‘I Am, I Do, I Will’ to be theme of RA Recognition Week

‘I Am, I Do, I Will’ to be theme of RA Recognition WeekFebruary 11, 2005Tiffany Murraysunews@syr.edu

“I Am, I Do, I Will” is the theme of this year’s Syracuse University Resident Advisor (RA) Recognition Week, Feb. 14-18. International RA Recognition Day is Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 16, the Office of Residence Life (ORL) will recognize RAs for their work and achievements. Created in 2002, RA Recognition Week is designed to acknowledge the critical role RAs play in meeting the educational, social and emotional needs of University students. As members of the ORL staff, RAs live and work with students to cooperatively establish an educational living and learning environment that encourages growth and development.

“We thought this was an appropriate theme for the week,” says Pam Peter, chair of the RA Training and Development Committee, which organizes RA Recognition Week. “The RA position is one of influence and action, but leadership can be a burden. RAs are often excluded from certain opportunities with their friends, or must make a conscious effort to exclude themselves. It’s a difficult job, but they do it all for their fellow students.”

RAs are responsible for building inclusive communities in residence halls, responding to student crises, mediating conflicts and providing activities for students to interact with and learn from one another. There are currently 146 RAs who staff the residence halls on North and South Campus.

Planned recognition activities include: Publication of an RA achievement newsletter, a slide show of RA activities in the Goldstein and Schine student centers and the distribution of PerkPlace coffee certificates.

For more information, contact Peter at 443-3637.