Position overview:

Resident Advisor (RA) is one of the live-in student positions that make up Residence Life staff who work within the residential communities. One of the key responsibilities of a Resident Advisor is Community Building through intentional engagement with residents while maintaining safety and security for all. Community Building involves getting to know residents well both individually and collectively. Resident Advisors (RAs) are live-in, part-time, student staff members in residence halls and apartments. Resident Advisors play an important role in Housing & Residential Life and are a vital resource for many members of the campus community. The primary responsibilities of the position are community development and student success initiatives, incident response, on-duty coverage, role modeling and leadership, and administrative functions.

The RA position is part-time. RAs will work on average 20 hours per week during the academic year and 40 hours per week during each of the pre-semester training/residence hall and apartment move-in weeks. Over the course of an academic year, the position averages out to 20 hours per week.  However, some periods of time will require greater staffing demands (such as move-in, move-out, special activities, significant building or campus crisis, etc.) and staff are expected to be available and respond as needed.

Click here to sign up. The application closes Sunday, January 6, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

Informational sessions:

Date and time:	Location:
Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 7 p.m.	Towers Residential Suites living room Hosted by: Chatsworth Suites & Towers Residential Suites
Monday, November 25, 2024, 7 p.m.	Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments South community room Hosted by: Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments & Ghafari Hall
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 6 p.m.	The Thompson Home community room Hosted by: The Thompson & University Tower
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 5 p.m.	Virtual: Zoom
Friday, December 6, 2024, 1 p.m.	Virtual: Zoom
Monday, January 6, 2025, 8 p.m.	Virtual: Zoom

Time commitment:

The Resident Advisor term of appointment is one full academic year (consecutive Fall and Winter Semesters, approximately 9 months). The contract period includes all pre-semester training periods. All RA staff are required to be in-residence and to participate fully in all training and operational activities, which commence prior to the opening of the residence halls and apartments for both Fall and Winter semesters. RAs will receive compensation as outlined in the RA Collective Bargaining Agreement, if applicable, or other written agreement with the University.

• To remain in compliance with University policy on student employment, RAs are not permitted to hold any other paid position on campus.
• RAs are permitted to have other volunteer positions on campus that do not interfere with your RA responsibilities.
• Graduate, teaching, or research assistants equaling 20 hours per week are not eligible for this position due to University work hour restrictions. Due to heavy academic requirements, pharmacy, medical, and L1 law students are not eligible to be RAs.

Responsibilities:

• Build connections, both individually and collectively, in the residential community by planning and implementing intentional in-person and virtual social interactions and educational programming. 
• Demonstrate consistent availability and accessibility to residents. This includes meeting with and building connections among residents on a regular basis.
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion by striving to create an understanding and inclusive community where individuals have a sense of belonging. 
• Collaborate with other Residence Life staff and campus partners to build community and address concerns.
• Assess and respond to the needs of residents through community engagement, connecting them to campus resources and informing the Leadership Team of residents’ needs.
• Respond to student concerns and critical incidents while being supported by full-time staff.
• Meet on-call responsibilities by serving in an on-call duty rotation as designated by the Community Director. Duty hours are overnight. 
• Maintain timely communication with full-time staff, Residence Life staff, and community members and complete administrative responsibilities of the role within expected timeframe.
• Maintain the Community Living Guide standards by addressing and documenting concerns, while modeling personal behavior that is consistent with the Community Living Guide, Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and all institutional, state and federal laws or guidance.
• Attend and participate in mandatory one-on-one or small group check-in meetings with supervisor and weekly team meetings.
• Participate in August and January training, in addition to any in-service(s) throughout the semester, to learn critical topics to support residents and build relationships with fellow staff members and full-time staff. 

Eligibility

• Attend a Resident Advisor informational session.
• Complete an application.
• Must complete and sign a housing license agreement for the academic year in which a student is employed.
• Must maintain full-time undergraduate (12 credit hours)/graduate (8 credit hours) student status with a cumulative and semester GPA of 2.75 for undergraduates or 3.0 for graduates for the duration of employment beginning of selection as an RA.
• Obtain at least 24 credits by the end of the Fall/Winter semester prior to appointment.
• Commit one full academic year to the position.
• Have good financial standing with the university and the Office of Housing & Residential Life.
• Applicants must not be on disciplinary probation through the Dean of Students Office or on housing probation through the Office of Housing & Residential Life.
• No prior on-campus living experience is required.
• Applications are due no later than Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

If you have any questions regarding the Resident Advisor positions or the selection process, please email WSU RA Selection. 

Supervision:

• Community Directors directly supervise the Resident Advisors. Community Directors are full-time staff who are supervised by the Associate Directors of Residence Life.

Compensation:

• Room and board waiver for employment period. [Single room with a choice of a meal plan]. Additional meal compensation may be provided during break periods. 
• Cable and internet are provided to RAs and to all campus residents. All other related costs are the responsibility of the RA.  
• RAs are assigned to one room for the duration of their appointment.

 

Application process:

Date and time:	Location:
Fall semester	Recruitment/information sessions
February 3-7, 2025	Interviews
March 7, 2025	Decision Day

 

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I apply?

Applications are only open at a specific time. We have many great applicants and often have alternate pools for the position to select from throughout the year.

I got offered the position. What do I do now?

Human resources will begin processing your assignment. You must complete a background check and new-hire paperwork if you are new to the university and are international but receive a Work Authorization Request from the Office of International Student Services. NOTE: Information for international hires needs clarification!

If I have another event scheduled during the training session, am I allowed to miss it?

Training is MANDATORY, and there are only exceptions made with academic commitments.

Can I work in a different building from where I live?

No, Resident Advisors live in the building in which they work and do not have the ability to choose their placement.