The idea of monitoring students for academic or social troubles is a smart one.

In an era where campus shootings happen more frequently and the perpetrator always had “warning signs” that could have been caught, a check up system seems to be a smart safety decision. That is, unless those responsible for such checks are fellow students, a practice that Residence Life has adopted this year, according to a March 1 Kernel article.

Yes, resident advisers are supposed to be more responsible students and people. They receive plenty of training for a variety of potential events and spend a lot of time sharpening those abilities. But clinical psychology isn’t one of them.

According to the article, RAs are expected to meet with their residents three times a semester, asking a series of questions to determine if the residents are at risk — socially or academically. The RAs then fill out a survey after each discussion and turn it into ResLife.

But allowing a peer to judge someone and then rank them, one to five, on certain things isn’t the best idea. It’s not uncommon for an RA and one of their residents to be at odds for various reasons. Other RAs are only interested in the free room and board and aren’t really focused on the details that would need to be accounted for.

Remember, despite training, RAs are still 19- to 24-year-olds who may not be any more responsible than the students they supervise.  What student is to judge whether someone’s preferred social activity is demonstrating at-risk behavior. Some people are homebodies, others are social butterflies. Putting another student in a position to judge those behaviors is a risky proposal.

“I would prefer if my RA didn’t rate me on my social behavior,” Harrison Martin, a physics freshman, said in the Kernel article. “If my grades weren’t up to par, then they could help me get a tutor or show me where to go for help, but as far as my social habits, they should stay out of my business.”

Good idea ResLife, but trained professionals, not fellow students, should be the ones implementing and filling out these surveys.