Resident Assistant Job Description

Statement of Purpose

Reporting directly to the Residence Hall Coordinator (RHC) or the Graduate Hall Director (GHD), the Resident Assistant (RA) is an essential member of the Residence Life & Housing (RLH) team. RLH staff members strive to partner with residents to create inclusive communities that enhance and support students’ overall college experience. RAs are responsible for after-hours coverage and respond to the needs of students who reside in the residence halls. General responsibilities include maintenance of a safe and secure environment for resident students, response to student and facility needs, development of community and completion of associated administrative responsibilities. This is a live-in position and RAs are required to reside in their assigned Resident Assistant room. This position requires work during breaks and holidays.

RAs are members of the University of Delaware and reflect institutional standards. As such, RAs must abide by all university policies and state, federal and local laws, both on and off campus throughout the duration of their appointment. RAs are expected to never engage in activities on or off campus that jeopardize their credibility as staff members or activities that make the University legally vulnerable.

Specific Responsibilities

Active Engagement with Students

• Be committed to student success. Implement strategies to get to know your residents and make yourself available to them.
• Meet regularly on an individual basis with residents on your floor throughout the year and help them identify their strengths, apply those strengths to involvement opportunities and set and reach their goals.
• Develop opportunities for individuals to contribute their unique talents, skills and perspectives to the floor community.
• Encourage student participation in RLH initiatives such as NET, Student Initiated Programs and other related programs, University sponsored programs, student organizations and other activities that support the mission of the University.
• Discuss and address students' concerns and problems, both individually and in groups. Initiate discussions about individual and group dynamics before issues manifest.
• Serve as an informed source of knowledge and referral resource to students regarding specific campus resources important to the student population of your assigned community as identified in the program plan.
• Facilitate community building through the active support of and engagement with University of Delaware spirit and pride activities.
• Assist students as they develop active listening skills, the ability to understand the perspectives of others and individual responsibility.
• Work as a member of staff team to support out-of-class learning opportunities.

Leadership

• Assume ownership of your community. Work to build an inclusive community and assist students in engaging with one another and learning from commonalities, differences, and diverse ways of thinking.
• Be accessible to residents at various times throughout the day, including most nights and some weekends.
• Assist students in establishing and maintaining an environment that is conducive to academic success while supporting campus-wide opportunities that promote the development of academic success strategies.
• Work with floor members to build communication skills and engage in goal setting for the floor/area and individual rooms by facilitating the completion of community expectations and roommate agreements.
• Implement on-going community meetings that keep residents informed of necessary information and 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 take ownership of their community and advocate for their needs. This includes confronting excessive noise to promoting a quiet atmosphere for academic study.
• Develop floor environments that respect the rights and privacy of each resident.
• Participate in the duty rotation for your area, both weekends and weekdays. Frequency of duty days is specific to each area. Standard weekday duty hours are 7 p.m.–7 a.m., and weekend duty is 24 hours. These hours include office coverage, as well as being available in the building. 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 Residence Hall Coordinator 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 University Policies.
• Inform and update the Residence Hall Coordinator and other professional staff as appropriate 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 asynchronous online modules over the summer, August training, mid-year training, on-going development programs, staff meetings, staff retreats and other meetings as required. Please note that many of these sessions occur at night or on weekends.
• Be actively engaged in understanding yourself and understanding others. This includes promoting and actively participating in university opportunities designed to increase understanding of the perspectives of 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 standard weekly staff meetings on Wednesdays at 7:30–9:00 p.m., and individual supervision meetings. Seek feedback and development opportunities to enhance your effectiveness as a Resident Assistant.
• 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. This includes completing all required administrative tasks in a timely and accurate manner, promptly posting signs, regularly updating bulletin boards and identifying and reporting maintenance concerns in common areas.
• Assume duties in opening and closing of residence halls at the beginning and the end of each semester, during fall and spring break periods and during Winter Session.
• 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 Residence Hall Coordinator or other Residence Life & Housing staff members.

Academic Standing

• Resident Assistants are expected to maintain a cumulative and semester grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
  • A semester GPA below the expectation may result in employment probation or termination.
  • A cumulative GPA below the expectation will result in termination.
• Any grade changes from the spring semester prior to employment must be completed by July 1 or the next business day to be eligible for employment in the upcoming academic year.
• Resident Assistants must be enrolled as a full-time student (12 credits) for each semester.
• The Director of Residential Communities or their designee must approve any exceptions.

Conduct Standing

• Resident Assistants are expected to remain in good disciplinary standing (i.e., may not have a current conduct sanction, such as a warning or probation).
• Should a report be filed indicating a possible violation of the Undergraduate Student Housing Contract and/or Code of Conduct, the Resident Assistant may be placed on administrative leave until the student conduct and employment review processes have concluded.
• Any Code of Conduct infractions will be considered prior to offer of appointment. Any infractions that occurred within twelve months prior to the start of appointment or active sanctions could deem a candidate ineligible.

Hiring Qualifications

• Resident Assistants must have completed a minimum of 24 credits by the start of appointment and have a minimum 2.5 semester and cumulative GPA.
• Any Code of Conduct infractions will be considered prior to offer of appointment. Any infractions that occurred within twelve months prior to the start of appointment or active sanctions could deem a candidate ineligible.
• Positions are only open to students enrolled in the undergraduate colleges of the University of Delaware. All staff members must be fully matriculated in a degree-granting program.  Continuing education students and graduate students are not eligible for RA appointment.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to repeatedly stand, walk, bend, and stretch.
• May be required to sit at a desk and work on a computer for prolonged periods.
• Prolonged periods (up to 12 hours) of standing and moving in accordance with RLH events and training.
• Sufficient vision and hearing ability to observe and communicate verbally and in writing with students.

Compensation Package

• Compensation for RAs includes a room fee waiver and a stipend. The stipend for a first-year RA in 2025–2026 will be approximately $700 a month. Stipends increase with each year of service (up to a maximum of 3 years) for staff members that are allowed to return to the position. Stipend increases will happen in the fall semester each year.
• If you currently receive financial aid, you should be aware that securing appointment as a Resident Assistant may affect your financial aid package. You should contact Student Financial Services to determine the specific impact this position may have on you.

Assignments

RAs are assigned to specific residence halls based on several factors including staffing needs, candidate strengths and the needs of the student population.  Your placement is non-negotiable. The department can move you based on need.

Notice of Non-Discrimination, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status,  disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies and scholarship and loan programs, as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with  Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence. 

For inquiries or complaints related to non-discrimination policies, please contact: 

Kate Buchkoski, Ph.D.
Director, Civil Rights and Title IX, VP & General Counsel
302-831-8063
kbuchko@udel.edu

For complaints related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact: 
Elizabeth Reed
Director, Office of Disability Support Services 
Alison Hall, Suite 130 
Newark, DE 19716 
302-831-4643 
ecreed@udel.edu

OR contact the U.S. Department of Education - Office for Civil Rights