How the Warden's time is used - February update

I can only say that my previous post did not have the desired effect, and an updated view of how I have been spending my time this term so far looks like this:

This is not what I enjoy about my role as Warden. Residents this year have not seen me working with them at social events and community building because all my time has been tied up with disciplinary issues. I am sorry this has been the case and once again, would like to ask everyone to help me. The Hall community as a whole this year could be getting much better value for money out of the service I can provide!

• Help me rebuild a positive Hall community. 

• Contribute to our events.

• Help us work out what activities you want organised in Hall, and work with us to organise them.

• Talk to your neighbours. Find out if there is anything you can do to make their time in Hall better. Have you been doing anything that annoyed them all last term? Tell them if you need their help with anything.

• Use our Hall bar. It's a valuable social space, but it won't survive without your custom and support. Don't drink your own alcohol in the bar, Bell room, or garden.

• Only smoke in the designated smoking area (in the garden), or on the pavement outside, well away from the main entrance.

• Keep quiet after 11pm.

• Don't go out onto balconies on the first floor.

• Be respectful of everyone around you. Remember our positive diversity message:

This is a safe space for everyone. Please join us in respecting and celebrating all our residents, staff, and guests, of every age, race, religion, sexuality, nationality, disability, and gender identity.

Finally, let me draw your attention to our goals & values statement. Help us work with you to deliver these for you.

We aim to provide a secure, supportive, and friendly environment in which our residents can study and socialise.

We hope that all our residents will call Connaught Hall “home”, and take many positive memories and good friends with them when they leave.

By encouraging our residents to participate in and contribute to the Hall community, we hope that they will learn to be self-directed and self-disciplined in their behaviour.
We aim to promote a spirit of neighbourliness and togetherness in our Hall community: an attitude that we can all take with us when we move on to other, wider neighbourhoods and communities. 

The needs of our residents, within the necessary limitations of good order, finance, and safety, take priority over other considerations at all times. 

We endeavour to help residents wherever we can. If we can reasonably say “yes” within the rules, we will not say “no”. 

We always strive to act fairly, honestly, and transparently. 

We deal with any problems sensitively and confidentially.

We do not tolerate personal harassment, nor discrimination against anyone because of their age, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

Meet our staff and senior members for 2014-15:

Photos of our Hall Manager, Assistant Manager, Warden, and five Senior Members for this academic year, on our Connaught Hall Tumblr:

http://connaughthall.tumblr.com/post/96604455816/connaught-hall-staff-senior-members-for-the

Senior Member vacancies

Senior Member vacancies | Connaught Hall, University of London

We have three vacancies for Senior Members at Connaught Hall for 2013-14.

A team of five Senior Members assist the Warden in promoting residents’ personal and social welfare, dealing with disciplinary issues, and encouraging a supportive and harmonious living environment.  Each night and at weekends one Senior Member is on duty, with responsibility for managing any emergencies that arise. In addition, they are expected to do approximately 4 hours of work per week outside of their duty shift commitments, participate fully in the life of the Hall, attend meetings, and be aware of residents’ concerns.

Duty shift times are 6pm to 8am (14 hours), Monday to Friday, and 8am to 8 am (24 hours) at weekends and bank holidays. The Duty Senior Member is required to be contactable and available on the premises for the entire shift. Senior Members can expect to be on duty approximately 52 weekday nights per year and 23 weekend days or bank holidays.

One post will start on 10th August 2013; two posts will start on 1st September. All appointments will be until 31st August 2014 in the first instance.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for a Senior Member position, you must:

(i) be enrolled on a full-time course of study or programme of study or research within the federal University of London leading to the award of a bachelors, masters, or doctoral degree, or a PGCE or MBA;

(ii) by the start date of the post, have completed at least two years' study at bachelors degree level or above in the UK;

(iii) be entitled to work a minimum of 20 hours per week in the UK (if you are not an EU citizen (excluding Bulgaria and Romania), you should check your visa and confirm with the UK Border Agency what work restrictions apply to you); and

(iv) successfully undergo a criminal records check.

Applicants should be sociable and approachable; have a mature, responsible attitude; possess excellent communication skills; be able to stay calm and take control in emergency situations. This is a compulsory live-in appointment.

