The RA Position

The Resident Assistant (RA) is a staff member of the Office for Residence Life and the University. He/she reports to the Head Resident in his/her hall and the Area Coordinator for his/her area. In addition to the specific job responsibilities listed below, the RA is expected to possess a positive attitude which embraces the philosophies, mission, policies and procedures of Residence Life. In addition, staff members are expected to exercise good use of personal judgment to protect his/her credibility in the eyes of others which is critical to his/her ability to perform this job.

Community Development

• Develops a sense of unity among residents by facilitating the development of relationships among residents
• Creates a friendly, respectful and considerate environment among the residents on the floor

Relationships with Residents

• Establishes relationships with all residents of the floor and demonstrates availability and approachability to residents
• Is aware of attitudes, possible adjustment problems and behavioral patterns of residents

Community Builders

• Assesses the interests and needs of his/her residents and plans and implements Community Builders appropriately in the areas of Intellectual, Personal & Emotional, Social, Spiritual & Moral, Cultural, Awareness, and Physical development

Counseling

• Meets with residents who are experiencing concerns (roommate conflicts, personal issues, etc.) and refers them to the appropriate resource for assistance as necessary

Policy Enforcement

• Confronts inappropriate behavior in an objective, consistent and respectful manner providing rationale for policies
• Follows up with students who have violated policy

Duty Responsibilities

• Completes duty rounds and/or desk duty of the building to promote the safety and security of the community as assigned

Staff Dynamics

• Participates in staff meetings, training workshops, in-services, etc.
• Establishes effective working relationships and works collaboratively with fellow staff members
• Acts as a team player by compromising for the good of the staff as appropriate
• Gives and receives constructive feedback regarding job performance

Administrative

• Submits paperwork timely and completely (LE plans and reports, duty logs, weekly reports, incident/personal concern reports, maintenance requests, etc.)
• Attends building, area and other Residence Life meetings
• Maintains open communication with Head Resident and Area Coordinator
• Assists with the opening and closing of the residence halls at the beginning and end of the year as well as break periods
• Follows through on all tasks delegated to him/her
• Budgets time and balances activities effectively

Requirements

Due to the demanding nature of the RA position and the time commitment involved, the Office for Residence Life expects that those persons hired as Resident Assistants maintain the following:

• A 2.5 Cumulative Grade Point Average
• Undergraduates may not carry a course load in excess of eighteen credit hours or less than twelve credits per semester/ graduate staff may not exceed a maximum academic load of twelve credit hours; and Law students are limited to a maximum course load of fifteen hours.
• Staff are not permitted to hold other compensatory positions while employed by Residence Life. In cases of financial need, individuals may request consideration from their Area Coordinator and the Assistant Director for Training and Development to accept additional on-campus employment. Off-campus employment is subject to the same approval.
• Staff participation in internships or assistantships is subject to their performance. Staff members interested in participating in an internship or assistantship should communicate their interest with Residence Life immediately to discuss proper protocols. Candidates who have a student teaching seminar as part of their curriculum should discuss this with the Office for Residence Life prior to applying.
• Staff members are expected to seek approval from their Coordinator before accepting officer or chairperson status in any campus organization or activity to insure that full consideration has been given to the potential impact of participation in their Residence Life responsibilities.
• Because of the academic demands inherent to graduate study, staff members enrolled in graduate programs must agree to the following limitations:
  • Graduate assistantships may not exceed 20 hours per week
  • First-year Law students may not be a Head Resident or a Resident Assistant

Time Commitment

All Resident Assistant staff are expected to report to campus at least one week prior to the opening of the residence halls, to remain on campus until the last scheduled class before break periods begin, and to complete duties through Commencement.

Financial Aid

All students currently receiving financial aid and who intend on making an application should consult with a counselor in the Financial Assistance office to determine the impact a Resident Assistant position may have on their financial aid package.

Eligibility

All undergraduate Sophomore, Junior and Seniors and Graduate and Professional School students are eligible to apply. Freshmen students are eligible to apply for the RA Mentor Program.

Compensation

Resident Assistants are generally hired for the academic year (9 months) and compensation is in the form of an internal room waiver and an Alternative meal plan. Please note that Resident Assistants in the West Campus Apartments are compensated with an internal room waiver and a 5-meal/week meal plan. Consistent with IRS regulations, this compensation is not reported by Villanova University as taxable income.