Abstract:
The purpose of this project was to build an evaluation instrument that would focus on the experiences of the paraprofessional residence hall staff at small, private, liberalarts universities. The instrument would explore the factors that impacted the experience of the paraprofessional residence hall staff.The project proposed that three central themes were critical to the experience of the Resident Assistants at small, liberal arts universities: the expectations of the RA role based upon the job training, the relationship with the Resident Director, and the relationship with the students on the floor.The evaluation instrument is presented in Chapter Four. The design of the instrument was adapted from Schneider's (1996) instrument that measured the expectations and realities of the resident assistant position. A scale was used in the second portion of the question that allowed respondents to rank how positively or negatively the experience affected them. Additionally, it was designed with the necessary components of the total design method, as outlined by Dillman (1978).