House Director FAQs
No, the start and end dates are firm. HDs work remotely May 26 - June 6. HDs arrive for in-person work June 7 - August 16.
We recognize the importance of travel assistance and balance that with University finance policies. Therefore, we added a travel assistance cost to the overall salary.
Each HD is assigned a population (high school or university level) and a community or residence hall. The HD is provided a private room within their assigned community. Often, this room is a traditional single residence hall room with access to a community-style bathroom. Rooms have a bed with mattress, chest of drawers, wardrobe, desk, and chair. During the first in-person week of training beginning June 7, and prior to moving into the assigned residence on campus, hotel lodging will be provided.
HDs can expect regular one-on-one meetings with their direct supervisor, socials with Summer Session professional staff, and professional development sessions with various Stanford administrators. Throughout their employment, HDs are supported and challenged to develop their skills and competencies by working on a team, addressing community needs, supervising a team, responding to crisis, managing events, and adhering to financial policy. HDs are formally evaluated at the end of the position.
Every day is different. Some days are busier than others. Some activities that are not captured here include attending or shopping for programs, fielding on-call questions or responding to crises, meetings with supervisors, professional development opportunities, serving on Summer Session conduct committees, attending off campus excursions, etc. Remember, HDs have one day off per week. Here's a sample day:
Monday
8am Wake up, get ready
9am Breakfast
10am Administrative tasks (for example - time card approvals, review residence hall program proposals, create shopping list, etc)
12pm Lunch
1pm HD Meeting (full HD team with ADs)
2pm Meeting with SRA
3pm Meeting with resident
4pm Gym, pool or walk
5pm Downtime (Start a 24-hr on-call shift)
6pm Dinner with another HD, planning upcoming large event
7pm Meeting prep (or downtime)
8pm House Meeting (or Staff Team Meeting - includes HD and their SRAs)
9pm Downtime
10pm Respond to on-call phone call
11pm Sleeping
12am Sleeping
2am Respond to student crisis
Yes. In fact, many HDs have a required summer course from their home institution. You’ll want to make sure that there are no conflicts with peak work times, such as training, Welcome Weekend, and regular evening commitments (e.g. house meeting, staff meeting, programs, etc.). Your course responsibilities may not conflict with your work responsibilities. You must discuss the course responsibilities with your supervisor within the first week of being hired and obtain approval in writing.
The summer is intense and short, so an HD shouldn’t expect multi-day vacations. However, it is important to take a break from work and time away when sick. HDs have a flexible work schedule with one day off per week. In the event of an emergency during the aforementioned scheduled time away, you may be contacted or expected to return. For more information on paid sick leave, please refer to Stanford’s Administrative Guide 2.1.22 (Sick Time for Temporary and Casual Staff Employees).
As exempt staff, House Directors are not eligible for overtime. HDs should expect to work between 40-50 hours per week.
Per Stanford Residential and Dining Enterprises policy, pets or live animals of any kind, including those housed in aquariums or terrariums, are prohibited in all university residences, unless they are a service animal or a support animal. Employees are responsible for initiating requests and cooperating in the interactive process for any desired disability-related workplace accommodations.
No, partners or spouses are not allowed to live with the House Director in their on-campus housing assignment. Guests are allowed in the residence halls and must be escorted by their host at all times. Overnight guests are not permitted in the HS residences.