Some students joke that RAs are \u201cjust hall monitors that get paid,\u201d but at the University of Redlands, RAs are much more than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yessenia Sanchez, the Assistant Director of Housing Operations for Residence Life and Housing (RLH), defined RAs to be \u201cparaprofessional staff members who are responsible for enhancing the quality of life of all students in the residential communities, with specific emphasis on fostering community and being attentive to the safety and security of our residents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The average hall monitor probably isn\u2019t trained in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), time management, program curriculum, mediation or de-escalation. But RAs are, according to Sanchez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before starting their job, RAs must attend a two-and-a-half week training in August and a refresher course in January. On top of this, they hold weekly meetings where their training is reviewed and expanded upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than being responsible for residents\u2019 security, they are leaders and role models for their halls. The RA of the second floor of Merriam, Emmett Borton \u201926, said that RAs, in addition to being responsible for their residents\u2019 safety, ensure their residents are acclimating to campus life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve likely heard the phrase, “RA on duty, everything alright in here?\u201d At night, RAs do rounds of the dorms and check the bathrooms, using that phrase before entering the bathroom. If they hear an answer they move on with their rounds. If not, they go into each bathroom stall to ensure that nothing is broken and no one is potentially incapacitated, Borton shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These rounds are part of being \u2018on duty,\u2019 Borton explained. On-duty shifts span from 7pm to 7am and when it comes to deciding who is on duty for a particular day, schedules are drawn up at staff meetings. Duties are shared among RAs in dorm groupings. For instance, the freshmen dorms are one grouping, and the dorms on the quad are another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have eight RAs on staff [for the freshmen dorms]\u2026 we just try to schedule so that everyone has an even number of days,\u201d Borton said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being \u2018on duty\u2019 entails doing rounds twice in a night for weekdays and three times in a night for weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t mind duty rounds until they\u2019re on the weekend because on the weekend we have to do three of them and the last one has to be after quiet hours [at 1am]. Having to be up that late on a weekend round is my least favorite part [of being an RA],\u201d Emmett added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with checking bathrooms, the on-duty RAs completing their rounds check all common areas and fire extinguishers. They ensure there are no policy violations and that all residents are safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RAs are also the first resource for students having a roommate conflict. At the beginning of the year, they meet with residents to form roommate contracts. These contracts become necessary when conflicts arise, or if students want to consider switching rooms. RAs collect and report information shared by students. Then, if necessary, they hold a roommate mediation meeting, where issues are addressed. This falls under their duty of ensuring that students are acclimated on campus and feel safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once an RA is aware of an issue, so long as it doesn\u2019t require immediate intervention, around two weeks are given to allow for the residents to resolve it amongst themselves. Sanchez called this a \u201cstandard process for roommate conflicts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n RAs are deeply involved in their dorm community, being a constant mediator between residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like many RAs, Borton finds the job of an RA to be enjoyable and well-paying, despite the challenge of finding a balance between work and personal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always say \u2018RA hat on\u2019 or \u2018RA hat off,\u2019\u201d Borton shared. This is a common phrase RAs use to help create the necessary division between work and off-time. They use it to remind residents or friends that they have a duty to report anything they hear that violates community standards. \u201cYou\u2019re free to do whatever you want but as soon as I\u2019m made aware, I am responsible for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n RAs take their jobs seriously and report whatever comes to their attention, especially alcohol or drug use. \u201cSometimes my RA hat has to go on no matter what because we\u2019re a federally funded campus so we can\u2019t have any marijuana use. Anytime I see or smell [marijuana] I have to document it, call Public Safety, and go through the protocols,\u201d Borton added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to the rigor and responsibility of being an RA, the job isn\u2019t a good fit for everyone. “Sometimes you can get thrown into situations you weren\u2019t prepared for and sometimes you have to think on your feet. You\u2019re not always going to say the right thing and do the right thing. You have to be ready to handle stressful situations with little to no warning,\u201d Borton explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite this, Borton shared that he enjoys his job immensely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy favorite part of the job is getting to meet a lot of people. Being an RA, I see all the people on all the floors. I do my best to interact and know the faces and names. I try to know a large pool of people,\u201d Borton said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe accept any application as long as they meet the criteria,\u201d Sanchez said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One such criterion RLH checks is academics. Those applying must have a GPA of at least 2.5. More important to the selection process, however, is the attitude and work-ethic of individuals applying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey need to be responsible, remain calm under pressure, be a good role model and be able to successfully build community in our buildings,\u201d Sanchez added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to selecting candidates for the position of RA, a big factor RLH considers is the diversity of the campus. They want to ensure that the team of student leaders in the dorms represents the student body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Becoming an RA is a competitive process. Sanchez shared that last year RLH received forty-six applications. Of those forty-six, only twenty-seven were accepted. This includes the applications received from current RAs applying to be rehired the subsequent year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrom my understanding it\u2019s the same application, same process, same timeline,\u201d Borton shared. There exist small differences like the content of the interview and tweaks to the application requirements, but in general everything is the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One such unchanging part to the application is hall placement. All applicants are asked what halls they would like to be placed in during the hiring process. While seniority is a factor in normal student housing, with room draw being open to current Juniors first and incoming Freshmen last, RAs are generally placed wherever their skillsets are needed. Still, RLH does their best to accommodate hall placement requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theredlandsbulldog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Photo-from-Emmett.jpg\")
Duties of Resident Assistants<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Inside the Life of a Resident Assistant<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Hiring Process<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Apply<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n