The system of pay for Resident Assistants and secondary lesson teachers has recently changed, requiring them to clock their hours on TimeClock Plus.

This policy, introduced to RAs Sept. 25, has sparked confusion — particularly for international students who, due to visa restrictions, have a limited number of hours they can work. With the requirement to log hours, many are forced to minimize hours worked at other jobs to stay within the 20-hour weekly limit, potentially resulting in financial strain. 

“From my understanding, now that we are being required to clock our hours, a lot of international students, out of fear of their visas or not wanting to be at risk, are cutting back on some of their other jobs to make this happen,” Conservatory fourth-year Cendan Dillon, the lead RA for Kade House, said. “[This] means less pay for them that they could be earning and more stress, and that’s a really big problem,” 

Rohit Pokhrel, an RA for East Hall and an international student, felt that while the new system could be “annoying,” he also expressed that it will make it easier for international students to provide proof to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services that they work under 20 hours a week.

“With this new logging system, it’s gonna be much easier to provide concrete proof,” Pokhrel said. “Students won’t be overworking as well. They’ll be working under that 20-hour limit. So I definitely think it’s a step in the right direction.” 

RAs and Student Senate are set to meet with Assistant Vice President and Dean of Residence Life and Auxiliary Services Mark Zeno and Associate Dean of Students Thom Julian next week to discuss this policy and consider potential solutions. 

“Getting to know the ResLife staff over the last three years, I can vouch for their integrity,” Dillion said. “They care about us as RAs and through past contentious issues, it has always been resolved. I don’t think this is any different.”

Before this change, Oberlin RAs were paid via a biweekly stipend system, which required no formal reporting of hours. Their contracts assumed work hours ranged between 10 and 20 hours per week, depending on workload fluctuations. 

The Oberlin Office of Residence Life was unable to provide comment for this piece.