New Resident Assistant 2020-2021

Special Note: All students are required to read the BU Student Employment Policy prior to submitting an application. All Federal Work-Study students should read the program rules and regulations located at http://www.belmont.edu/sfs/employment/fws.html

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

At the conclusion of this application, please ensure that you got a confirmation email in your student pop account. If it is not there the application did not go through and you will need to re-submit. We recommend you write your answers to the questions in a separate word document prior to copying answers over to the formal application.

The application will be open from Nov. 13th - Jan. 15th. No exceptions.

Description 

The Resident Assistant (RA) is selected to be an integral member of the Residence Life staff. He/She reports to and is directly accountable to a Residence Director (RD). The RA lives and works with residents in areas of peer advising, community development, discipline, administration, and general operation of the residential community. 
Time Commitment: The RA position is the principal non-classroom activity. Extra-curricular activities should not conflict with the time needed to effectively perform the assigned duties of the RA throughout the year. The RA is expected to be available and accessible to residents throughout the academic year.  
In accordance with the Division of Student Affairs Multiple Student Leadership Practice, a student may hold only one concurrent executive leadership position at a time. As the policy currently states, these leadership positions are as defined below:  
• SGA President, Vice President 
• Program Board President and Vice Presidents (2) 
• Orientation Council 
• Resident Assistants 
• Greek Council Officers 
• Fraternity and Sorority Chapter Presidents 
• Fitness & Recreation Leadership Team 
• Towering Tradition Leaders 
• Bruin Recruiter President and Event Coordinator  
The Office of Residence Life will inform applicants if there are changes made to this policy. All applicants will be held to the most current version of the Multiple Student Leadership Policy. 
Advising and Assisting: The RA should be aware of residents’ needs and provide appropriate consultation and referral. The RA is expected to: 
a. be accessible to residents by spending adequate time in the living area. 
b. take initiative to know the residents and to be considered approachable. 
c. develop effective relationships with the residents that will assist the RA in observing subtle changes in behavior, enabling the RA to deal with the various concerns in his/her residential complex. 
d. act as a concerned, non-judgmental peer adviser whose goal is to assist residents in resolving their own concerns or problems by appropriate means. 
e. maintain confidentiality in dealing with all situations. 
f. discuss potential referrals with the appropriate RD. 
g. realize limitations as a peer counselor and act as a referral agent for residents, utilizing appropriate University and/or community resources. 
Residence Education: The RA is part of a unique community. The main goal of residence education is to foster a sense of community. A sense of community refers to an atmosphere of cooperation or commitment to the residential community, of willingness to communicate openly, and of responsibility to and for others as well as one’s self. RAs are responsible for structuring their environments so that these attitudes are nurtured. 
 
Since structured interactions in the residence halls and apartments contribute to a sense of community, RAs are responsible for actively assisting individuals and other staff members with the continual assessment of needs and the successful execution of subsequent interactions. Specifically, the RA is expected to: 
a. promote student interaction with faculty, administrators, and other members of the University community by involving them in planned initiatives and programs within the residential communities. 
b. encourage residents to contact resource people and assist in developing special interest programs and events. 
c. encourage leadership among residents and support resident-initiated programs. 
d. attend as many scheduled University/Residence Life events as possible, such as intramural sports, social events, and educational/academic activities. 
e. provide updated bulletin boards and information on a monthly basis displaying accurate housing/campus-related information and pertinent educational (informal programming) knowledge. 
f. plan and complete community development plan in accordance with direction from the RD. 
g. complete proper forms in a timely manner in order to receive community development credit for scheduled programs. This also pertains to the submission of forms for Convocation credit for RA programs. 
Staff Training/Development (and Supervision): The RA is expected to participate in staff training programs which are designed to develop the necessary skills to meet RA expectations. Therefore, the RA is expected to: 
a. arrive on campus approximately one week prior to the general resident population in the fall. Each RA is expected to fulfill opening and closing responsibilities (Room Condition Reports, Maintenance reports, Check-In/Check-Out procedures, etc.). 
b. set position-related and personal goals at the beginning of each semester in consultation with his/her RD. 
c. attend and participate in all regularly scheduled staff meetings, staff development activities, and one-on-ones. 
d. read and acquire a working knowledge of the content of the Handbook for Residential Living. Regular reviews of this booklet are strongly recommended. 
e. participate with the RD in mutual performance evaluations based on position description. 
f. be knowledgeable of all emergency and safety procedures. 
g. be familiar with campus resources including, but not limited to, Counseling Services, Health Services, and Campus Security. 
Discipline and Policy Enforcement: The RA is expected to uphold and enforce University policies and regulations. The RA serves as a role model for others which includes assuming responsibility for creating an environment conducive to personal and social growth. In order to maximize the effects of the residential environment upon student development, the RA is expected to: 
a. encourage, by example, the principles of individual responsibility and respect for others’ rights. 
b. interpret and explain to residents University policies and regulations as outlined in the Student Handbook and the Handbook for Residential Living, and make clear the enforcement responsibilities of all Residence Life Staff. 
c. be consistent and equitable in dealing with discipline in the residence halls and apartments. Report all University violations that the RA encounters to the RD by means of a Notice of Community Responsibility form and narrative. 
 
