Resident Assistant recruitment begins soon
October 18, 2011
October 17: Applications to become an RA will be posted on the Residence Services website.
October 18: The first informational meeting is at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Center governance chambers.
Resident assistant recruitment for next fall is just around the corner.
The recruitment committee, which is made up of resident hall directors from each hall, met this month to discuss plans for the RA selection process.
“We want the applicants to get a clear picture of what it’s like to be an RA,” said Semone Danage, resident hall director for Leebrick Hall and Korb Hall. “We want everyone to be successful and well-prepared.”
To become an RA, students must attend an informational meeting and apply. If accepted, they must attend activity sessions and leadership in student affairs meetings.
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An integral part of becoming an RA is communicating with residents, Danage said. These sessions help assess applicants’ ability to handle certain situations and help educate them on proper protocol and hall conduct.
Students are observed and evaluated over the course of two semesters during these sessions.
“When you enter the hire pool, you are not automatically selected to be an RA,” said Laura De’Armond, resident hall director for Stopher Hall.
“We train the potential new hires first, so that when we select the RAs at the end of spring semester, they won’t enter fall semester not having any experience,” she said.
RAs have a variety of responsibilities ranging from planning community builders to nightly rounds. Their main responsibility is to create a sense of community in their respective halls.
“It’s important for the RAs to get to know the residents on his or her floor,” De’Armond said. “Establishing a community is imperative, especially for the freshmen.”
The advantages of being an RA go beyond free room and board.
“You develop excellent people skills and learn how to be professional and a leader in every setting, which are vital skills that you need in the workplace,” De’Armond said.
“The main challenge of being an RA is time management. You have to plan out every aspect of your life, academically and socially,” Danage said.
“It’s much different than any other job or doing an extracurricular activity because you are working where you live under the eye of the residents and hall directors. It’s a balancing act.”
Contact Whitney Gibson at [email protected].
