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 advisors.

The Resident Assistant position is a part-time institutional work-study position with an average weekly time commitment of 12-15 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 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 $4,300 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.

Check back soon for more information about upcoming Information Sessions for 2023-2024 academic year opportunities.

Our staff will also have a table in the lobby outside Mary Fisher Dining Hall on the following dates to answer any questions about the RA position:

• Wednesday, February 1, 2023
• Wednesday, February 8, 2023
• Thursday, February 9, 2023

Application

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Students interested in a Resident Assistant position should submit their application starting Monday, February 6, 2023. The deadline to submit all application materials is Friday, February 24, 2023. A completed 2023-2024 Resident Assistant application includes:

• Responses to the following questions:
  • Why do you want to be a Resident Assistant (RA)? What elements of the RA position appeal to you the most? What elements of the RA position are the least appealing? Why?
  • As an RA, how will you positively influence the living experience of the other students in the residence hall?
  • In what ways have you contributed to and/or created an inclusive environment at Goucher?
  • Please write a sample welcome email to your residents. In your email, please make sure to introduce yourself, welcome them to your community, and outline any goals you might have for the year.
• 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.

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

Students can submit their applications through the "Applications" menu on their The Housing Director self-service page.

 

Student-Leader Group Interview

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Eligible candidates will be invited to participate in a group interview alongside other students applying for RA and other student leadership positions on campus. Student-Leader Group Interviews will scheduled to take place the week of February 27, 2023 through March 3, 2023, and are required for candidates to be considered for a Resident Assistant position. More information about the gruop interview sessions will be available after applications have been processed.

 

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 Monday, March 6, 2023 and Friday, Friday, March 17, 2023, 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 vacant positions for the Spring 2023 semester. Offers will be communicated to candidates via their Goucher e-mail no earlier than Monday, March 27, 2023.

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:

• 2023-2024 RA – these are offers for a Resident Assistant position for the Fall 2023 semester, starting in August 2023. Candidates selected for 2023-2024 RA positions will be offered an RA position, and will learn their specific residence hall assignment at a later date. 2023-2024 Resident Assistants should anticipate returning to campus on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, for team building, training, and opening responsibilities.
• Alternate Candidate – when confirmed vacancies for the 2023-2024 academic year 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 2023-2024 academic year. Confirmed Alternate Candidates should anticipate returning to campus on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 to participate in RA training.

Check back on this page or follow the Office of Residential Life on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for updates.