Looking to bypass the townhouse and apartment housing lottery? Need a high paying on-campus job? Enjoy leadership roles and organizing fun activities for your peers? If you answered yes to these questions and are a rising junior or senior, you should apply for a position as a Townhouse/ Apartment Manager.
The Office of Residence Life’s description of a Townhouse and Apartment Manager is “a full-time undergraduate student who serves as an integral member of the Office of Residence Life team in managing the day-to-day operations of the University’s townhouses and apartments.”
A GPA of 2.3 or higher and a status of good standing are required for applicants, according to Associate Director of ResLife Laura Cantrell.
“Managers keep the peace, do health and safety inspections and have administrative duties. If they see policy violations, something where someone can die or be hurt, they have to document it,” said Cantrell.
This year, the selection process will take place before the housing lottery, notifying students before spring break.
Cantrell said she does not want to worry about “cutting [her] applicant pool” because “really qualified people were excluded from selection because they didn’t get a townhouse or apartment in the lottery.”
Townhouse managers are paid $2,000 and have a slightly different job than RAs do. They are only on duty two nights a month and can live with their friends in a townhouse or apartment, said Cantrell.
“They do rounds less, don’t document as much, and don’t plan as many events; the students aren’t as needy,” she added.
Townhouse and Apartment Manager Kelly Anne Martin ’06 said the “basic function is to assist our residents, helping them to move from the residence halls to living in a semi-independent way and with issues that have to do with living in your own house or apartment…we don’t have floor programs or floor meetings.”
The apartments and townhouses are both great living options for juniors and seniors. However, there are differences between the two living areas, said Martin.
“The townhouses are generally noisier, because each individual townhouse can register a party, whereas you can only register a party in the apartment lounge. That doesn’t mean that nothing ever happens down in the apartments though,” said Martin.
Students who have dealt with the managers say they have been helpful.
“For the most part they have been pretty nice and reasonable,” said Artie Roberts ’07 who lives in the 15 block.
Unlike RAs, managers deal with upperclassmen who more familiar with college life.
“We haven’t really needed our block manager, but when we have he’s been really good,” said Zack Morrison ’07.
Managers serve as a resource for students. Their job is to maintain the safety of townhouse and apartment residents.
“They seem pretty relaxed when they stop by parties. They’ll come by a few times before they call security or take action,” said townhouse resident Tom Corbett ’07.
Manager Mike Wood ’07 lives a regular student lifestyle and enjoys his job as manager, which he says “bridges the gap between the administration and students.”
“When a house is too loud, I don’t see any reason to go in. I just ask the person at the door to turn down the music, and they do,” Wood said.
“I’m not out to get people, I’m not going to enter someone’s home or look around for underage kids,” he said. “I trust that students are doing the right thing.”
Leave a Reply