Benefits:

Senior Members will not be offered employment contracts with the University as the post is voluntary. Accommodation in Hall is provided free of charge in recognition of duties performed.  No other payment will be made.  The accommodation (including all standard meals in the dining hall) is in a large single room.  There may be an option to upgrade to anen suite room, subject to availability, on payment of the difference between standard anden suite accommodation rates.

An advertisement, information pack, and application form will be placed on the University of London website during the week commencing Monday 13th May 2013:

University of London vacancies page

Senior Member vacancies update

A quick update on my earlier post: http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/senior-member-vacancies-2013-14.html ... Following the delayed implementation of a new University-wide recruitment process for Senior Members, I hope to be able to advertise Connaught Hall's vacancies for 2013-14 on or shortly before 11 May 2013.

Keep following this blog and our Twitter and Facebook profiles for updates as and when I get them. Thank you for your patience!

Senior Member vacancies 2013-14

A quick update on my earlier post: http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/senior-member-vacancies-2013-14.html ... There is still no news from University of London Human Resources on the final agreed procedure for applications and recruitment of Senior Members this year.

Keep following this blog and our Twitter and Facebook profiles for updates as and when I get them.

Senior member vacancies 2013-14

I am being asked a lot about senior member vacancies for next year (2013-14).

The most up-to-date, confirmed information about our vacancies will always be posted at vacancies.connaught-hall.org.uk. Updates to that page will always be publicised via Twitter (tweets.connaught-hall.org.uk), Facebook (facebook.connaught-hall.org.uk) and our RSS feed (rssmix.com/u/3697426/rss.xml), so if you are interested in applying, make sure you are following at least one of those.

However, I also have lots of unconfirmed news that potential applicants will find interesting but is not definite enough for me to upload to the vacancies page. So I will use this blog post to share what I know.

The University of London is currently reviewing senior member posts and the recruitment process. Likely or possible changes include:

• Recruitment of senior members will be centralised, so all applications will go to the University's HR department instead of to the warden of each hall.

• Applications will be completely anonymised so the shortlisting panel does not know the name, age, sex, disabled status, or ethnicity of the applicants.

• Applications may be invited for all eight halls at the same time, on the same form, instead of separate applications being made to individual halls. Interviews may be centralised so there is one big recruitment day for all eight halls.

• Instead of candidates sending a short "eligibility" form along with a letter, curriculum vitae, and equal opportunities form, there may be one form that covers everything, dispensing with the need for letters and CVs.

• Appointments will be for one-year, fixed term.

• It may be possible for appointments to be extended, one year at a time, depending of satisfactory service. This decision may be guided by a formal process of appraisal and assessment, which may be externally validated.

• The current absolute maximum of three years as a senior member may be lifted completely, or increased to four years.

• It may be compulsory for senior members to take standard single rooms, losing the option to upgrade to en-suite or other accommodation.

• For the first time, a formal person specification has been developed, detailing certain "essential" and "desirable" qualifications, training, personal attributes, and experience.

• There will be detailed guidance on the appointment and eligibility of students who are in the UK on a "tier 4" visa. At present, these students are not eligible to apply as they can only work 20 hours or less per week during term time. This blanket ban may be removed or changed, subject to certain rota requirements.

• It may become possible for third-year undergraduate students to take on senior member positions. (At present, you have to be at least a fourth-year undergraduate, or a postgraduate student.)

All these changes are still being considered and possibly modified between the wardens, halls management, and human resources. As soon as the recruitment process and eligibility criteria for this year are confirmed, I will update the vacancies.connaught-hall.org.uk page.

Sickness absence

EDIT - THURSDAY 8th NOVEMBER - I have now resumed full and normal duties in my role as Warden at Connaught Hall.

I will be away from my normal Warden duties due to sickness for the next few days.

If you need help urgently, please contact the Hall Office (Mon-Fri, 8-6) or the Duty Senior Member (all other times). They are authorised to contact the Warden of another intercollegiate hall for advice if necessary in an emergency.

For routine matters, please email wardens.team@connaught-hall.org.uk. The Senior Members will deal with straightforward issues; I will take up the more complex, but non-urgent, matters when I return to work.

I expect to continue as planned with my scheduled open office sessions: http://openoffice.connaught-hall.org.uk, but will publish an update if there are any changes to this.

