Becoming a Resident Assistant (RA)

Applications will open in December and close in January. This page will be updated closer to November with specific dates for the current academic year.

Only current RAs may apply for the Senior RA Roles.

Any individuals who live in Souris Hall are NOT eligible to apply for the RA role, but they can apply for our Souris Hall Residence Liaison position!

Applicants will first submit a application to become an RA. This application will ask you to highlight why you want to be an RA and what you’ll bring to the team. Once your application is reviewed, you will either be asked to move on to the group interviews, or will be thanked for your application and your application will end.

If you are successful in moving onto the group interview, you will receive further information about the date and time when you are expected to be present. During this group interview, you will move through a variety of stations where you will be evaluated on different skills that are important in the RA role. We encourage you to make friends and be an active participant during these groups interviews! If you are successful in moving past the group interview, you will receive an invitation to an individual interview.

Once you are at the individual interview, you will meet with the area Coordinator and one more individual to discuss your traits and see if you will be a good fit for the role. If you are successful in the individual interview, you will receive an offer to work with us!

Year #1: During your first year as an RA, you will be focused on learning the role, understanding the department, and developing skills such as problem solving, conflict management, public speaking, event planning, and more. Year #1 is your opportunity to be mentored by fellow returning RAs and your SRA. First year RAs are encouraged to spent their first year exploring their style of being an RA, and working to build connections in their community and on their team.

Year #2: During your second year as an RA, you will be encouraged to take on more responsibility in terms of being on committees, mentoring new RAs, developing larger scale programming, and fostering a positive team environment.

Year #3: In the third year working for Student Life, there are two paths. One is that you return as an RA, with the same expectations and responsibilities as your previous two years. The second path is that you become an SRA. Should you be successful in the SRA path, you will have more responsibilities related to team building, running team meetings, being apart of a higher On Duty rotation, presenting during RA training, running committees, and working closely with your Coordinator to develop the Student Life vision.

Due to the nature of Student Life and the escalated responsibilities of RAs, any student who is living with us for the first time (i.e. would have less than 8 months of living with us experience at the start of their RA role) is ineligible to be an RA. If you have lived with us for more than 8 months at the start of your RA contract, we encourage you to apply!

We are looking for individuals who are positive, enthusiastic, and willing to learn! The RA role is not exclusive to one personality type, we welcome numerous personalities and individuals.

RAs must be a full time student and maintain a minimum CGPA of at least 65% while employed with Student Life. RAs must be a resident throughout the duration of their contract.

Some key skills that we are looking for are outlined below and you can read more about the role in our job description.

Throughout your time as an RA, you will receive valuable experience for after university life, and numerous opportunities to learn and get trained in different areas.

Naloxone Training: During RA Training you will be trained on how to administer Naloxone, and you will receive a personal Naloxone kit that you can carry with you.

First Aid: All RAs are required to have a valid First Aid certification. If they do not, they will receive this certification during RA Training.

SafeTALK: RAs will receive training regarding mental health and how to have conversations regarding suicide. They will learn how to support someone who is experiencing thoughts of suicide, and how to connect that individual to supports and resources.

Other skills: During your time as an RA, you will learn numerous other skills, including but not limited to: time management, budgeting, conflict management, de-escalation, event planning, organization, communication, and more!

Compensation: RAs receive $500 per month and a $150 room deduction.