Housing

Resident Assistant

• Community Development

  • Introduce and orient students to the residence hall and its services, facilities, staff, and functions.
  • Encourage a positive community living environment supportive of academic achievement.
  • Foster an environment that embraces diversity and celebrates differences within the community.
  • Communicate the importance of observing policies and procedures as expressed in the Student Handbook.
  • Recruit for and support the Residence Hall Leadership Council for the building.
  • Assist with Welcome Week activities as assigned.

• Student Learning Initiatives

  1. Facilitate student learning in the residence halls by implementing and reporting initiatives as outlined in the Residential Curriculum for the community. Residential Curriculum initiatives include the following:
     • Cat Connections – 2-3 per quarter (one on one purposeful interactions with each member of the community)
     • Self-Guided Learning Initiatives such as bulletin boards and newsletters
     • Floor Experiences such as team builders, floor meetings, roommate agreements, events
     • Hall/RHC Social Events and Programs
     • Living Learning Community Initiatives
  2. Understand the purpose of the residential curriculum and its connection to student success
  3. Read and implement lesson plans with a high ethic of care for students
  4. Use creative methods to make residential curriculum strategy facilitation appealing and relevant to residents
  5. Complete the required assessment at the conclusion of Roompact event form
  6. In collaboration with the RHC, assess the needs and interests of residents and plan 1-2 social events per quarter.
  7. Encourage participation in programming opportunities offered by other offices and departments on campus.
  8. Student staff who are placed in a Living Learning Community will be required to meet the following additional expectations:
     • Develop positive relationships with LLC Faculty/Staff.
     • Assess students’ needs and interests; actively encourage involvement in monthly Community Meetings, participation on the Advisory Board and being an RHLC LLC Representative.
     • Help develop a shared sense of belonging and a positive community atmosphere.
     • Assist with LLC responsibilities as determined by the RHC.
     • Attend and actively participate in Advisory Board meetings and LLC events.
     • Provide ideas for items to be included in monthly newsletter to the RHC and assist with distribution of the newsletter.
     • Use the Residential Curriculum Model to meet the goals and objectives of the LLC, create a sense of belonging and help integrate the LLC within the larger community of the hall. Including but not limited to other LLCs that may be within the same hall.

• Peer Advisor & Resource

  • Provide information to students concerning university resources, functions, and policies.
  • Build a rapport with residents to help facilitate open lines of communication for questions, problems, and concerns.
  • Ensure staff availability/visibility for the community, to provide a safety net, and to meet other student needs.
  • Maintain open and professional communication (verbal, written, and electronic) with supervisor, peers, other university officials, and residents. Check email, voicemail and daily, then respond within 1 business day.
  • Follow given directions to ensure proper procedure is followed.
  • Express a positive attitude about the position, the Residence Life Office, the department of Housing and Residence Life, and Central Washington University.
  • Serve as a positive presence in the residence hall community.

• Role Model

  • Adopt an attitude of continuous improvement and seek to create positive change.
  • Model behaviors consistent with the Residence Life mission, vision, and values.
  • Address and report any violations of university policy that are witnessed, including through social media, and remain consistent when dealing with policy violations, regardless of the audience.
  • Treat confidential information with sensitivity and integrity by following FERPA.
  • Refrain from posting information gathered from or related to the RA position to social media sites.
  • Encourage residents to exercise responsibility by addressing disruptive behavior and mediating conflict within the community.
  • Demonstrate awareness of and follow Chapter 42.52 Revised Code of Washington- Ethics in Public Service by modeling the CWU Wildcat Way.
  • Abide by all policies and procedures including all federal, state and local laws, Student Code of Conduct, Residence Hall Policies and Expectations, Housing and Residence Life policies, and supervisor expectations.
  • Prior to speaking to the media, the RA will request written permission from their RHC. Must be approved by Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life.
  • Maintain professional relationships with supervisor, peers, university officials, and residents.
  • Set and differentiate between the roles of a friend versus that of an RA while ensuring conflicts of interests. CWUP

• Administrative Work

  • Participate in data collection and survey response in accordance with departmental needs.
  • Utilize Roompact, Guardian, and The Housing Director as necessary to complete administrative tasks.
  • Assist the RHC with tasks related to effective building management (i.e., roommate agreements, audit rosters, key distribution, lockouts, room condition reports, and other items) assigned by the Residence Hall Coordinator.
  • Submit online Maintenance Requests whenever maintenance is necessary.
  • Assist with emergency evacuation drills once per quarter.
  • Review room safety inspection guidelines with residents and complete room safety inspections during closing.
  • Submit all completed reports on time.

