Resident Assistant Responsibilities

What duties and responsibilities does a RA carry out?

The following are the fundamental expectations for a RA. Some duties are unique to each residence area. 

Community Development

• Help residents in establishing a community that values self-discipline, integrity, academic accountability, and active citizenship.
• Facilitate regular community gatherings and floor meetings to encourage continued growth and involvement within the residential living environment.
• Participate in and commit to creating educational, social, and cultural events for the residential community.
• Inspire residents to pursue their personal and academic interests and organize their own events and activities.
• Support departmental and CBU efforts to improve education and community development.
• Interact with each community member in a positive and thoughtful way.
• Encourage students to take ownership of their choices and the results of their behavior.

Academic Connection

• Encourage interactions between students, instructors, and staff that are centered on their chosen academic fields.
• Encourage residents to explore their academic interests in an encouraging environment.
• Promote formal and informal peer relationships among students in respect to their areas of academic interest.

Role Modeling

• Lead by example and represent Residence Life and CBU in a prominent manner on campus.
• Continue to have an excellent academic, financial, social, and conduct standing with the university.
• Maintain high standards and adhere to the rules contained in the Student Code of Conduct.
• Recognize that your conduct while working for the university, both on and off campus, as well as in online personas and social media platforms, will be evaluated.

Assistance, Mentorship, and Referral for Individuals

• Get to know the residents well enough to spot behavioral changes that may call for counseling or other help.
• Refer any counseling problems beyond her/his limitations to appropriate resources 
• Mentor and coach residents
• Uphold proper confidentiality regarding occurrences and documents involving students.
• Get to know the community and campus resources.
• Provide resources and referrals to residents and assist them with academic, personal, and social issues. 
• Be conscious of the extent of your authority and speak with a supervisor.

Meeting & Training Programs

• Successfully complete Fall and Spring RA Training. 
• Completely participate in all regular staff meetings, staff development activities, and training sessions. Without proper consultation, there won’t be any exceptions made.

Regulations and Policy Enforcement

• Know, support, abide by, and enforce all University and departmental regulations and policies in a fair and consistent manner.
• Inform residents of their responsibility to abide by CBU rules and procedures.
• Uphold the Clery Act and Title IX regulations as the authorized Campus Authority.
• Foster an atmosphere that encourages personal accountability and defends both the rights of the individual

Emergency Response and Crisis Intervention

• To ensure sufficient coverage, assume on-call/duty responsibilities as scheduled (7:00 p.m. –7:00 a.m.) at night, on weekends, during holidays when the University is open (such as Labor Day, etc.), and during hall openings/closings.
• Must be accessible and make rounds between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m., 2:00 a.m. on weekend nights (typically 2-3 nights per week). 
• Be accessible, walking the building to do security checks and responding to any issue, incident or need.
• Provide assistance as needed during emergency situations, such as extreme weather, crisis situations, etc.

Safety & Security

• Conduct rounds of the assigned housing area in accordance with protocol.
• Document and submit reports in a timely manner.
• Educate residents on fire and personal safety as well as evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency.
• Ensure the community is safe and livable for residents.

Administration

• Read the Student Code of Conduct, the Housing Terms and Conditions, and the Residence Life RA manual to get familiar with the administrative procedures they include.
• Help with opening and closing the halls/buildings.
• Report facilities issues.
• Assist with housing administration functions as assigned.
• Keep residents informed of campus happenings.
• Use department finances responsibly.
• Gather data and distribute it to produce reports as needed.

Outside Commitments

• Limit outside activities to avoid conflict with residence hall responsibilities which are a priority.
• Before the start of the semester and throughout the course of the semester, discuss and acquire clearance for any significant new commitments from your supervisor. The RA’s duties cannot be affected by employment or other obligations.

Evaluation & Reappointment

• Resident Assistants may not always be rehired for the subsequent academic year. The Resident Assistant’s performance from the prior year will determine whether they are rehired.
• Depending on the demands of our office and the student body, Residence Life reserves the right to reassign the resident assistant.