Residential assistants at the University of Otago’s halls are not being paid enough for their work, including helping students deal with serious mental health crises, the students’ association is claiming.
RAs are older students, employed by the university’s halls of residence to provide pastoral care and support for the first-year students living there. About 86% of students who voted in a referendum this month said they would support RAs being given discounted rent so their pay would entirely cover their accommodation costs.
OUSA administrative vice-president Cam Meads said RAs at university-run halls were paid on the premise they worked 34 hours a fortnight, but in reality providing support to students who were away from home for the first time was a 24/7 job. It was "not uncommon" for RAs to end up sitting with students in the emergency department at Dunedin Hospital — and their presence there was often mental-health related, Mr Meads said.
RAs also had to cope with their own studies.
"At the end of the day, they are just students," he said.
Mr Meads said he was keen for the university to give them a discount on their accommodation and more training to help them deal with "how much responsibility is on their shoulders in terms of the mental health stuff".
The average cost to stay in University of Otago-run residential colleges in 2018 is $14,478 for the year, or $393 a week from February 17 until the end of second-semester exams on November 5. Residential assistants at university-run colleges were paid at a starting rate of $16.50 per hour or $561 a fortnight. More experienced RAs earned $17 an hour, and senior RAs earned $19.50.
University head of campus and collegiate life services James Lindsay said on average, RAs ended up paying $100 to $125 per week to stay in the colleges after their fortnightly pay went towards their accommodation. Their conditions of work, including the amount they were paid, was reviewed every year, he said.
Mr Lindsay said RAs were sometimes the first to know of "more serious matters" and pass them on to emergency services, or the "college leadership".
"They are given basic training on things like first aid, how to recognise symptoms of mental health issues, [and] can, on occasion, handle first contact reporting of an alleged sexual misconduct matter," Mr Lindsay said.
Their training and support was always being reviewed, he said.
Their job was about providing advice and guidance, including letting students know about university support services.
"The work of the RAs is highly valued by the University," Mr Lindsay said.