Be a Resident Assistant
Applications are now available!
Please visit http://www.ra.neu.edu
All applications are due January 9, 2009.
RAs coordinate community development for a section or a floor in a particular residence hall. RAs answer questions about campus life, interpret and enforce University policy and regulations, handle emergencies, and help out as needed. They are on duty from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. during the week, with office hours from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. They provide 24-hour coverage through a pager system on weekends. RAs work and interact with on average 40 to 60 residents. They must be sensitive to the needs, values, and lifestyles of many different people. This requires RAs be open, supportive, and confident. RAs are supervised by professional staff who help with training, provide support, facilitate team building, and conduct one-on-one supervision. Each RA staff consists of four to 20 RAs. As a team, they set the tone for their hall and build community. A checklist of RA responsibilities is shown below.
- Answering questions about the University, the Department of Residential Life, and the Greater Boston area
- completing administrative tasks, such as room condition forms and work requests
- building community through social and educational activities
- referring students to appropriate services and resources
- serving as a peer counselor
- enforcing policies
- attending fall and spring training sessions, and departmental in-services
- working 4+ hours of proctor duty per week
- holding office hours and performing rounds — the amount of time an RA is on duty varies from staff to staff
- helping open and close the residence halls from semester to semester
- attending weekly staff meetings and individual meetings with a supervisor