Housing and Residence Life selected third-year Engineering student Aali Siddiqui and third-year College student Leela Trujillo to serve as co-chairs of the Resident Staff Program Feb. 23. The decision came after HRL reopened its co-chair application cycle Feb. 9 and closed it Feb. 16 after receiving only two applicants during the initial round open December through January, a notably smaller pool than in previous years.
The co-chair role sits at the top of the student leadership structure within the Resident Staff Program and is considered “a hallmark of student self-governance,” according to Shylan Scott, associate dean of students and director of residence life. Co-chairs oversee senior residents and vice chairs while serving as primary liaisons between resident staff and administrators involved in residential life. SRs may be nominated for the role by other SRs and resident advisors.
According to Nicholas Thornton, current co-chair of the Resident Staff Program and graduate Data Science student, the initial application cycle closed in early January, but after internal discussion, the position was reopened from Feb. 9 to Feb. 16, with students notified of the reopening Feb. 5. Three additional students applied during the second cycle, and the selected co-chairs came from that secondary pool, Thornton said.
The student leadership structure in Resident Staff begins with RAs, who manage community development within individual halls, followed by senior residents who supervise entire buildings and RA staff, and vice chairs who oversee major internal processes such as training, selections, promotions and accountability. RAs and SRs oversee student life in first-year dorms, residential colleges and all other on-Grounds housing.
Thornton said three to four students typically apply for the position each cycle. The year he and Danielle Sydow, co-chair and graduate Engineering student, were selected, Thornton said they were selected out of a pool of six applicants.
According to Thornton, this year’s smaller applicant pool prompted internal discussion among senior resident leaders and current co-chairs about whether to move forward with the process or reopen applications to encourage broader participation.
“We heard from a lot of people, especially senior residents, about how they weren't confident that the people who applied accurately fulfill the role and represent our program at large,” Thornton said. “I really put in a lot of groundwork to encourage getting people to apply to the reopen[ed] co-chair application.”
After reopening the application, both Thornton and Sydow said they increased outreach efforts, encouraging SRs and RAs to consider applying and to nominate SRs they believed would be strong candidates.
Applicants participate in two rounds of interviews, including a professional staff interview — which may include assistant deans, program coordinators and outgoing co-chairs — and a student staff interview composed of SRs, vice chairs and the outgoing co-chairs. Feedback is then gathered from both groups, and the final decision is made by the outgoing co-chairs based on the input.
Thornton said strong communication skills and the ability to represent the program across different audiences are central to the role. According to Thornton, co-chairs regularly interact with both student leaders and University administrators, requiring a balance of professional competence and approachability.
“I think a lot of it comes down to communication and being able to … represent this program in a bunch of different facets,” Thornton said. “Having that balance of professionalism and friendliness … is a big thing.”
Sydow said that transitioning from SR to co-chair is a big transition, and co-chairs have a different sphere of influence than SRs. She said students must understand the expectations of the role prior to applying for the position.
“The policies, the recommendations that we make, the communications that we have are all on behalf of the residential experience, and I think that is something that I definitely look for … someone who remembers why we're here,” Sydow said. “The purpose is to support residents at the end of the day.”
According to Thornton, the co-chairs train Resident Staff and have significant say in selecting new RAs, as well as the internal accountability and promotions processes. Additionally, Thornton said the co-chairs will reform the position description and requirements and have input on the framework and application of policies within the Resident Staff Program.
The reopening of the application cycle, Thornton said, was not about lowering standards by increasing leniency around deadlines, but about ensuring the next leaders would be well-positioned to guide the program forward.
“We really want to leave it in good hands, and we're fully confident the new co-chairs will do a great job in all facets of the role,” Thornton said.
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