Resident Advisors

The Resident Advisor (RA) is crucial to the Office of Housing and Residential/Commuter Life program since this position maintains the closest and most enduring contact with residents. RAs are live-in staff members who promote individual growth and a sense of community within the floor(s), the residence hall, and the University. RAs plan and implement programs and enforce policies for the University. It is expected that any RA is sincerely interested in the welfare of students and of the University.

Qualifications

• Maturity, self-reliance, self-awareness, motivation, initiative, responsibility, self-esteem, and integrity.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Leadership and peer mentor potential.
• Good conduct and financial standing with the University.
• Ability to work within and contribute to a team.
• Good academic standing with the University (maintain a minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA; semester GPA doesn’t fall below 2.25 for two consecutive semesters).
•  Full-time University of New England student status.

Terms of Employment

• The period of employment is for the entire academic year, beginning with Fall Training and ending with closing the halls following Commencement.
• The period of employment is contingent upon successful completion of tasks, positive written/oral evaluations, and exhibition of growth in the position.
• Staff may be required to remain on campus during special weekends; hall openings and closings; and Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks for additional coverage.

Time Commitments

• The live-in nature of this job is not easily translated into hours worked per day or week. As a representative of the Office of Housing and Residential/Commuter Life, an RA should spend a healthy amount of time in the residence hall, this can be discussed with the RA’s direct supervisor. This time commitment is especially important on evenings and weekends.
• RAs are regularly scheduled for duty. Duty is defined as touring one or more buildings, greeting residents, assessing building conditions, intervening with residents around health/safety concerns and policy violations.
• RAs are required to attend a number of meetings including — but not limited to — area staff meetings; committee meetings; and in-services, and one-on-one meetings with direct supervisors. Absences must be excused by the RA’s direct supervisor or senior housing official.
• The overriding philosophy of the department is that, when one accepts the RA position, it becomes one’s priority, second only to academics. The following guidelines outline RA expectations with regards to activity outside the RA position.
  • If staff members wish to participate on an intercollegiate athletic team, they are welcome to do so with the following understandings:
    • May play only one sport in an academic year.
    • Are responsible to attend all required staff training.
    • Are responsible to coordinate “duty” around practice and game schedules; if a conflict exists and no replacement can be found, the first priority of the staff member is to the position.
    • May not hold off-campus employment while “in season”.
    • May not hold an office in a club or organization while “in season”.
  • The staff member’s direct supervisor must approve all other outside commitments. Approval is contingent upon the staff member’s performance and will be reviewed regularly. In total, co-curricular (clubs, organizations, athletics, leadership, campus committees, work study, etc.) and off-campus commitments (employment, volunteer/service opportunities, other memberships, etc. ) shoaled not exceed 20 hours.

Responsibilities

Each RA is expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. An RA is also expected to assist in developing an environment conducive to students’ academic and personal growth. 

Relationship With Students

• RA strives to help each resident develop fully as a person, student, and community member.  As peer mentors, role models, resource agents, and community members, RAs will demonstrate concern for the health, safety, and rights of all residential students.  RAs are expected to:
• Be strong role models for all residents in both academic and personal behavior.
• Show and express interest in each student assigned to their floor(s).
• Recognize their counseling skills (and limitations) and consult with the respective supervisor or senior housing officer about all problems that may arise with individuals and/or within the residence hall.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality with residents while working with an Area Coordinator or senior housing official.
• Know how to utilize the services of campus referral agencies, such as the Counseling Center, Career Services, the Health Center, Student Activities and Organizations, Title IX, Financial Aid, Office of Intercultural Student Engagement, and Security Office.
• Avoid intimate relationships with students who live in the same hall. If such a relationship begins to develop, the RA should talk to their supervisor to determine an appropriate response.

Student Conduct

RAs maintain an atmosphere conducive to studying and enforce all University and departmental policies throughout the residence halls. It is important for RAs to impress upon residents that they are responsible for their own actions. Specifically, RAs are expected to:

• Know existing University and residence hall policies and the procedures for handling policy violations.
• Adhere to all University and residence hall policies and regulations.
• Approach students educationally when dealing with discipline situations.
• Consistently enforce community standards outlined through training

Administration

RAs will be called upon to perform administrative tasks which are important to the operation of their residence halls. Specifically, Resident Advisors are expected to:

• Complete duty logs, Incident Report forms, Student Interactions, check-in/check-out Room Condition Reports and acknowledgments, and all other administrative tasks thoroughly, accurately, and on time.
• Post all current notices and communications from the Office of Housing and Residential/Commuter Life, Student Affairs, or other authorized offices or groups.
• Identify facilities in need of cleaning or repair and report work orders to Facilities Management.
• Work with Security to identify and report safety concerns in the halls or around campus.
• Assist in the Resident Advisor selection and training processes as requested.
• Check staff mailbox daily.

