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Housing and Residence Life Home


Resident Assistant Information


| Job Description | Qualifications | Remuneration/ Benefits | Duties and Responsibilities | Absentee Process |

RA Job DescriptionTop

The Resident Assistant job is a part-time, live-in position with an appointment on an academic semester or an academic year basis. There are approximately 120 RAs that are divided between the 11 residence halls on campus. Staff sizes range for 5 to 18.

Bridgman 8 RA's
Chancellors 5 RA's
Governors 12 RA's
Horan 8 RA's
Murray            11 RA's
Oak Ridge 11 RA's
Putnam 7 RA's
Sutherland 14 RA's
Thomas Hall 6 RA's
Towers North 18 RA's
Towers South 18 RA's

QualificationsTop

1. Status as a responsible sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student.

2. An above average academic record.

    a. During the semester of application, s/he must receive a 2.50 semester GPA. His/her GPA the previous semester and the cumulative GPA must be at least a 2.50. No probationary period is permitted for new RAs.
    b. S/he must maintain a 2.50 GPA each semester as an RA.
    c. A continuing RA will be allowed one employment probationary semester during his/her employment. If an RA’s GPA falls below 2.50, s/he will go on Housing probation. Once on probation, the RA must receive a 2.50 or higher GPA the following semester or employment will be terminated. An RA will return to good standing if his/her grades reflect substantial improvement the following semester.

3. Qualities of leadership and maturity.

4. Adequate knowledge of a resident community acquired through experience in group living for at least one semester on the UW-Eau Claire campus.

    a. Student must be a second-semester freshman to apply.

5. Sensitivity to others and an interest in working with students and administration.

6. Excellent character.

7. Willingness to accept responsibility and to learn on the job.

8. Enthusiasm for the RA position.

9. Successfully completing ongoing RA training.


Remuneration/ BenefitsTop

1. Double room.

2. Basic meal plan

3. Cash stipend of $700 per semester.

4. An opportunity to develop interpersonal communication and leadership skills.


Duties and ResponsibilitiesTop

With Students

1. Know all residents on the wing or cube. Take an interest in and visit with all residents.

2. Be aware of significant conditions that exist among residents. Report them to Hall Director.

3. Be available. RAs should mostly study in their room so they're available to residents.

4. Establish the tone, spirit and discipline of the hall in the first several weeks of the year.

5. Provide information about the university and its services.

6. Explain, interpret and enforce UW-Eau Claire regulations and policies.

7. Be familiar with university and residence hall regulations, as well as rules and policies outlined in the RA manual and in the Community Conduct System.

8. Gain the respect of the residents by being a good example.

9. Enforce quiet hours; help maintain a good study atmosphere.

10. Enforce all hall and university rules to the best of your ability.

11. Attend all wing meetings, and residence hall functions and activities.

12. Encourage residents to use Health Services when appropriate. Report serious illnesses and injuries to the Hall Director or the Hall Director on duty.

13. If needed, assist residents who are ill to obtain take-out meals from Dining Services.

14. Advise students to lock up valuables when not around and to lock their doors at all times. Inform the residents of what to do if they lose something.

15. Make sure residents are properly checked in and out. Be sure each resident is aware of the check-in and check-out procedures.

16. Maintain an active bulletin board of events that may interest students. Post information promptly and remove obsolete material immediately. Encourage students to read it.

17. Explain room change and sign-up procedures.

18. Explain the role of the Housing-related committees and leadership opportunities.

With Hall and Hall Government

Hall government plays an important role in developing the residents' expectations about their hall community and in recognizing residents' contributions and achievements. By encouraging participation in hall government and assisting students who become involved, RAs can help students develop leadership skills and contribute to the success of hall.

1. Serve as an adviser to the hall government.

2. Work with Hall Director and hall government to report hall needs to the Housing Office.

With the Hall Director

The Hall Director is the chief officer in the residence hall. Many RA duties overlap with those of the Hall Director. Specific duties will be identified in meetings. Duties may include:

1. Assist with social, educational, service, recreational and political programs and activities in the hall.

2. Fulfill administrative responsibilities as assigned by the Hall Director.

3. Cooperate with and be loyal to the Hall Director.

4. Serve on administrative committees as needed.

5. Meet regularly to discuss events, programs, committee actions and problems.

6. Take a night of duty on a rotating schedule. RAs on duty must be in the hall, be the first to offer help, tour the hall several times a night and contact Hall Director if trouble arises.