Remember, you can find answers to many questions about Hall life on the Hall website - www.connaught-hall.org.uk, in the Residents' Handbook - http://handbook.connaught-hall.org.uk and in the FAQs section of this blog - http://faq.connaught-hall.org.uk.

This poster details the right people to contact for specific types of problems in Hall:
http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/documents/Connaught-Hall-help-and-advice.pdf.

This poster contains details of reputable external sources of help & advice:
http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/documents/Connaught-Hall-help-poster.pdf.

I am sorry for any inconvenience caused by my temporary absence from normal duties.

Top tips for freshers

The Senior Members and I have put together our combined experience of some 35 years in higher education to bring you these top tips for freshers. Take a look! They're all tweet-sized or smaller, so really easy to digest. Thanks to Benny for comiling these into one list!

Money

 

• Always ask if there is a student discount (Marianne)

• Get a Student Oyster card for discounted travel (Marianne)

• Register your Young Person's railcard with your oyster to get discounted day rates (Marianne)

• London charity shops are great - check out the rich areas (Marianne)

• Keep a bank/building society at home AND a separate one at uni.  Then you can prove you live at both addresses and order stuff to both. (Benny)

• Carry cash around with you instead of paying for everything by credit/debit card.  You'll get a better sense of how much you're spending (Benny)

• If you like reading for pleasure, why not save money buying books by borrowing from uni libraries? (Benny)

• London's an expensive place. Don't beat yourself up if your wallet/purse takes a dent. It's collateral of living in a great city. (Benny)

• If you withdraw cash every Monday to last the whole week and only spend that amount all week, you may find it easier to control your spending (Adrian)

Living in Halls

• Everyone feels homesick, no matter what they say (Marianne)

• Don't let friends back home rule your life at college. Catch up with them sometimes, but meet new people and get involved in new things in London. (Adrian)

• Talk to your neighbours in Hall. If you're friends - or at least acquiantaces - then it's much easier to ask them to shut up when their TV is too loud at 3am (Adrian)

• However strict we might try to be, there will always be some occasional noise at night. Ear plugs are cheap and useful. (Adrian)

•  The walls and floors are thin; we are all living close together. Try not to disturb others: we often don’t realise how much noise we can make just chatting (Adrian)

• Investing in a nice pair of headphones will improve the sound on your laptop for music/films, but your neighbours will also thank you for it when you're deep into a late night session. (Benny)

• Get some indoors "flip-flops" to wear in the shower if you are worried about hygiene (Adrian)

• Freshers is fun, but you don't actually have to go out and get totally drunk every night to enjoy it. The same applies for social events the rest of the year. (Adrian)

• Sharing food is a good way to make new friends or to start a conversation with someone you don't know too well (Benny)

• Make the most of having the advantage of living in such a fantastic central location. (Benny)

• Bored at Connaught looking for something to do?  Do your linen/laundry/washing up/food shopping.  Kills time + it's productive. (Benny)

Work

•  
• Talk to second and third year students about getting your work/life balance right. They won't think you're a nerd: they will be flattered that you asked them (Adrian)

• Register with more libraries that just your univsersity's own one – there are loads you can sign up to (Bill)

• If there's a piece of uni work you're dreading, try doing it for just 5 minutes.  It doesn't seem so bad once you get down to it. (Benny)

• Work in the library then return to Hall to relax, eat and have a drink.  Working too much in your room can make it a negative, instead of relaxing, space (Benny)

Wellbeing

 

• At Connaught, at least 8 people in your immediate hall/college life are actually paid to help you with any problems you may come across at uni. Use them! (Adrian)

• Wear a condom (Zack) (blunt but, frankly, good advice.  RUBBER UP! Don't be silly, wrap your willy, etc)

• Check your university email addresses daily in order to avoid such calamities as not realising a lecture has been cancelled at short notice (Benny)

• Universities have really good counselling services that they put a lot of money into, but not a lot of people know about them (Benny)

• Caffeine seems like a good idea to stay awake in lectures but when you crash, it's worse than when you started.  Try an apple!

