Coordinators of Residence Life
Coordinators of Residence Life are professional staff members who work support students in a variety of ways. By serving as members of the on-call team, Coordinators support students in accountability practices, policy enforcement, and connection to on- and off-campus support systems. Additionally, the Coordinators work closely with Campus Safety officers in supporting students. They are available 24/7 for most of the academic year (excluding times when the college is closed).
When Coordinators of Residence Life are on-call, they may respond to any of (but not only) the following situations:
- Student Conduct Policy Violations
- Medical Incidents
- Mental Health Support
- Wellness Checks
- Student Support
- Title IX / Civil Rights Compliance Reports
If you need help or have any concerns, the first number you should call is Campus Safety: (207-786-6254).
From there, either you or Campus Safety will request the on-call Coordinator of Residence Life, who will support you or other students involved.
In addition to their on-call responsibilities, Coordinators of Residence Life are part of the Residence Life and Health Education (RLHE) team, often deeply involved in working with the Residence Life student staff, program-related projects, and other office duties. Projects may include work in: residence life, housing, health education, community standards, first-year experience or other departmental areas.
Every so often, I see a Coordinator of Residence Life walking in my building sometime in the evening. What are they doing?
Every night, the on-call Coordinator conducts rounds on campus and enters residences to build relationships with students, offering support where necessary. One of the main reasons for rounds is to normalize the Coordinator’s presence in residences. Rounds happen at different times depending on the day of the week. On weekdays, Sunday through Thursday, rounds start at 8pm and end at 11pm. On Friday and Saturday, rounds start at 10pm and end at 1am.
While Campus Safety officers are awake and on duty 24/7, Coordinators respond to calls as needed after rounds are over. At any time when a Coordinator is called, they will be within 10 minutes of campus. They may be at home, in Commons, in the office, or asleep, but they will respond as soon as they are called by Campus Safety.
Coordinators often respond to calls in residence halls. To maintain privacy, students in the building will not know about the type of situation unless they are directly involved.
I need help. What type of situations do Coordinators of Residence Life respond to?
If you need help, please call Campus Safety and inform them about your situation:
(207-786-6254).
After explaining why you need help, either you or Campus Safety officer will request the on-call Coordinator of Residence Life and they will be alerted of the situation. Coordinators are trained to handle many types of conflict, and will ultimately create a plan to support you or other students.
There are a variety of incidents that a Coordinator could respond to. These include, but are not limited to:
- Student Conduct Policy Violations
- Medical Incidents
- Mental Health Support
- Wellness Checks
- Student Support
- Title IX / Civil Rights Compliance Reports
Note: Coordinators respond to situations inside of residence halls while Campus Safety officers respond to situations that are outside or in other campus buildings. Sometimes, Campus Safety and Coordinators respond together.
A Coordinator of Residence Life responded to my situation. What happens next?
After a Coordinator responds to a situation, they are required to write a detailed report about what happened and the actions taken. These reports contain information about who, what, when, where, and why. Students can request reports in which they are mentioned by reaching out to studentaffairs@bates.edu.
When needed, a follow-up meeting may be scheduled after a report is submitted.
For violations of the Student Code of Conduct, this meeting will be conducted by the Office of Community Standards.
For situations that require additional support, the appropriate parties (ex. Student Support Advisors, Residence Life, etc.) and/or the Bates Care Collaborative will provide coordinated, proactive, and person-centered support for the impacted student(s).
What if a situation requires additional support?
Campus Safety Officers and Coordinators will always organize a response to any situation. Other campus partners or external services are readily available to respond as well.
For medical needs, Bates EMS and Campus Safety will be the ones to urgently arrive to the scene, with Coordinators usually arriving a few moments later. United Ambulance Service is also always dispatched whenever Bates EMS is called, but they can be called off if Bates EMS can manage the situation. United Ambulance Service will manage situations that require further assessment, including transportation to a nearby hospital.
United Ambulance Service may also respond to significant mental health-related situations, transporting students when needed.
For mental health related needs, the on-call Coordinator also works with ProtoCall, which is a 24/7 mental health support service. Through this service, and on-call counselor will assess a student’s mental state and recommend next steps to the student and the on-call Coordinator.
Campus Safety is available to provide additional support alongside the on-call Coordinator, whether that is for a mental health situation, interpersonal conflicts, Title IX and Civil Rights Compliance reports, or anything else when they are requested. Both the on-call Coordinator and the Campus Safety Officers have their respective support systems that enable them to provide extensive support to the impacted student(s). These support systems will evaluate the situation and decide on any initial responses and connect students to additional resources.
Additionally, the Lewiston Police Department is available to help whenever requested. They assist in the management of a number of situations, including but not limited to assisting students in filing a police report or to intervene in a situation where an individual(s) is causing significant harm to the Bates community.
For anything off-campus, United Ambulance and LPD will respond to the situation, as Campus Safety and Coordinators do not have jurisdiction in off-campus residences.
LPD may also respond to anywhere on-campus. If LPD is called by a non-Bates entity for any situation at any location, LPD takes precedence over Campus Safety and Coordinators. Lastly, LPD can enter any Bates residences for any concerns, whether it is for a noise complaint for a large gathering, a conflict between individuals, or any other reason.
What else do the Coordinators of Residence Life do?
In addition to their on-call responsibilities, Coordinators are part of the RLHE team and can be found in Chase Hall Suite 001.
As part of this team, Coordinators are responsible for various office duties and projects, including work in residence life, housing, health education, community standards, first-year experience or other departmental areas.
Coordinators also serve as Area Directors for different residences throughout campus, supporting the Residence Life student staff in these buildings by creating holistic, inclusive, and supportive environments for all students.
I see a Coordinator of Residence Life eating in Commons. Are they on-call?
While it may be possible that the Coordinator is on-call, it is also likely that they are just being part of the Bates community! All Coordinators live on-campus as their role requires them to be readily available whenever they are on-call. As a result, they enjoy some of the same services and benefits as students, such as eating in Commons, going to the gym, or attending campus events.