7. Help students check in and out of the halls.

8. Participate in the hall orientation program if one is established.

9. Report problems on your wing to the Hall Director.

10. Assume responsibility for the hall’s operations when Hall Director is absent (in conjunction with the Hall Director on duty).

11. Assist the Hall Director with minor disciplinary problems and enforcing quiet hours.

12. Assist the Hall Director in working with non-members of the hall.

13. Confirm that residents live in assigned room. Inform Hall Director about discrepancies.

14. Report theft or loss of property to the Hall Director.

15. Work cooperatively with the other RAs in your hall.

16. RAs who stay in halls during vacations will assume duties assigned by the Hall Director.

With the Housing Office

1. Attend an orientation camp at the start of the year to review RA job responsibilities.

2. RAs must return to campus earlier in the semester than other residents so they can greet students as they arrive.

3. Attend all in-service training programs as scheduled.

4. Complete and return forms promptly when required through the Housing Office.

5. Be available.

With the University

1. Be familiar with university rules and regulations. Enforce them fairly.

2. Serve as a public relations figure for the hall and the university.

3. Assume general responsibility for student activities and behavior in areas adjacent to the halls. Report unfavorable conduct to the Hall Director.

With the Building

1. See that common areas in the building are kept neat and clean.

2. Check the wing for maintenance and emergency repair problems, electrical equipment problems and fire hazards. Report problems to the Hall Director.

3. Inform residents about the reception desk and its functions, services and hours.

4. Explain rules for the kitchen, social room, computer lab and other common areas.


Absentee ProcessTop


Fall 2009 Absentee RA Selection Process Timeline

Mon. Sept 21 – Mon. Oct 12 - Application materials available

Monday, October 12 - Applications due at Noon(same as those applying for Spring 10)

Week of October 12 - Absentee applicants notified that their applications have been received and will be interviewed after Thanksgiving Break.

Week of November 9th - Absentee applicants notified of interview timeline

Wed. Nov 25 – Fri. Nov. 27 - Thanksgiving Break

Mon. Nov. 30- Sun. Dec. 6th - Absentee group and individual interviews scheduled


Absentee RA Selection Process

The Absentee RA Selection Process is a process for anyone applying to be a RA who will not be attending the university during the semester that they would normally apply for an RA position. People affected by this would be individuals, who are studying abroad, have an internship, or have another reason that will have them away from school during the semester they would apply. The current process will be for people who would be applying in the Fall of 2009 for a position in the Fall of 2010 or Spring of 2011 if gone for a full year.

Applications will be due at the same time as people applying to be an RA in the Spring of 2010 which is Monday, October 12 at noon via email to the housing office.

All absentee applicants will be interviewed by a committee consisting of the RA selection Review committee Hall Directors, 2 RAs, and 2 RHA members. One of the RAs or RHA members will have study abroad experience. All four members will be from different halls.

  • RHA members selected at an RHA meeting before Thanksgiving Break.
  • RHA members selected must be from different halls.
  • An RHA exec board member may be selected for the committee but only one of the spots can be held by an RHA exec board member.
  • RA members selected after RHA members are selected.
  • Each Hall Director will pre screen interested staff members and submit names to the selection committee.
  • Selection committee will decide on the RA members through criteria based on make-up of where members of the committee live, study abroad experience, experience on committees, and hall director recommendations.

All absentee applicants will go through a group process and an individual interview done by the Absentee Selection Committee. This is the only process that they will go through. They will not do a hall specific process. However, phone interviews or contact during the actual selection process in which their candidacy is being considered is allowed. That will be up to each Hall Director to decide if they want additional contact with the absentee candidate after the initial Absentee Process.

The absentee applicants will go through a central group interview together. This interview will be filmed by TV-10. The group activities will be determined by the committee.

The individual interview will also be conducted at TV-10 so it can be filmed. Questions for each of the interviews will be individualized for each hall. The committee will get the list of questions from the hall the candidate is applying for. That way, the study abroad candidate can be judged on the same questions as the others in that hall’s applicant pool.

The Absentee RA Selection Committee will take notes on each candidate from both interviews. They will not pass judgment or try to influence the hall specific selection committee. The purpose of the committee is to facilitate the interviews and pass on the tapes and notes from them. It is up to the hall specific selection committee to make their own judgments on the candidates.

The absentee interviews will be conducted after the RA Selection process is completed for the hiring for the Spring Semester.



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