Residence Life Professional Answers:

Well, the unfortunate fact might be that you might have to start documenting the quiet hours violations so that your residents will understand that it's a violation of your housing policy.  I know this might not make it any easier, but your residents need to know that this is something they are supposed to be adhering to.

Also, remember that it's them that's doing it...so confront the behavior and make sure they understand that you're doing your job and they are the ones violating the policy.  It's their behavior that causing you to have to respond. 

You might also want to make sure that your quiet hours are posted well throughout the affected area.  Also, one approach we have in my hall is making sure that other residents know that they should feel comfortable confronting such violations, as well...because when people are loud it doesn't just bother the RA.

I wish you the best of luck with this!

Steve Crudup
Resident Director, O'Connor Hall
Dickinson Community
Binghamton University

Hi!

It sounds to me like you may be ready to write some people up!

I had a really loud floor my second year as a hall director.  My RA was also going crazy, getting up and asking people repeatedly to be quiet.  She was very nice and did not want to actually write up an incident report form--to start a discipline action.

I had her post large signs in the bathroom saying that there would be no
more warnings...Then she wrote up four people, I fined them $5.00 and all was quiet...

Definitely run this by the head resident, or by those that are in charge of
the discipline process.

Do you have a discipline process?  If not, this advice will likely not help
at all.

Good Luck!

Holly Habicht, RLC
Graduate and Family Housing Georgia Tech

Thanks for contacting residentassistant.com.  I am a Residence Coordinator at the University of Miami and have been in this crazy field for the last 8 years.

I saw your question and wanted to know...Have you documented these folks for their continued disruptive behavior?  If so, has someone taken formal judicial action against those people for their continued violation of
policy?

In our building, we give students a verbal warning and then they are written up.  Once I receive the report, I take the student through discipline and counsel them on the ins and outs of the policy so they clearly understand it.  If I see them in my office for the same violation again, I immediately charge them through the discipline system and assign an appropriate sanction.  Generally, this action "gets around" to other members of the floor/building community and there is a decrease in noise related problems and issues.  Sounds like someone needs to send a clear message that continued violation of the quiet hours policy will NOT be tolerated.

Hope this is helpful in some way.  

Adrienne Otto Frame
Residence Coordinator
Mahoney Residential College
University of Miami

You are in a situation in which many RAs find themselves.  My suggestion is to document the behavior through your judicial process - in other words "write them up."  By giving continued "warnings" you are sending them a very specific message that there are no serious consequences for their actions.

I know that this behavior is not as glaring as underage drinking however it can be much more disruptive for your community.  Perhaps a formal conversation with an administrator is what they need to recognize the impact their behavior is having on others.

Good Luck

Lina Balcom
Assistant Director, Residential Life
Rollins College
Winter Park, FL

I would suggest that you begin writing incident reports on the noise
violators.  Let the peer judicial system, or administrative system handle it.
You might research your handbook to be completely informed about the policy.  Just remember incident reports need to be factual, so if it has been driving you crazy, which I am sure it has keep that out of the report. Just write that on numerous occasions or every night you have to handle the noise.   Another thing you can do is empower your floor to handle the noise.  If it is bothering more residents than just you urge them to ask the noise makers to stop.

Gregg Stewart
Residence Life Coordinator
at the University of Central Oklahoma