Become a Resident Assistant

A Resident Assistant, or RA, is an undergraduate full-time student who lives in an assigned residence hall and supports students living in the residence hall community. They work with Residential Life Coordinators and other staff in Residential Life to develop programs and provide services to their fellow students. Each RA typically lives on the same floor with those residents assigned to them and assumes responsibility for a designated area on campus called a house. Resident Assistants are carefully selected for their academic proficiency, involvement in co-curricular activities, concern for the welfare of fellow students, and maturity to cope with the demands of their role. Furthermore, they are trained to be sensitive to the academic, emotional, and social problems of college students, particularly those associated with the normal adjustments to residence hall living.

Community Builder

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• Resident Assistants build positive and meaningful relationships with the students in and around their assigned residential community to create a welcoming and inclusive living environment
• An RA plans and facilitates activities in the residence hall and/or campus community that encourages social interaction and relationship building among members of the residential community.
• An RA plans and facilitates activities in and around the residence hall community that allows students to develop knowledge and skills that will help them be successful as members of the Goucher community and beyond.
• Resident Assistants develop a sense of community in the residence halls through the creation of unique and creative bulletin boards, door decorations, community communication, and other themes that allow the residential community to represent itself as a unified group.

Leader

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• Resident Assistants serve as role models for other Goucher students, especially those in and around their residential community, by observing ethical standards consistent with Goucher College and Office of Residential Life’s mission and values.
• Resident Assistants educate students regarding university policies and procedures and, when necessary, address and respond to actions that are in conflict with such policies to reinforce standards and expectations for Goucher students living in a community environment.
• An RA serves as a representative for the Office of Residential Life, which includes a positive and professional demeanor that is consistent with the Office of Student Residence Life’s mission, vision, values, and principles.

Resource

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• All Resident Assistants participate in a rotating weeknight and weekend on-call rotation during hours when university offices are closed.
• Resident Assistants assist students in resolving conflicts that may occur in their residential community, including facilitating roommate mediations and conversations among members of the residential community.
• Resident Assistants are knowledgeable about campus and community resources and serve as a referral for student questions and/or concerns.

Resident Assistants receive training in the many skill areas that will help them be successful as a student-leader in the residence halls, including relationship building, event management, conflict management and resolution, emergency response and management, team and community building, time management, and administrative skills. Attendance and participation for the entirety of pre-semester training, including residence hall opening, prior to the start of each semester and in-service sessions during the semester are required of all Resident Assistants.

The Resident Assistant position is a part-time institutional work-study position with an average weekly time commitment of 10 hours, which includes weekly staff meetings, bi-weekly meetings with the RA’s supervisor, on-call responsibilities, maintaining regular visibility in the RA’s assigned residential community, and regular engagement with students in and around the RA’s assigned residential community. Since the Resident Assistant position includes both structured time commitments and flexible time commitments, successful Resident Assistants demonstrate excellent time management and productivity skills.

Certain times of the semester, such as pre-semester training, semester opening, and semester closing, may require an additional time commitment to complete required responsibilities.

The Resident Assistant position is viewed as the primary “out-of-classroom” commitment. It is therefore expected that the scheduling of and attendance at staff meetings, training sessions, duty responsibilities and other commitments related to the position supersede all other extracurricular commitments. Extracurricular activities, including additional employment, must be coordinated with the RA’s direct supervisor. Resident Assistants are permitted to work up to 10 hours a week at another job on campus. Due to the volume of responsibilities related to the RA position, working more than 10 hours at another job is highly discouraged.

Students are eligible to hold a Resident Advisor position if they

• Are enrolled as a full-time student at Goucher college.
• Have lived on campus for at least 2 semesters, including the current semester (not including J-Term or Summer).
• Have and maintain a cumulative and semester GPA of 2.5.
• Are in good academic, financial and disciplinary standing with Goucher College.
• Maintain an active housing contract with the Office of Residential Life

Please note: Students who are selected to be Resident Assistants may not concurrently hold a Goucher Guide position. Read more about Goucher Guide positions.

In exchange for their service to the Goucher community, Resident Assistants receive

• A room in their assigned residence hall community.
• A pre-tax stipend of $4,490 that can be applied either
  • to their student account to cover costs related to the RA’s residence hall assignment, OR
  • as a stipend distributed in accordance with college payroll procedures

Information sessions provide interested students the opportunity to hear more about the Resident Assistant position and ask questions of people with the answers. While attendance at an information session is not required, it does provide interested students with the opportunity to engage with the Office of Residential Life staff and clarify any lingering thoughts or questions.

The Office of Residential Life will sponsor or be available at the following events and times to answer questions:

• Tuesday, November 5, 2024, between 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm in the Mary Fisher Dining Hall Lobby
• Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Information Session from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in the Batza Room (third floor in the Athenaeum)
• Wednesday, November 13, 2024, between 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the Mary Fisher Dining Hall Lobby

Application

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Spring 2025 RA applications can be submitted through Handshake.

The deadline to submit all application materials is Thursday, November 14, 2024. A completed Spring 2025 Resident Assistant application includes:

• A cover letter.
• A resume that includes the applicant’s education (both previous and current), employment history, campus or community involvement, recognition and/or achievements, and any other relevant experience.
• Responses to the following questions:
  • What motivates you to be a Resident Assistant? How do you see the RA position preparing you for your future goals?
  • As an RA, how would you demonstrate a commitment to Goucher College's Community Principles?
    • More information about Goucher College's Community Principles can be found here
  • The Office of Residential Life is committed to creating equitable and inclusive communities for all students. What are the qualities of an inclusive residence hall community? As an RA, how would you work to create an equitable community in your hall?
  • An RA’s life on campus is sometimes described as “living in a fishbowl,” meaning that Resident Assistants serve as visible representatives of Residential Life and Goucher College both in and outside the residence halls. How would you manage the challenge of serving as a role model in a visible leadership role?

If you need assistance with developing a cover letter and resume, the Career Education Office (CEO) has some great resources available for students.

 

Individual Interview

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Eligible candidates will also be invited to participate in an individual interview with the Office of Residential Life staff. Individual interviews are scheduled to take place between Wednesday, November 20, 2024 and Friday, November 22, 2024, and are required for candidates to be considered for a Resident Assistant position. Each candidate selected for an individual interview will be scheduled for a 30-45 minute interview conversation with the Office of Residential Life staff on one of those days.

 

Position Offers

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After all the interviews have been completed, the Office of Residential Life staff will review all candidates’ applications and interview materials, and will make offers for confirmed Spring 2025 semester vacancies. Offers will be communicated to candidates via their Goucher e-mail no earlier than Monday, November 25, 2024.

Following individual interviews and a review of all candidates’ applications and interview materials, the Office of Residential Life will make offers to candidates via their Goucher e-mail. Candidates can receive one of the following offers:

• Spring 2025 RA – these are offers for a Resident Assistant position for the Spring 2025 semester, starting in January 2025. Candidates selected for Spring 2025 RA positions will be offered an RA position with a specific residence hall assignment. Spring 2025 Resident Assistants should anticipate returning to campus on Monday, January 20, 2025, for team building, training, and opening responsibilities.
• Alternate Candidate – when confirmed vacancies for the Spring 2025 semester are filled, the Office of Residential Life maintains a list of qualified candidates who have the potential to fill additional vacancies as they become available. Alternate candidates can be offered an RA position any time before or during the Spring 2025 semester.

Applications for 2025-2026 Resident Assistant positions will be available starting January 27, 2025.