In the last few years, Lindenwood has been changing its structure surrounding residential life jobs.

“Before this change, there were three key roles,” Lindenwood Community Development Advisor Caitlin Dollins said. “There was a community advisor, an assistant area coordinator, and an area coordinator.”

There is a new system in place now, according to Dollins. The roles have increased to four: community development advisors, residential administrative assistants, assistant residential community coordinator, and residential community coordinator.

Community development advisors oversee making events for their halls. Their main priorities surround resident development, student engagement, and student experiences. They don’t have a defined limit for the number of events they have to do. Dollins said that, at the very least, they must host five events; two of the events need to be in-person attendance.

Residential administrative assistants have more administrative duties. Desk work and interacting with the community are just a few of the tasks they must tackle.

Assistant residential community coordinators take a more managerial role, helping manage a hall by assisting their residential community coordinator. Some duties pertain to coordinating daily operations, promoting student engagement, and keeping hall staff accountable. They also must oversee building maintenance, help community development advisors and residential administrative assistants with their work, and assist students with either finding solutions or helping them find help with hardships.

Residential community coordinators oversee much more oversight and management. They manage student conflict, student employees, and Residential Hall Association operations. They also have to work together with all staff and residents to make sure everything stays working. Like an assistant residential community coordinator, their tasks might include helping the roles underneath them and more.

In the past, the goals of the residential life events have been muddled. However, since the restructuring, those goals have become clearer. Dollins said they should engage students, let them have fun, and assist them with opportunities to make them well-rounded individuals. A big goal is that students should be able to have more experiences and knowledge available to them before they graduate.