Uni Life

 

• Don't bother joining random groups at your SU that you will give up after a week – get involved with ones that interest you enough to maintain your commitment (Adrian/Bill)

• Start learning a new language or take up a new hobby – 3 years at uni (minimum), a lot of spare time – make the most of it! (Bill)

• Be yourself. There's never been a better time to stop worrying about what other people think of you. (Zack)

• Strive to be excellent at what you do. You've chosen the course you're on, you're paying through the nose for it - now go be amazing. (Zack/KJ)

• Bring lots of passport-sized photos with you.  You'd be surprised how many application forms require them (Benny)

London

 

• Familiarise yourself with another culture.  London is a diverse place.  Broaden your horizons! (Bill)

• Travel: London has some of the cheapest budget airlines in the world.  Plan ahead with friends for the best deals. (Bill)

• If you're walking around, and you see someone giving out free samples, tell your friends where to find them too (Benny)

• ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS ARE FREE AND AND THERE ARE LOTS OF THEM AND SOME OF THEM ARE REALLY GOOD (Benny)

Visit our web page for more support and wellbeing information: http://connaught-hall.org.uk/pages/welfare/welfare.html

Freshers 2012

August and September are always really busy for me and my team at Connaught Hall. I have four new Senior Members (out of five) on my team for this year, so there's been lots of training and recruitment activity to get everyone ready to start receiving students this week.

This week, we've been learning about conflict resolution skills, diability and mental health awareness, and diversity issues. Next week, the new Senior Members will be trained in first aid and fire marshalling.

I've published a brand new guidance document for the Senior Members this year. I hope this will help the team to perfom better than before and really make an impact on residents' satisfaction with every aspect of life in Hall. The Residents' Handbook, Hall website, Supplementary Regulations, posters, and other documents all have to be updated in time for the new academic year - even more so this year, since there has been a major restructure of the management staff in the halls of residence, making many of last year's posters and leaflets obsolete.

I've been planning the Hall welcome dinner on 1st October: it's a special meal (we pay the catering company extra per person for this night) with wine and beer served alongside a delicious menu specially prepared by our Chef-Manager, Lydia. I have yet to write my welcome speech for the evening. Because some students (mainly from King's and QMUL) arrive almost three weeks before that dinner, we also put on an "early arrivals" welcome dinner on Monday 17th September - we're having a special curry menu for dinner and more wine and beer.

This week, I bought almost £100 of cake for our Sunday afternoon tea parties. We're all looking forward to meeting the first wave of student arrivals this Sunday.

There will be a party hosted by the Senior Member for each floor to help residents on their floor get to know one another. These will be in early October, and each will have it's own special theme. Look out for details posted by the Senior Member for your floor.

The bar needs lots of preparation, too. I'm working with last year's Bar Manager, Tom, and the new Bar Manager, Emily, to make sure we're ready to open this Sunday. The bar will open every night next week except Saturday 22nd September. Then on Sunday 23rd, we'll be open late for the Grand Opening party.

Meanwhile, the Residents' Club Committee are working on plans for a massive freshers' party on Saturday 6th October, open till 1.30am, as well as two whole weeks of social and cultural events to give our new residents a taste of everything that London can offer.

Another issue for the Residents' Club is a proposed change in its Constitution around how the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Entertainment Officer, and Sports Officer are elected in October. More about this later.

To top it all, this week has seen the University of London undergraduate open day events taking place at Senate House, so I've been showing year 13 students around Connaught, College, and International Halls so they can see the range of accommodation options open to them if they choose London to study.

So it's been a busy few weeks... we are all just excited to put all this preparatory work into use now for our new intake of students. We all look forward to meeting you.

Senior Member roles 2012-3

The Senior Members have been allocated the following roles for this academic year:

Team secretary & Senior Member recruitment: Zack Ferguson

Facilities Secretary: Marianne Neary

Multicultural Students' Forum Secretary: Bill Batziakas

Social Secretary: Benny Diamond

Bar Supervisor: KJ Cleasby

Senior Member guidance

In response to the residents' survey this year, new guidance will be issued to Senior Members for 2012-3. A selection of comments are reproduced below:

I know the Senior Member on my hall but I have never seen him interact with people on the hall outside of greetings in passing. I'm not really sure what my floor senior member does.
  Some Senior Members need to be reminded of the boundaries that ought to be maintained between students and themselves.
Most of the senior members are approachable and polite, but sadly this is not true for all of them.