Administrative Tasks: The RA is expected to perform various administrative duties related to the day-to-day operations of the residential facility. To assist the RD with administrative tasks, the RA is expected to: 
a. remain on campus to assist in the periodic opening and closing of the residence halls (Fall opening, Fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring break, Spring closing, etc). Check residents in and out at the beginning and the end of each semester; which includes administrative paperwork, checking and preparing rooms, key inventory and preparation, and the preparation of common areas. 
b. report needed maintenance and repair work promptly. 
c. promote student awareness of fire and safety precautions and regulations, and assist with safety measures. RAs are required to assist with Health & Safety Inspections each semester and follow up as necessary. 
d. assume weeknight and weekend duty and back-up responsibilities as scheduled by the RD; this includes a 4-hour front desk shift each week. Compensation for these hours is covered by the student’s room grant each semester. 
e. effectively and promptly communicate new and/or important information to residents, conduct necessary informational meetings, keep all posted information or bulletin boards up to date. 
f. communicate regularly with RD concerning incidents and/or situations. 
g. check assigned RA mailbox and/or duty log on a frequent basis. 
h. share in the care and condition of common areas in facilities such as clubhouses, lobbies, community baths, and hallways. Conditions of facilities and reported repairs, cleaning, and improvements should be communicated to the RD. 
i. perform assigned tasks in a timely and professional manner and meet assigned deadlines consistently. 
j. assist in the Housing Assignment process. 
k. assist in the RA selection process. 
l. perform other duties as assigned. Each staff member is expected to exercise extreme caution when using Master Keys. These keys are for official use only (lockouts, end of term closing, emergencies, etc.). Misuse of Master Keys will result in immediate termination from the RA position. Any staff member losing a Master Key will be responsible for the cost of replacing all locks in the affected facilities. 

Qualifications 

Students who are hired as RAs must maintain a healthy work balance with other commitments outside of the RA responsibilities. Any such employment or internship hours (paid or unpaid), or other academic experiential learning must not exceed a combined 20 hours/week. A statement from the outside supervisor stating that the RA is working no more than 20 hours is required. Other outside commitments should be discussed with and approved by the Residence Director, in consultation with the Assistant Director of that area in advance. 
The expectation is that Resident Assistants serve the full academic year in which he/she was hired for.  However, if you are really interested, but only able to serve one semester due to an outstanding circumstance please reach out the RA selection team at [email protected]. 
The RA must receive permission from the Residence Life office prior to enrolling in less than 12 or more than 18 credit hours in any one semester. 
The RA is required to begin the position each term on the date specified in the RA agreement, including scheduled training, and to remain in the position until the specified closing date.  
The RA should attempt to limit his/her time away from campus and the residential community to one weekend per month, unless the RA has discussed individual situations with the RD. 
The RA is required to participate in all regularly scheduled staff meetings and training opportunities. 
The RA is expected to uphold, enforce, and abide by all University policies and regulations.