The Resident Assistant position is a student staff member who lives and works in a residence hall on campus. RAs are responsible for building communities on their floors, providing resources to residents, developing programs for their floor, some administrative work, attending staff meetings, and being on duty for their hall. The RAs are supervised by a full-time professional staff member known as a Residence Director (RD). They serve on a staff ranging from 4-12 RAs depending on the hall. RAs on average work approximately 19.6 hours a week.

Resident Assistant Training

Our student leader training process occurs at the start of each academic year and provides you with information to challenge and teach you how to connect with the residential community.

Training is required for student staff. If you are not available for training dates, do not submit an application. Student staff may not be enrolled in a Second Five-Week summer class as it conflicts with the schedule training period.

  • Training for Summer 2023 is in May (dates TBA).
  • Training for 2023-2024 academic year begins Friday, Aug. 4, 2023 (subject to change with the university academic calendar).

Training topics include:

  • Community Building/Engagement
  • Diversity/Multicultural Awareness
  • Communication/Listening Skills
  • Confrontation/Assertiveness Skills
  • Counseling/Conflict Mediation
  • Leadership Styles
  • Ethical Decision Making/Problem Solving
  • Time Management/Self-Care
Position Responsibilities

The Resident Assistant (RA) position is dynamic, in that it requires a lot of critical thinking, and students who are Resident Assistants can count on serving in a variety of different ways. For specific questions, you can reach out to any Residence Director or member of the Residence Life team on campus. In general, the RA position is focused on six topics:

  • Developing Resident Relationships—The RA will build meaningful relationships with individual residents within their floor and hall communities. Throughout the year, the RA will serve as resource gathers, referral agents, and peer counselors. The RA will employ effective listening skills while getting to know residents beyond the superficial level and helping connect residents within the residence hall communities. Our goal is to help residents learn life management skills, to help them feel a sense of belonging, to have confidence in their intellectual capacities, to clarify their attitudes and values, and ultimately, to assume responsibility for themselves as adults.
  • Building Inclusive Communities—The RA will work to create a safe, comfortable, and inclusive environment where residents, guests, and community members can study and have their basic needs met. Furthermore, the RA will be responsible for promoting a sense of belonging by establishing the foundations for a community.
  • Practicing Ethical Leadership—The RA will represent themselves and the department honestly and ethically. This includes maintaining privacy, respecting information that needs to be kept confidential, reporting information that must be shared to appropriate people, ensuring responsible use of resources, access, and equipment, and making ethical decisions around university policies and state/federal laws.
  • Ensuring Safety and Security—The RA will help to maintain the safety and security of residents and residence hall facilities through fulfilling regular duty assignments as well as through their regular presence in their residence hall community. RAs will enforce University Housing policies fairly and consistently, as well as respond to crises and notify appropriate personnel. RAs will assist in connecting residents with appropriate support.
  • Completing Administrative Tasks—The RA will assist in the smooth operation of the residence hall, as administrative tasks are important to the overall operation of the hall and connection with students. The RA will complete administrative in a through, accurate and timely manner as directed by their supervisor and/or other housing staff.
  • Active Team Player—The RA will function as a member of a staff team and a department. The RA will be a contributing member of a staff team by respecting and supporting others and working effectively within a group. The RA will be expected to support members of a diverse team that includes other areas of housing as well as campus partners.
Position Requirements

Residence Life seeks candidates who enjoy working in a community setting and fostering a living-learning community. Applicants must:

  • Be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours at the University of Nebraska Lincoln (9 if you are a graduate student).
  • Have a minimum cumulative and semester GPA of 2.5 or higher to apply for and retain the position. (GPA requirements for Knoll Residential Center and Kauffman Residential Center are different).
  • Have obtained 24 credits at a college or university by the end of the semester prior to beginning employment (e.g. by the end of spring semester for a fall position). Credits obtained do not include AP or credits obtained while in high school.

Employment opportunities in addition to the RA position must not interfere with job responsibilities and is required to have supervisor approval prior to starting. Nebraska Human Resource requirement of FTE must be followed.

Time Commitment

The nature of the RA position is such that its responsibilities are determined not so much by a time clock or a calendar, but by the needs of residents. Some periods, such as training, opening and closing will require more time than average, but other responsibilities will arise that cannot always be anticipated and scheduled. Key time commitments include:

  • Duty — RAs will work approximately one duty night a week and one duty weekend a month. Duty entails staying in the hall between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on the date you are on duty; being accessible via phone; walking the building to do security checks; and responding to any issue, incident or needs that arise. In addition, staff is expected to share duty responsibilities over break time when the halls remain open (Thanksgiving, spring recess, fall recess, MLK weekend, Easter, etc.).
  • Opening, Closing and Breaks — RAs serve a facility role in getting the halls ready to open and closing them down for breaks and at the end of the school year. As such, RAs arrive early and depart late at fall break, Thanksgiving, winter break, spring recesses, as well as stay later at the end of the year when the buildings close.
  • RA training — In the fall, mandatory staff training begins approximately two weeks before classes begin and continues through the beginning of the fall semester. The training schedule often goes for the entire day and includes evening responsibilities for prepping the hall.
  • Regular meetings — Meetings include mandatory weekly staff meetings (Wednesday’s 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with hall supervisors.
  • Nights Away — RAs are allowed 12 nights a semester where they do not have to return to the building.
  • Limits on Outside Employment — Up to 15 hours of outside employment is possible while holding the RA position.
Compensation

Residence Life seeks candidates who enjoy working in a community setting and fostering a living-learning community. Successful applicants receive:

  • Residence hall contract at no cost in the building for which you are hired.
  • Red 18/200 meal plan at no cost (subject to change based on meal plans changes.)
  • Stipend of $600 a semester. RAs employed for three semesters or more receive $800 per semester compensation.