duty Room. It also has amenities for residents to use such as a Computer Lab and private study rooms which can be reserved by residents and staff members. Because of this, there is typically medium traffic in the hallways, with residents walking by to use the various amenities or restrooms, or to go to the south exit.
We have a set up where our offices are highly visible and easily accessible to the community. They are also all clustered together, and one can easily knock on the doors and see us if they need assistance from the Leadership Team (LT). The space informs them that we are available to support them. The RA duty room is right next to my office and we share a wall. The minimal physical distance between our working spaces helps our student staff feel closer to us and comfortable confiding with us. In the same way, having offices that are side by side with some of the amenities used by residents (computer lab, women’s restroom, study rooms) makes me feel very connected to the Eigenmann residential community. When I am in the office with my door open, students can peek at me and say hi if they recognize me. RAs and RLC-SDs also often stop by for questions or informal chats.
I appreciate how my office is right across the hall from that of my supervisor so I can quickly stop by to communicate something in person or ask questions. This increases our casual in-person interactions. Occasionally after having a 1-1 with an RA, if they have questions that would be better answered by the RLC-SD, we can quickly stop by his office and have them answered. Our maintenance supervisor’s office is also in the same hall, and the front desk is just in the lobby down the hall, so when we have leadership team meetings in the private study room we are all very close to it and if one person is late we can easily check on them. This results in prompt and improved communication.
COVID-19 Transition
In the year I arrived, I was lucky enough that everything had already transitioned back to in person, though noticeably most settings have kept some of their technology and practices from COVID-19, such as having hybrid options both for classes and work and being mindful of accessibility and flexibility. Some classes were held on Zoom or in hybrid mode for those who were not comfortable being in a crowded room. In the Fall semester of last year I held my staff meetings in the Game Room (a public lounge by the entrance in the main lobby which has pool tables, a ping pong table, and a music practice room) as it was not widely used last year likely due to COVID-19 concerns. There were never any residents in the Game Room so I was able to hold my staff meetings there without interruption. In January, when there was a concerning surge in COVID-19 cases in Bloomington, I moved my staff meetings to Zoom. This academic year, I moved them back to in-person, but I noticed that the Game Room has been much more crowded than last year, so I have been holding my staff meetings in the Conference Room instead, which residents do not have access to. With this change from last year, I noticed that having meetings in the Conference Room helps my staff be much more engaged and focused than when I had meetings in the Game Room. There are a number of factors that help, including brighter lighting and fewer distracting objects in the room. I can also sit at the head of the table to help focus all the attention on me, and I can use the large screen so everyone can easily see what I’m presenting. Everyone also sits at one large circular table facing each other in the Conference Room, as opposed to lounge sofas in the Game Room.