Most of the Senior Members are not around much but the ones that are around are really lovely and helpful.

The new guidance for Senior Members is contained in thirteen volumes so cannot all be reproduced here, but the expectations the Warden places on Senior Members include:

The Senior Member role is a voluntary position, but it is a very substantial commitment. After your studies, we expect you to make this Senior Member role your priority: it should be more important to you than any other employment, hobbies, or social activities. We expect you to devote time, thought, and energy to this position.

Above all, Senior Members must be visible, recognisable, and approachable.

You must make face-to-face contact during term 1 with every resident on the floor to which you are assigned.

You must eat in the dining hall at least three nights per week, and always when you are the Duty Senior Member.

You must take action to deal with noise or safety problems in your area of the Hall even when you are not on call.

If you do not have leave of absence, you are required to attend all major Hall social events, meetings, and fire drills as designated by the Warden.

You must deal with all issues and complaints fairly, politely, professionally, sensitively, and in a timely manner.

It is never acceptable to behave in a rude, threatening, intimidating, coercive, abusive, flirtatious, or intimate way with residents.

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of professional behaviour, demonstrating respect for residents and their personal information, and must be observed at all times.

Never spread gossip, nor discuss in public any information to which you are privy because of your Senior Member role: if you are unsure whether you were given information as a Senior Member or as a friend, always assume it is because you are a Senior Member. This very specifically includes – but is not limited to – private information about residents and sensitive operational information, particularly where disclosure may lead to embarrassment, distress, or panic.

Allegations of favouritism are damaging to the reputation of the whole team: it is very important that as a Senior Member you are not seen to deal with your friends more favourably or leniently than other residents.

Never engage in any kind of intimate relationship with a resident, nor behave in any way that might imply physical or sexual attraction to a resident.

Never be alone with a distressed, intoxicated, or unwell resident in any room with the door closed: if you are called to see a resident in their room, take someone with you of the same sex as the resident concerned. If this is impossible, prop the door open while you meet them.

The Senior Members are required to assist the Warden with welfare & pastoral care, discipline & conflict resolution (including noise complaints), re-admissions, out-of-hours emergency cover, and community & social life including the Residents’ Club Committee and Hall bar. The Warden and Senior Members are here to offer support and guidance with problems such as academic difficulties, health or emotional issues, social concerns, and disputes between residents. The Warden and his team endeavour to deal with any problems sensitively and confidentially and will never discriminate against anyone because of their age, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

Please do talk to a member of the team if you want a bit of extra help and support with anything that is bothering you. No problem is too great or too small. 

Defining the Warden's role

The recent University of London consultation on removing all Wardens and Vice-Wardens from the intercollegiate halls of residence (see this thread of posts about the consultation and what happened) prompted me to review the way we describe the Warden's role at Connaught Hall.

It is important that residents understand precisely what the Warden and Senior Members are for and what they do. Correspondence from the Warden's team will now make clear that the Warden's role lies in -

enhancing opportunities for personal, social, academic and cultural development through: welfare and pastoral care; discipline and conflict resolution; community and social life; Residents’ Club and Hall bar; out-of-hours emergencies; and re-admissions.

I would value your feedback on this description: is it too long? does it make sense? does it help clarify the Warden's role? Feel free to comment directly on this blog post or email me.

The Warden's Team: supporting you all the way.

Wardens' formal consultation response

The response of the ten University of London wardens and vice-wardens to a proposal to cut student support in the halls of residence has been published online: http://www.hallwardens.org/wardens-response.pdf

Letter to Editor of London Student

Sir

I read with interest your interview with Martin Burchett about the University of London’s proposal to remove wardens and vice-wardens from the intercollegiate halls of residence.

Wardens are life-in staff who work part-time in the halls, being also employed as academic or senior academically-related staff elsewhere within the University. We help to provide students, especially first year undergraduates, with a safe, friendly and supportive home-from-home in halls by maintaining discipline, resolving conflicts, supporting students with difficulties, and organising community and social events.

The University of London Strategic Plan for 2009-14 states that “the University has a proud tradition of providing services to Colleges which add to their students’ experience of University life, both educationally and socially.” Wardens are one of the main ways in which the University maintains this tradition.