Communication

Resident Advisors play a crucial role in how the residence halls are perceived by students and the public.  As representatives of the University, RAs are expected to communicate any suggestions, ideas, or criticism to an Area Coordinator or senior housing official.

• Keep the direct supervisor apprised of situations in the hall and appropriate personal concerns.
• Keep fellow staff members apprised of situations in the hall and appropriate personal concerns when appropriate.
• Hold regular floor meetings, communicate University policies and procedures, and communicate campus activities/programs to students.

On-Duty Definitions

Because of the variety of interpretations of what it means to be "on-duty,” the following expectations of what "duty" entails have been established:

• The scheduled on-duty RA is the first person contacted when a staff member is needed unless a specific staff member is required to respond.
• An on-duty RA is required to be in their hall from 9:00 p.m. the evening of assigned duty to 8:00 a.m. the following day.
• Additionally, on Saturday and Sunday, RA duty partners will be split between two half-day “soft duty” shifts from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. and 3–9 p.m. as well.
• There will be RA duty partners on Fridays and Saturdays, completing duty rounds for one or two buildings.
• The on-duty RA(s) must conduct at least one round per hour of the building(s) on Sunday through Thursday from 9 p.m.–12 a.m. (midnight) and Friday through Saturday from 9 p.m.–1 a.m.
• If an RA cannot fulfill their duty requirements, they must make arrangements for coverage by another staff member, obtain approval from their direct supervisor who will update the duty calendar, and note the change on their door. 

On-Duty Responsibilities

An RA is technically on duty any time they are in the hall. If needed for an emergency or any reason, the RA is expected to respond. Scheduled duty nights will consist of the following responsibilities:

• Assist residents as required.
• Respond to emergencies.
• Brief other Resident Advisors about events/incidents occurring on their floors or in the halls.
• Notify appropriate persons in an emergency, as described by the Emergency Procedures.
• Make rounds throughout the residence hall(s).
• Assume other responsibilities as assigned by an Area Coordinator of senior housing official.

Programming

To help create an environment conducive to academic and personal growth, each RA will fulfill the following programming requirements in alignment with the department’s Community Development Model:

• Work with your hall staff and supervisor to develop a programming plan to meet the unique needs of your residence hall community.
• Coordinate, facilitate, and/or present programs to implement the programming plan, including those programs specific to the floors needs.
• Encourage students to participate in and contribute to hall and floor programs.
• Regularly plan floor activities to build a strong floor community and provide social opportunities. Floor activities are small-scale events that do not take as much advance planning as programs.
• Keep floor bulletin board(s) current and attractive, and do one bulletin board per month, (to be coordinated by the Area Coordinator).
• Complete programming tracking paperwork as required by your supervisor.

Professional Ethics and Confidentiality

• The RA is an example to the students and is expected to adhere to all rules and regulations. Practically and ethically, the RA must reinforce what they teach as role models to the students.
• The RA’s own behavior and handling of situations can enhance or destroy rapport and respect among students.
• The RA should never discuss a student's problem with other students or with a staff member where he/she may be overheard by another student, including the dining hall.
• Concerns or complaints regarding operations and procedures should be discussed with the RAs direct supervisor and not directed to residents or other staff members.
• The RA should never give a blanket promise of confidentiality, certain legal or ethical information must be shared with appropriate staff members. Confidentiality is handled with the highest possible commitment. An RA should always refer students to the appropriate campus resource.

Sub-Master Keys

A set of sub-master keys is assigned to each building. It is extremely important that the keys not be misused; the master key represents trust, security, and privacy to each resident in your building. The rules below must be followed by RAs at all times:

• Do not carry the building sub-master on your regular key ring. The sub-master should remain in the lockbox located in a closet of each building. This key is not to leave the residence hall.
• The sub-master key should never leave the RA’s possession while in use. The RA should be aware of the key’s location at all times and be able to present it to a Housing staff member if requested. The master key must be returned to the lockbox immediately following its use.
• Never enter a room without a student's knowledge.  Room entry is only conducted or approved by an Area Coordinator of senior housing official or law enforcement official for emergency situations or with justifiable cause.
• Abuse, misuse, or loss of the sub-master or master key is grounds for termination.

Terms of the Resident Advisor job description are subject to change at the discretion of the director of Housing and Residential/Commuter Life. Changes will be communicated in writing to all staff.