Resident assistants
Learn all about Resident assistants
Discover the essential role of Resident Assistants, from their daily responsibilities to their impact on student life and community building.
Who is a Resident Assistant?
The role of a Resident Assistant is an important one. An RA is responsible for ensuring that the comfort and safety of residents are upheld. They also enforce the rules of the community and provide support to residents and other staff members. RAs are trained in emergency protocols, general counseling skills, and how to properly refer a student to get their questions answered or to receive an available resource on campus. Other roles an RA partakes in include being a role model, problem solver, conflict mediator, campus resource, community builder, group facilitator, counselor, and administrator.
RAs' role on campus
Role modeling
RAs are required to abide by all University policies. They also make decisions and interact with students in an ethical, caring manner that demonstrates our expectations for all students.
Student support
RAs are the primary point of contact for residence hall students, assisting with questions, life challenges, resource connections, social engagement, and campus involvement.
Mediation and conflict resolution
RAs help residents resolve conflicts by guiding them in revisiting their Roommate Agreement to better align expectations for shared living spaces. Click here to download the Roommate Agreement.
Programming
RAs will plan both social and educational activities for their community.
Community standards
RAs will facilitate the community standards process by holding meetings with their community to set expectations by which the community wants to live.
Duty
RAs are on duty from 7 pm-7 am every day. RAs are available to residents and walk through the community multiple times each evening.
Crisis Management
RAs help the campus community remain a safe place to live. They have extensive training in a variety of crisis response situations.
Policy enforcement
RAs must uphold University policy at all times. This means confronting and documenting possible violations of policy, as these negatively impact the community's wellbeing.