Students in halls are often living away from home for the first time. In my experience, they can encounter problems with loneliness, social isolation, bullying, conflicts related to religion or sexuality, depression, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, as well as antisocial behaviour, noisy neighbours, theft, and damage to property. Wardens have a wealth of experience in offering front-line advice and support for students wrestling with these problems.
The University’s stated reason for cutting wardens and vice-wardens is to create up to 52 extra student rooms from the conversion of wardens’ flats. The University asserts that the cuts will not cause a reduction in the level of pastoral support or community building because the wardens’ functions will be taken on by volunteer senior students and the halls’ administration staff. They further argue that private halls of residence and some other universities’ halls do not have wardens.

We certainly recognise the need for more student accommodation in London, but degrading the quality of existing accommodation is not the way to do it. The University’s plan is akin to making more seats on an aeroplane by taking out the pilot: it won’t get off the ground. We can identify numerous means by which more accommodation can be created in the halls, without shedding staff or cutting services.

Of course removing all of the currently employed, dedicated, and experienced welfare and community-building staff out of the halls will lead to a reduction in the level of support and social events. There is nothing in the cuts proposal to guarantee otherwise.

It is true that private halls of residence often do not have wardens. But we are, after all, a University: surely it is our responsibility to provide academic and pastoral support for students? Students who are more independent or who require less of a social scene in their residence may well choose to live in private halls; but the University should make provision for those who wish or need to choose a more supported or more social living environment.

It is also true that some other universities do not have wardens in their halls. But if you look at the top ten UK universities, nine of them have wardenial systems similar to ours; and nearly all of the elite Russell Group universities have wardens. These are the institutions that the University of London is competing with. Moreover, residents in the intercollegiate halls can be relatively disadvantaged by the geographical and organisational remoteness of their college welfare services, unions, and health centres – especially those from smaller colleges or colleges outside of central London. I believe a robust pastoral and social support system within the halls, led by wardens, compensates for this.

We have been greatly encouraged by support from doctors, counsellors, chaplains, and other bodies involved in student support, as well as many students, hall residents, neighbourhood groups, and local councillors. Almost 1,000 people have signed an online petition (petition.hallwardens.org) supporting the wardens, and many students and their parents have written to the University (mail@hallwardens.org) to express their opposition to the cuts. A Facebook group (group.hallwardens.org) and Twitter profile (@SaveTheWardens) have been set up by hall residents.

The University’s consultation on this proposal ends on Friday 17 June and the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Group will make a decision on 29 June. I hope your readers will agree with me that they should reject the proposed cuts and look instead for positive ways of creating more student accommodation in London.

Yours faithfully

Adrian Clark
Warden, Connaught Hall

Senior Members - residents' survey 2011

Most people who responded to the survey knew what the Senior Members and I do, who we are, and thought we are approachable and polite.

See a summary of the results and a selection of comments here: survey.connaught-hall.org.uk.

Two people, however, commented that the Senior Members often sit in an isolated part of the dining hall and this can make students feel less able to approach them.

First, let me assure you that the Senior Members and I are all happy to be approached by residents about anything at all, any time when we are in public areas of the Hall (and we are contactable from reception at other times).

But I can see that the team sitting in a huddle in one corner of the dining hall might be seen as intimidating, so with immediate effect, the Senior Members and I will sit in a more central part of the dining hall.

Please feel free to join us at our table either to talk to us in our capacity as staff or just for a chat. We will always be glad of the company. Except in the first few weeks of term, when most residents have not formed their own friendship groups in Hall, I don't expect the Senior Members to mingle around the dining hall at meal times - I am always conscious that residents might not want us sitting with them if they are dining with their friends. But I stress again that we are always happy for anyone to join us for a meal any time.

Residents' Survey - Senior Members

Responses to Residents' Survey 9: Senior Members

Continuing my series of blog posts to repond to residents' comments in the February 2010 intercollegiate halls residents' survey. A summary of responses to the multiple choice questions on the survey can be seen here: Residents' Survey results. And you can filter this blog so just the survey-related posts show by clicking on "survey" in the list of labels on the right hand side.


Two or three survey respondents expressed a desire for the Senior Members to be more visible in the Hall, saying they thought this might make them more approachable.