FAQs

• What is the timeline of either earning this position or a rejection letter?

  RA and AM applications will open on February 5 and must be submitted by April 1. Invitations to interview will be sent in early April. Interviews will take place starting April 15, 2024. We anticipate making offers to candidates in early May 2024.

• What is the compensation?

  Compensation will be in the form of a room equivalent to the cost of a single room and board for the Meal Plan C during times when dining halls are regularly open and serving students, a stipend of $220 per month (gross) for the academic year (prorated based on start/end date), and a department staff t-shirt. (Room and board amounts are subject to change.) This will be a nine and one-half (9.5) month contract or in the case of summer a two and one-half (2.5) month contract. The position is considered, on average, a 20 hour per week student stipend/salaried position. The compensation is prorated evenly between the pay periods beginning with the September 1-15, 2024 pay period and ending with the last payroll period of June 1 – 15, 2025.

• Can I apply for the Resident Assistant and Apartment Manager positions?

  Yes, you are welcome to apply for both positions. Interviews are held for apartment managers first and then residents assistants.

• When would RAs need to move in by once selected?

  Student staff will move in to the residence halls in early September for RA training prior to the start of the Fall 2024 quarter.

• When would training be, and what would it look like?

  Training will take place in early September 2024 and will then include move-in weekend, September 16 – 21, 2024. Training will be a combination of online and in-person sessions. It is expected that student staff are on campus and in training sessions from early September through the start of the fall quarter, including weekends.

• What does day-to-day life look like for an RA?

  Day-to-day life for a student staff member includes having conversations with residents, completing administrative work, mediating conflict, managing crises/emergencies, being on duty, and attending meetings with your supervisor, staff team, and the residence life department. Each day will look different and certain times of year will have more work than others. The best way to find out more is to talk with your RA. Some parts of your work are scheduled for you and some are based on your preferences and schedule.

• What does the time commitment look like?

  The RA position is an average of 20 hours a week. That means that during certain parts of the year you might work more than 20 hours and during other parts you will work less. There are required/scheduled meetings and work responsibilities you will have and there are parts of your work that you will schedule based on your preferences and availability.

• Are RAs allowed to partake in school activities, like sports?

  Student staff must not be student teaching, have a full-time internship, pre-autumn teaching, participating in a theatre production, or on a varsity sports team. Such programs cause a significant impact on student availability and capacity to meet requirements of the position.

  However, many RAs enjoy participating in student clubs and organizations and in intramural sports activities.

• Can RAs hold other student jobs on campus if the hours are minimal?

  RAs are not permitted to hold other on campus employment. The maximum number of hours a fully enrolled student may work is 20 hours. Because the RA position is 20 hours a week, student staff may not work an additional on-campus job.

• What is the most time-consuming part of an RAs job?

  This likely depends on the time management and prioritization skills of the student staff member. I would encourage folks to talk with their RA about their answer to this question.

• How often do RAs meet with each other?

  Student staff will meet with their supervisor for a one-on-one once a week and have a weekly staff meeting. Student staff will also attend an all staff meeting with all RAs on the first Friday of each month from 3:00-5:00 PM.

• Which breaks would I need to stay in Ellensburg for?

  It is expected that student staff are available for the duration of duty during Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break.

• Are RAs on-call 24-hours a day?

  Monday through Thursday student staff on are duty from 7 PM to 8 AM the next day. Friday through Sunday, the duty phone is held from 7 PM on Friday until 8 AM on Monday.

• How do you decide which residence hall to place an RA in?

  Student staff placement is carefully planned and determined using a number of factors including the needs of the community and a balance between returning and new staff. Student staff needing a housing and/or employment accommodation will be directed to communicate with Human Resources and/or Disability Services. Please note that candidates are not guaranteed specific placement based on their interests.

• What strengths are you looking for in an RA candidate?

  We are looking for candidates with the following characteristics: strong work ethic, humility, integrity, maturity (emotional intelligence), and equity mindedness.

• Are there opportunities to move up from the RA position?

  Student staff who have at least three quarters of experience in the RA position are eligible to apply to serve as a Senior Resident Assistant.

• What does the student staff reapplication process look like?

  Typically, towards the middle to end of winter quarter, student staff are asked to submit an "intent to return" application. Then, we are able to let student staff know if they will be rehired during the spring quarter.