Residence Life Office

Application for RA Position

  1. ROLE OF THE RESIDENT ASSISTANT

Resident Assistants (RAs) are under the direct supervision and mentorship of the Residence Life Coordinator (RLC) and report directly to him/her. RAs are expected to respect/abide by both the spirit and the letter of the contractual terms outlines in the job description and contract. Final interpretation of the job description and contract is under the discretion of the RLC. RAs are responsible for assisting and advising residence students, developing and encouraging residence activities and events, programming, discipline and security. The RA is involved extensively in residence life with a number of responsibilities, including:

(a)Creating enthusiasm about residence activities; initiating and sponsoring programs that encourage students to learn by becoming involved in all phases of residence life. The RA works closely with the RLC, the Head Resident Assistant (HRA) and Residence Council (RC) in program development and implementation, thus facilitating the growth of a “living/learning environment” within the residence;

(b)Conducting him/herself in a manner that is consistent with all the rules and regulations of residence life and university policies;

(c)Providing an appropriate level of discipline in the residence community so that the rights and needs of all students to study, learn, rest, socialise and grow through the experience of community living are respected;

(d)Orienting new students to the residence community and providing opportunities for them to become acquainted with other residents;

(e)Serving as an advisor to residents, which includes acting as a peer counsellor and resource person;

(f)Assisting Residence Administration in Room Inventory Forms (RIFs), room changes, fire forms, as well as other administrative duties that may be required including doing room check-ins (in term and/or end of term) and acting regularly as a “duty RA”;

(g)Working closely with other RAs, the Residence Council in matters of mutual concern;

(h)Being aware of their impact on the community as role models for students and staff members. As such, they will demonstrate the behaviour of responsible members of the community upholding all housing policies, regulations, community standards, and expectations for the RLC.

  1. SPECIFIC DUTIES

Within the broad definition of the role of Residence Assistant there are a number of very specific responsibilities which include:

  1. Administrative

(a)Completing all room checks within the first two weeks of term, and within one week of the arrival of residents moving in later in the term;

(b)Completing room check forms for all residents transferring out, withdrawing, or otherwise leaving residence;

(c)As required, cross-checking students and checking them out, with the master list of last exam dates for students, and ensuring they are gone;

(d)Being present on assigned floor on a regular basis, consistent with the role of an active community member;

(e)Convening floor meetings if necessary;

(f)Attending all staff meetings;

(g)Reporting to the RLC on a regular basis incidents, activities, circumstances, and conditions in the assigned area and where applicable, within the entire residence community;

(h)Fully completing Incident Reports as required or by request from the RLC. Reports will be submitted within 24 hours of the incident.

(i)Documenting verbal, written warnings, fines and work orders in a timely manner (handing out within 48 hours) and completing a shift report online (eRezLife) in a timely manner;

(j)Thoroughly completing holiday room checks at the end of the 1st semester following residence holiday closing;

(k)Thoroughly completing final room checks at end of 2nd semester following residence closure;

(l)Carrying out other duties as assigned.

  1. Assisting Students/RAs

(a)Being consistently available to the students (in addition to scheduled duty time) and advising residents when available;

(b)Aiding students as a peer counsellor with personal, academic, financial, social or other problems whenever possible, being prepared to refer to the appropriate resource when a situation demands skills beyond those of an RA;

(c)Aiding students by supplying information on (or direction to resources for) residence life, course selection, facilitates, and referral services available including medical, counselling and financial aid.

(d)Being alert to the need of all students an RAs, particularly those in their first year;

(e)Developing a sense of community and striving to develop a personal rapport with each resident in his/her area as quickly as possible;

(f)Mediating roommate conflicts and floor issues with the students involved, exploring possible solutions and referring as necessary;

(g)Using master keys/cards to assist students who become locked out of their room;

(h)Documenting and following up on problems, issues or concerns and bringing them to the attention of the RLC;

(i)Maintaining an availability philosophy that is in the spirit of having an “open door policy.” RAs will be available to their communities in times of need while at the same time being honest with themselves and residents about the competing demands of their time.

  1. Discipline

(a)Knowing and observing university and residence rules and regulations;

(b)Ensuring that residents are aware of these rules and regulations and they abide by them;

(c)Responding consistently, fairly and appropriately when violations occur, to prevent more serious problems or reoccurrences and to ensure that residents are fairly treated;

(d)Documenting an following up on problems.

  1. House Responsibilities

(a)Attending house/floor meetings when required;

(b)Being an active member of residence by participating in residence activities, intramurals, etc;

(c)Encouraging residents to participate in residence events/activities.

  1. On Duty Requirements

(a)Being on duty at all times during Orientation Week;

(b)Serving as the “duty RA” in a monthly schedule and at least one but no more than two weekend days per month as assigned by RLC (or their designate);

(c)Being available within the residence at all times (except for classes) when on duty from 8 am until 8 am the next day while on duty;

(d)In the event of an unavoidable absence from the residence, making sure that another RA can “cover”;

(e)Being observant of all areas of the residence system and taking appropriate action if problems occur;

(f)Being expected to supervise RC events if on duty;

(g)Doing a minimum of three rounds per evening Sunday-Thursday and a minimum of five rounds per evening Friday and Saturday (more if busy).

(h)Ensuring windows/lights are off on last round and laundry room/MPR/kitchen are safely closed down.

(i)Understanding that being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while on duty is not permitted.

  1. Programming

(a)Supporting and assisting in the implementation of programs as directed by the RLC;

(b)Suggesting and delivering programs to meet identified student needs and interests;

(c)Programming requirements include a minimum of three active programming per semester (from the wellness wheel) and one active academic programming event per year. All semesters programming must be handed in by end of first week of each semester.

