IU's Residence Life Department

"Organizations are characterized by: (1) divisions of labor, power, and communication responsibilities, [...] (2) the presence of one or more power centers which control the concerted efforts of the organization and direct them toward its goals, [...] (3) substitution of personnel, i.e., unsatisfactory persons can be removed and others assigned their tasks (Strange & Banning, 2015, p. 82).

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The Residence Life department can be examined through the three characterizations that Strange and Banning (2015) identify in the quote above.

 

(1) The department is divided into a clear organizational structure that could be described as hierarchical. There is one Director, several Associate Directors who oversee different components of the department, such as Selection and Training, Center Management, and Student Engagement. Associate Directors of Center Management supervise Residence Managers, who oversee between two to three residence centers. This chain continues down. Essentially, there are clear lines of communication which may be viewed as a traditional organizational structure.

 

(2) Power is also structured in a top-down manner. The Residence Life Leadership Team (RLLT) is composed of the Director, Associate Directors, and Residence Managers. The department's overarching goals and instructions are established by this group and then passed down. As Residence Life is simply one department within RPS, it is important to note that this group is subject to the direction of higher powers such as the Director of RPS and/or the Board of Trustees. Those who work in-center do have some autonomy over everyday activities, and are free to make suggestions or present ideas to members of RLLT. However, all department wide practices are implemented according to the instruction of RLLT. 

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(3) Like all large organizations, each position within Residence Life may be completed by most individuals who receive proper training. Turnover is not uncommon, though most staff members who leave do so by choice. RPS and Residence Life work with IU's Auxiliary HR department to implement disciplinary or corrective action steps as needed.