Student Staff: Resident Assistant

Resident Assistant Job Description  

The Resident Assistant (RA) position is a student employee position within Department of Housing and Residence Life which works as a member of a residence hall staff.  An RA’s primary responsibility is to act as a facilitator of community development in the residence halls by working with students to provide an orderly and safe environment to live in, and to provide opportunities for the social, educational, intellectual and cultural development of the residents.

RAs are selected on the basis of their intellect, leadership qualities, willingness to assume responsibilities, and ability to relate to residents. To meet the needs of the department, RAs must remain flexible and creative enough to fill a combination of roles, including: friend, advisor, programmer, resource person, educator, counselor, role model, and authority figure, among others. In addition, RAs should be committed to their own personal growth and education.

RAs are supervised by and are directly responsible to the Residence Community Directors of their assigned residence hall. A RA’s job performance may be evaluated by the residents of their wing or floor, the Community Director(s), the Cluster Leader, and/or the Assistant Director for Business Operations. It is expected that the RA will satisfactorily meet all duties and responsibilities as identified. Unsatisfactory job performance will be addressed by the appropriate supervisor through verbal warning, written warning, probation, or termination. The RA position is appointed by Housing for the period of one semester contingent upon satisfactory job performance and is considered an “at will” position.

RAs receive a monthly stipend, private room (as available) and board with a 7 day meal plan as compensation for averaging a 15 hour work week, with an additional 10 hours available for pay. Most of the RA workload is spent working the front desk, performing on–call duties, holiday on-calls,  reporting maintenance problems, enforcing policy and regulations, putting on programs, taking an active part in hall functions, assisting individual students, attending staff development and training, First Fight week, and executing other tasks assigned by the Community Director or Central Housing.

The proceeding information outlines some of the RA’s job responsibilities. Central Housing and the RA’s Community Directors reserve the right to assign other duties as needed to meet departmental and building needs.

RA JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Understanding, explaining, following, and enforcing all University and Housing policies and philosophies.
  • Being familiar with all printed material directly affecting the operation of the Housing Department, including forms, student handbooks, current procedural memoranda and the staff manual.
  • A Resident Assistant is first and foremost a student who is obliged to maintain specific academic standards during every semester of employment: 
    • You must have a 2.75 cumulative UNT GPA at the time you submit your RLA application. Please keep in mind that any job offer made is contingent on you earning a semester GPA of at least 2.75 during the semester that you are going through the RLA selection process.  Any leadership and related job experiences will also be considered and enhance your application.
    • Continuing RAs whose UNT Semester GPA falls below 2.75 are offered to continue employment on probation. If that RAs UNT Semester GPA fall below 2.75 within the immediately following long semester, there is a possibility to continue employment. 
      • If the RA improved their UNT Semester GPA from one probationary semester to the next, they are offered continued support and employment through our department.    
      • If the RA did not improve their UNT Semester GPA from one probationary semester to the next, they will be terminated from their position.
  • If an RA’s UNT Semester GPA falls below 2.25, they will NOT be offered probation, and they will be terminated from their position.
  • An appeals process will be instituted that allows for the RA to explain their situation through guided prompts that will be reviewed by the Associate Director for Residence Life.
  • Enrolling in no more than 16 hours and no less than 12 hours per semester without prior approval of the Hall Director and Cluster Leader.
  • Enrolling in and successfully completing the “RA Course” during the first semester of employment for either credit or on an audit basis. Any exceptions must be approved by the Associate Director.
  • Returning to campus early in August and January to attend Residence Life Training sessions and attending all assigned staff development and training sessions during the course of the semester.
  • Supporting the endeavors of Central Administration, department staff members, RLAC and RHA.
  • Endeavoring to involve residents in programs developed by the office of Housing and Residence Life for residents.
  • Offering aid in any conflict or emergency situation as needed within any of the residence halls
  • Responsibly caring for University property and buildings 
  • Spending no fewer than 15 hours a week within the hall working on assigned tasks
  • Completing opening and closedown procedures for fall and spring semesters and University holiday breaks.
  • Remaining in the hall after its closing and returning before its opening to complete necessary room‐checks and other assigned tasks.
  • Serving in an on‐call and desk coverage rotation during the week and weekends as required by their Hall Director.
  • Completing programs as part of the residential curriculum model.
  • Being able to perform and direct all emergency procedures.
  • Keeping accurate records of resident discipline incidents and maintaining confidentiality with regard to discipline violations
  • Attending and participating in all staff meetings.
  • Disseminating administrative notices and announcements in a timely manner.
  • Supporting the work of their individual Hall Association, Residence Hall Association and Residence Life Advisory Council.
  • Actively participating in one of the hall assigned committees.
  • Checking residents’ rooms for correct check‐out procedures and damages, and assessing appropriate fees.
  • Spending weekday nights (Sunday through Thursday) in the residence hall and returning to the hall by a 2:00 AM curfew on those nights. Informing the Community Director before leaving town on weekends (Friday and Saturday), and returning to the hall by 10:00 PM on Sunday.
  • Maintaining regular contact with Community Director and other staff members in order to ensure adequate communication.
  • Participation at least twice a semester in performance reviews with Community Director.
  • Knowing as many residents as possible.
  • Working with residents to prevent and mediate conflicts that arise.
  • Being supportive of and cooperative with all residence hall staff.
  • Respecting the confidentiality of communications from residents and staff by withholding sensitive information from all those who do not have a professional need to know.
  • Demonstrating a caring and supportive attitude toward others and endeavoring to be understanding of others whose lifestyles and behaviors vary from their own.