BE PROFESSIONAL: Residential Life is a customer service organization whose clients are Ithaca College's students, staff, alumni, and parents of students, as well as contractors and representatives of companies doing business with Ithaca College. You are expected to act as any business professional would act in an office setting where you are the customer. This means promptly and courteously greeting walk-ins as well as picking up incoming calls. This also means completing your assigned tasks effectively as well.

BE RESPONSIBLE: Being at work when you are scheduled is more than a simple courtesy: It's the most basic expectation of any employee. While we will go out of our way to accommodate a need for a student employee to leave a few minutes early or to arrive a few minutes late because of a scheduled class, more than that will not be acceptable without a legitimate excuse. We do understand that there will be unexpected situations which make it impossible for you to be here on time or at all. These include sudden illness, last-minute domestic emergencies, transportation breakdowns and the like.

It is your responsibility, however, to provide prompt notice for any absence, and to find another OA to cover your work shift for a circumstance that can be foreseen. It is also your responsibility to communicate the details of any absence to your supervisor in writing. It is likewise your responsibility to attend any scheduled meeting or to provide a written reason as to your absence.

COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY: Information is the key to our mission. Each OA is expected to listen well, speak clearly and to be certain the customer understands before sending him or her on their way. Every member of our staff expects to be apprised of who is being referred to them and why before the caller or visitor is presented for their attention. All of us expect full and complete details to accompany any message or incomplete task that is necessary to pass along.

DRESS APPROPRIATELY: Business casual is the byword as far as office attire for all members of our departmental staff. For OAs casual means clean and neat with no tears in clothing or slogans referencing alcohol, drugs or sex. It also means you should wear comfortable shoes and outerwear appropriate to the weather since your duties can and often do take you outdoors.

KNOW YOUR Ps, Ds & Fs: It is essential that every OA know or know where to find Residential Life's Policies and Procedures. It is equally important that you know both your routine Duties as well as our Departmental Personnel. Our students, parents and college staff rely on you to provide them Facts about our residential Facilities, Forms and Processes, and not speculation.