Resident Assistant Job Description
Residence Life staff members strive to partner with residents to create inclusive communities that enhance and support the students’ overall college experience. A successful RA candidate will be committed to actively engaging with students and building positive living-learning communities within the residence halls, should meet all the specifics of the conditions of employment, and should possess the following characteristics:
- Be committed to creating inclusive communities where all individuals can reach their potential emotionally, socially, intellectually, physically, and culturally.
- Be willing to encourage residents to act as positive community members.
- Be curious about themselves and others.
- Be able to connect with residents genuinely and significantly.
Overview of the Position:
Resident Assistants are valued members of the Office of Residence Life staff. They work in a team environment with other Resident Assistants on their building and complex staff. They receive direct supervision from a Hall Director and Complex Coordinator.
Resident Assistants will often work closely with and receive guidance and direction from the Assistant Directors for Residence Life, the Associate Directors of Residence Life and the Director of Residence Life. All team members are encouraged to develop professional relationships and communicate with people throughout the department.
Resident Assistants are expected to demonstrate positive personal, academic, and job-related behaviors at all times.
Resident Assistants can and do influence responsible behavior that benefits individual students and the whole residence hall community by:
- Getting to know their residents and developing positive and caring personal and community relationships.
- Taking a caring approach in interactions with community members.
- Helping residents understand their rights and responsibilities as good citizens by explaining, abiding by and enforcing policies and procedures.
Specific Job Responsibilities:
Active Engagement with Students:
- Be committed to student success. Be available to and get to know your residents.
- Have conversations with the residents on your floor at the beginning of the year and with new students as they join the floor community. Maintain positive peer-leader relationships and support the goals of your residents. Develop opportunities for individuals to contribute to the floor community.
- Discuss and address students' concerns and problems, both individually and in groups. Initiate discussions about individual and group dynamics before issues manifest. When appropriate, refer students to the support services available on campus such as: Academic Services, Student Services building, Student Health Service, Counseling Center, and others.
- Be accessible to residents at various times throughout the day, including most nights and some weekends.
- Assist students as they develop the interpersonal skills and individual responsibility.
- Encourage student participation in Complex Community Councils, University sponsored programs, student organizations and other activities that support the mission of the University.
- Work as a member of staff team to support out-of-class learning opportunities.
Leadership:
- Build an inclusive community by promoting an appreciation for diversity and diverse ways of thinking.
- Assist students in establishing and maintaining an environment that will be conducive to studying while supporting campus-wide opportunities that promote the development of study skills.
- Work with floor members in goal setting for the floor/area by facilitating the establishment of community expectations through a community agreement process.
- Implement on-going community meetings that keep residents informed of necessary information, upcoming events and engage residents in meaningful, group-building activities.
- Be a visible, positive and active community member on the floor, in the building and in the complex.
Student Behavior and Crisis Response:
- Encourage students to confront excessive noise to promote a quiet atmosphere for academic study. Develop floor environments that respect the rights and privacy of each individual.
- Participate in the duty rotation for your area, both weekends and weekdays. Frequency of duty days is specific to each area. Duty hours are from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. These hours include office coverage as well as being available in the building/complex. RAs should also utilize this time to interact with community members throughout the building/area.
- Inform students about Residence Hall Regulations and Code of Conduct policies. Confront students who violate policies. Follow up with students and the Hall Director as necessary.
- Attend Administrative Hearings and serve as the Presenting Party for incidents you document.
- Read and be familiar with all matters in the Student Guide to Policies.
- Inform and update the Hall Director and Complex Coordinator of any important floor/building occurrences and of students with possible emotional, physical and/or mental health concerns.
- Carry out responsibilities and maintain composure in emergency and other crisis situations.
Professional Development and Training:
- Attend and contribute to all development and training programs including August training, mid-year training, on-going development programs, complex meetings, complex retreats, UNIV 320, as well as other meetings as required. Please note that some of these sessions usually occur at night or on weekends.
- Maintain an active engagement toward understanding yourself and understanding others.
- Establish and maintain a positive and supportive working relationship with your supervisor and other members of your staff team.
- Attend and participate in all weekly staff meetings and individual supervision meetings. Seek out feedback and development opportunities to enhance your effectiveness as an RA
- Participate in the selection processes for staff members at all levels.
Administrative Duties:
- Execute administrative functions of the position so that colleagues and students can maximize their ability to benefit from the living-learning environment created. This includes completing all required paperwork in a timely and accurate manner, promptly posting signs and regularly changing bulletin boards, and identifying and reporting maintenance concerns in common areas.
- Assist in opening and closing residence halls at the beginning and end of each semester as well as during vacation periods.
- Distribute U.S. and Campus Mail on a scheduled rotation. Mail is distributed daily; however frequency of mail duty for individual RAs is specific to each area.
- Assume additional responsibilities as assigned by the Hall Director, Complex Coordinator or other Residence Life professionals.
Compensation:
Current compensation for RAs includes a room fee waiver, and a stipend. The stipend for a first year RA in 2008-2009 is $3,653. Stipends increase each year (up to a maximum of 3 years) for staff members that are allowed to return to the position.
If you currently receive financial aid, you should be aware that securing employment as a Resident Assistant may affect your financial aid package. You should contact the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid to determine the specific impact this may have on you.
Assignments:
RAs are assigned to specific residence complex staffs based on a number of factors including staffing needs, candidate strengths, and the needs of the student population; however, individual preferences are also taken into consideration.
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