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This study was designed to assess a PWIs residential life department's initiative to provide their Resident Assistants (RAs) an opportunity to discuss race through an inter-group dialogue session. I argue that any activity that focuses on race needs to be grounded in a social justice framework. This is because this framework educates individuals about systematic social, political, and economic issues that plague our society. A social justice grounding also fosters a disposition that desires to eliminate institutionalized discrimination. As such, this study sought to answer the following research questions: how did this inter-group dialogue impact the RAs ability to recognize race-related issues in the United States and did this inter-group dialogue foster a social justice perspective among the RAs that participated? Through a content analysis of ten in-depth, semi-structured interviews with RAs who participated in the dialogue the findings suggest that RAs did gain an understanding of how different lived experiences effect how someone views societal race issues, but the inter-group dialogue did not foster a transformative perspective among RAs that were not already grounded in social justice. Recommendations to improve future sessions are provided. / African American Studies

Due to a living and learning work environment that is filled with role ambiguity, resident assistants often handle situations that require clear and competent ethical decision making. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the various aspects of ethics that affect the lives and job performance of resident assistants. Through an examination of the levels of moral development and the ethical issues faced by resident assistants, the intentionality and the quality of values education for resident assistants is hoped to be improved. One hundred and seventeen resident assistants at a mid-sized, Midwestern, public university created the sample population. All 117 participants completed the survey resulting in a 100 percent return rate.Resident assistants at Ball State University do not have a unique profile of moral development. As a group they tend to make decisions based upon the established rules of society rather than individual rights or universal principles. Results from the Defining Issues Test showed that they have a principled morality score of 37.07% in comparison to the standardized mean score for college students of 42.3%. In their work environments, they report situations involving dating or relationship issues as occurring most often. Colleagues dating their residents was perceived as the least serious out of 16 ethical situations. Situations of racial, gender, or religious intolerance were considered quite serious by the resident assistants. Out of the 117 participants, 109 resident assistants reported situations which created personal ethical or moral dilemmas. Dilemmas that included issues of the enforcement of or the belief in housing policies were reported 21 times. Director or staff conflicts involving a variety of situations were reported as an issue by 17 resident assistants. Relationships with residents that are based upon friendship and/or respect along with perceived issues of resident assistant harassment created the third largest category out of 15 categories of moral dilemmas.Resident assistants are paraprofessionals with a great amount of responsibility and are often put in situations which involve unconscious ethical decision making. Suggestions for hiring, training and role modeling are given in order to better meet the needs of resident assistants. Professionals and researchers must continue to examine the areas of moral development and ethical issues because understanding the issues that concern resident assistants is an important step in creating an ethical campus community. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

Introduktion: Personer med funktionsnedsättning har nedsatt förmåga att fungera fysiskt, psykiskt eller intellektuellt, vilket kan medföra hinder med att sköta den dagliga munhygienen. I omvårdnaden i bostad med särskild service för vuxna ingår skyldighet att stödja funktionsnedsatta med deras personliga behov. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka boendeassistenters kunskap om munhälsa. Ytterligare ett syfte var att undersöka boendeassistenters inställning till munvård samt faktorer som påverkar deras inställning till munvård. Material och metod: Studien är en kvantitativ tvärsnittstudie baserad på en enkät med 31 strukturerade frågor samt en öppen fråga.  Enkäten besvarades av 43 boendeassistenter i en kommun i södra Sverige. Resultat: Resultatet visar att majoriteten (n=34) av boendeassistenterna anser att de boende behöver dagligt stöd med munhygienen. Det största hindret är att de boende inte vill ha hjälp med munhygienen. En stor del (n=31) av boendeassistenterna anser att de har tillräcklig kunskap om munvård för att stödja de boende med den dagliga munhygienen. Resultatet visar att 29 av boendeassistenterna har kunskap om fluor och 38 har kunskap om gingivit. Slutsats: Resultatet tyder på att boendeassistenterna i viss mån har kunskap om munhälsa och att de anser att de boende behöver dagligt stöd med munvården. Vidare anser boendeassistenterna att det största hindret till att stödja med munvården är att de boende inte vill ha hjälp vilket påverkar boendeassistenternas inställning till munvård. / Introduction: Persons with disabilities have a reduced capacity to function physically, mentally, or intellectually, which can lead to obstruction in daily oral hygiene. Health care in supervised residential care facilities for adults includes the responsibility to support disabled persons in their personal hygiene. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge resident assistants have of oral health. A further purpose was to examine the attitude of resident assistants toward oral care and factors that affect their attitude toward oral care. Materials and method: The study is a quantitative cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire with 31 structured questions and one open question. Forty-three resident assistants in one municipality in southern Sweden participated. Results: Results show that the majority (n=34) of resident assistants believe residents need daily assistance with oral hygiene. The greatest obstacle to supporting residents is that residents do not want help with oral hygiene. The majority (n=31) of resident assistants believe they have sufficient knowledge of oral care to support residents in daily oral hygiene. Results show that 29 resident assistants have knowledge of fluoride and 38 have knowledge of gingivitis.  Conclusions: The results indicate that resident assistants have adequate knowledge of oral health to some extent, and that resident assistants believe residents need daily support in oral care. Also, resident assistants report the greatest obstacle in supporting oral care is that residents do not want help, which impacts the attitude of resident assistants towards oral care.

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This study examined the attitudes and perceptions of resident assistants towardgay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) students. Attitudes and perceptions of floor environments, hall environments, and the campus community were looked at. The original intent of this study was to find a relationship between resident assistants' attitudes and perceptions toward GLBT individuals and its relationship to the environment created on the RA's floor. The sample of GLBT students was too small to make reference to it in this study.A significant difference was found between hall staffs' attitudes. The study suggests that their hall environment can influence RAs' attitudes and perceptions. Consistent with past research, male resident assistants (RAs) had more negative views toward gay men and lesbians than female RAs. Inconsistent responses were found to individual questions, which suggests a lack of education on GLBT issues. The majority of RAs believed there should not be more GLBT material integrated in the classroom, however they felt they didn't have adequate training on GLBT issues. RAs felt that GLBT students experience less harassment and discrimination in the residence halls then on campus and in society. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

This study provides a compelling, comprehensive argument regarding how Resident Assistants (RAs) understand sexism at Ball State University. The evidence asserts gender privilege and sexism are prevalent on the campus. The findings substantiate that many RAs have witnessed instances, or become victims of sexism while at Ball State University. The evidence further demonstrates RAs value education on sexism for themselves and their residents. The findings indicate RAs both feel responsibility, and are expected to provide this education to residents. However, the evidence also illustrates RAs are in prime roles for promoting holistic learning but receive neither the appropriate training nor education needed to teach residents about sexism. Implementing training and education for RAs will decrease instances of, and misunderstandings about sexism. This will help faculty members, administrators, student affairs professionals, RAs, and others educate through prevention in order to best serve the students at Ball State University. / Department of Educational Leadership

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This qualitative study investigated the attitudes and perceptions of the role of Residence Life Professionals in attending to the spiritual needs of undergraduate college students at Ball State University. This study examined how undergraduate college students view the role of Residence Life Professionals in attending to spiritual needs. The results of this study have particular significance for those who are responsible for the well being of college students on a daily basis and benefit the Residence Life system by allowing a better understanding of where Professionals and students stand on this issue. This in turn will help Residence Life Professionals and students establish realistic expectations of each other in the spiritual arena. The researcher conducted 12 interviews with undergraduate student at Ball State University and analyzed the data by coding themes. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education