Relevant guidance in the post description for Senior Members includes:

Senior Members are required to interest themselves in the welfare of students and to assist the Warden with the pastoral, disciplinary and social duties within the Hall to promote a supportive and harmonious living environment for students. Senior Members should participate in – and help to organise – the social life of the Hall. One of their most important roles is mixing with students and keeping in touch with what is happening in the resident community; they are expected to eat in the Hall restaurant regularly as this is one of the best ways to meet other residents. Senior Members must always present a professional but approachable manner and it is essential they set a good example to other students at all times.

Specific duties include:

[...]
- participation in welcome receptions to ensure all new students are greeted;
- attendance at social events throughout the year;
[...]

I think the Senior Members by and large achieve most of these goals but at a recent staff meeting we agreed to provide a more visible presence in the dining hall at meal times and to visit the Hall bar every couple of weeks.

In previous years, the Senior Members and I have hosted afternoon tea every Sunday in the reception lobby - but this did not fulfil our objective of encouraging residents to approach us to discuss difficulties and was often quite poorly attended; so I replaced this event with my regular open office sessions (openoffice.connaught-hall.org.uk).

At our meeting we decided to bring back afternoon tea on select weekends throughout the year. Look out for posters advertising the first event later this term.

The closure

Connaught Hall is closed from 21 August to 6 September. The exterior doors are all locked and only a handful of staff members who have the front door key can get in and out. There is no receptionist and no catering. From outside, the windows, normally beacons of warmth from the illuminated rooms within, are empty and dark. The Hall always has an eerie feel to it during closure, especially at night.

But inside preparations gather apace for meeting new students who will start arriving from the day we re-open our doors. Most students won't arrive until the last weekend in September or even the first in October, but we still need to be ready for when we open on the 6th.

The Residents' Handbook and this year's welcome letter must be finalised and printed, and I need to record my welcome podcast; posters, forms, leaflets, and stationery updated to reflect the staff changes that have taken place in the past 3 months; all the rooms must be fully cleaned; and this is the period when most major building / redecorating work takes place, so as not to interfere with residents' studies dring term time.

Soon after the closure are the University of London Open Days, to which Connaught Hall will be contributing this year.

And looking forward to early October, we must arrange welcome receptions (afternoon tea), a welcome buffet, and elections to the Residents' Club Committee. And they may want to organise a welcome party for everyone.

It'll be Christmas soon. Better get to it!

Warden's team 2009-10

Warden (warden@connaught-hall.org.uk)

Dr. Adrian Clark
Specialty Registrar in Emergency Medicine
London Postgraduate Medical Deanery

Senior Members (firstname.lastname@connaught-hall.org.uk)

Hawa Abubakar
M.B., B.S. candidate in Medicine
King’s College London

Anton Alatsatianos
M.B., B.S. candidate in Medicine
King’s College London

Amy Lei
B.D.S. candidate in Dentistry
King’s College London

Ashleigh Melvin
Ph.D. candidate in History
Birkbeck College

Alyson Mercer
Ph.D. candidate in History
SAS Institute of Historical Research


Visit www.connaught-hall.org.uk/wardensteam for more information.

Contacting the Warden's team

The Senior Members and I are resident in Hall, so you will often see us around the building. The team member living on your floor is often a good first point of contact. You are welcome to approach us whenever you see us in Hall; if we are not immediately available, we will arrange a time to meet.

Leave a note at reception or email me (warden@connaught-hall.org.uk) if you would like an appointment to see me, or look out for posters advertising my next open office session, when you can drop in to see me in my office without an appointment.

If you don’t need to discuss things in person, you can just write to us about the problem. You can email all the team at the same time using wardens.team@connaught-hall.org.uk, or use our online contact page at http://warden.connaught-hall.org.uk/, which will guide you through all the information we need to be best able to deal with your query quickly and efficiently. Individual Senior Members can be contacted by email using the format firstname.lastname@connaught-hall.org.uk.

We also have a dedicated email address for reporting noise problems as this is probably the thing we deal with most: noise@connaught-hall.org.uk.

There is an on-call Duty Officer from the Warden’s team available whenever the Bursar’s Office is closed, to help with any emergencies that arise in Hall (e.g. fire, lost keys, intruders, medical emergencies, injuries, disciplinary problems, emergency maintenance needs, etc.). The person on duty can always be contacted via reception.