  1. Training

(a)Report back to campus end of second week of August and attending the RA training program in August;

(b)Attending weekly RA meetings and other meetings as required;

(c)Completing a limited number of mandatory in-semester training courses;

(d)Attending on-going training and professional development sessions as scheduled throughout the academic year.

  1. Building Operations

(a)Safety

  1. Being aware of health and safety conditions, as well as knowing who to contact in event of emergency;
  2. Being aware of fire regulations, especially the RA`s responsibility in event of a fire or fire drill;
  3. Disseminating information to students regarding fire safety, personal safety, etc;
  4. Ensuring that unsafe conditions are reported.

(b)Maintenance

  1. Reporting damage or vandalism as soon as noted;
  2. Investigating damages or vandalism and attempt to identify the individual(s) responsible;
  3. Reporting on-going maintenance problems that have not been corrected.
  1. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

(a)RAs must be full-time UNB Saint John students in good academic standing with minimum GPA of 2.5, with residence living experience;

(b)Having satisfied the academic qualifications, the RA must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA with no marks below a D in all courses during the academic year of their appointment. Academic proficiency is reviewed regularly and poor academic performance is considered grounds for dismissal or job probation;

(c)RAs are required to have before the start of their appointment Standard First Aid and CPR course. A copy of the certificates must be submitted to the RLC upon return for training in August to ensure the RAs certification for the duration of the academic year;

(d)RAs will be expected to complete a limited number of mandatory spring training courses.

(e)RAs must attend mandatory RA training in August through to the start of Orientation activities. In addition, returning RAs will be expected to present to more junior staff members on assigned topics during this training week;

(f)RAs must attend on-going training and development sessions as scheduled throughout the academic year of their appointment.

  1. RESTRICTIONS

There are a number of restrictions affecting the RA position:

(a)RAs are not permitted to hold any RC or SRC positions, or play on any University teams that have a schedule of road trips that would require frequent absence from campus;

(b)RAs are not permitted to accept other employment without approval of the RLC; this involves no more of work and or extracurricular activities totaling more than 15 hours per week;

(c)RAs will not be permitted to take more than the normal full course load during the academic year of his/her appointment, in order to have time for the position. In exceptional circumstances where an extra course is required to complete a degree, the RA may be permitted to take an additional course given appropriate academic approval. Please be aware that this is a heavy load, and time involved in keeping up academic work and doing a satisfactory job as an RA will effectively curtail any social life;

(d)RAs are required to remain in residence 24 hours after it closes in December and in April conditionally based on the completion of administrative duties. They should also be prepared to spend part of the mid-term break and most long weekends on campus;

(e)RAs must ensure the safe keeping of any master key in their possession. Under no circumstances is a master key/card to be used for the personal use of the RA. Such use will result in immediate dismissal. In the event that n RA loses a master key, disciplinary measures, if any, will be considered on a case by case basis by the RLC;

(f)RAs are not to date students in residence. A pre-existing relationship is permitted, but the RA should be aware of the position they are in and their fiduciary duties. RAs will not be allowed to live on the same floor as their significant other;

(g)Appointments to RA position are for one academic year. Re-appointment is neither automatic nor assured.

  1. EVALUATION

The performance of the RAs as a group and individually will be regularly evaluated. The extensive detail above is included to provide as clear an indication as possible of the University’s and department’s expectations. When performance is perceived to be below standard, the matter will be discussed immediately and confidentially between the RA and RLC. Only in extreme cases of dereliction of duty, or of conduct unbecoming a University employee in a position of trust, would an RA be dismissed without warning.

All applications and supporting documents must be submitted to the Residence Life Office and received by the Residence Life Coordinatorno later than 4 pm on FridayFebruary 3rd, 2012. Please note that only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted via UNB e-mail and telephone.

Contact Information

First Name / Middle Name / Last Name / Also Known As
Student ID Number / Telephone Number / Gender (Male/Female)
Local Mailing Address / Summer Mailing Address (if different)
UNB E-mail Address / Summer Telephone (if different)
My GPA Last Term / I Expect To Graduate In

Applying For:Head RA(must have previous RA experience)Hall RA Alternate RA 

Volunteer, Leadership or Residence Experience

Please list any volunteer, leadership or residence experiences in which you have been involved during the past two years.

Commitments and Obligations

Please indicate anticipated obligations and estimate the hours per week for each commitment (other employment, extracurricular activities, et cetera).

Conduct Statement

To the best of my knowledge, the information I have furnished on this application is accurate. I understand that in order to determine my eligibility for the RA position and for each semester of employment the Residence Life staff will check my academic record and may also perform a background and reference check.

Signature / Date

Employment Experience

Please list your most recent work experiences (resumes may be attached to this form).
Employer / From / To
Responsibilities or duties
Employer / From / To
Responsibilities or duties
Employer / From / To
Responsibilities or duties

Short Answer Questions

  1. Why do you want to be a Resident Assistant? What does being an RA mean to you?

______

  1. What does building community mean to you? What would you do?

______

  1. What do you think will be some issues that could arise and you may face being an RA that would be difficult for you?

______

References

Please list three individuals as references. Applicants living on-campus should list a supporting current RA, a Residence Life Officer, and/or someone who is able to evaluate their qualities of leadership, mentoring, responsibility, group interactionand leadership skills (Professor, boss, youth leader, etc).

Name / Relationship / Phone
Name / Relationship / Phone
Name / Relationship / Phone