Their overall responsibility is to provide leadership, assistance, and support to the students living in the residence halls. A large portion of the Resident Assistant's responsibilities are spontaneous and unscheduled, due to the nature of residence hall life.
Applications are currently being accepted for Fall 2008. The application priority deadline is October 28, 2007. We anticipate openings for January 2008. If you meet the minimum qualifications to be a Resident Assistant in the Spring 2008, please submit an application by October 26, 2007.
Each staff member must carefully organize time commitments to meet the demands of course work, the Resident Assistant position, and personal interests. Therefore, no students engaging in student teaching, internships, professional practicums, or employment outside of Illinois State can be concurrently employed as a Resident Assistant.
Note the following forms that need to be completed as part of your application process (Release Form and Reference Forms) need to be sent to Susan Dudolski, Campus Box 2600, Normal, IL 61790:
- Resident Assistant Application :The questions are self-explanatory. You should fill out all areas of the application, and spend time thoughtfully answering questions. This form is now submitted online - please click send at the bottom of the application. Once the application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation e-mail to show it was received.
- Resident Assistant Selection Process (Release Form, in .pdf format): This form needs your name, signature, university ID, and date (in 3 places) for us to have permission to do a background check, a review of your disciplinary standing with the University, and authorization to check your GPA. The RA Recruitment and Selection Committee will check your GPA with the Registrar's Office. You will need to fill out this form by hand and mail it to Susan Dudolski, Campus Box 2600, Normal, IL 61790.
- Resident Assistant Application Reference Form (in .pdf format): Print off three copies of this form, and choose three people you wish to act as references. If you live in the halls one of these references MUST come from your current RA. The other two references can come from anyone you choose (e.g. professors, advisors, residence hall staff, friends, high school teachers/coaches/counselors etc.). Make sure you notify your references as soon as possible, so that your application materials can be completed in a timely manner. References are due on or before November 16th.
Application Deadline: Preferred Deadline October 28, 2007, we will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis.
Candidate Interviews:
- If you qualify for a position for the Spring semester 2008, you will be eligible to interview in November.
- All Fall 2008 candidates will interview in the Spring semester 2008.
You will schedule your individual interview at the Small Group Process. At this time, you will be notified which interview day you qualify for. All interviews are 30 minutes in length and will take place in the Walker Hall Large Lounge in Central Campus.
Initial notification letters will be sent on or around March 24, 2008. At this time, letters will inform you of your status in the Resident Assistant Candidate Pool. Spring 2008 candidates will be notified prior to the end of the Fall semester 2007.
Qualifications
- 27 hours of completed undergraduate course work at the time of appointment
- cumulative 2.40 GPA at time of Application (1st year student grades will be checked at the end of the Fall semester)
- good standing with the University (e.g. ISUPD, Community Rights and Responsibilities, etc.)
- lived in the residence halls for at least one semester at the time of appointment
- enrolled in classes full-time as an undergraduate or graduate student at Illinois State
Responsibilities
- Facilitate the personal development of residents in a variety of ways, including meeting social, physical, and emotional needs and by being sensitive to their individual concerns.
- Organize floor and hall events to encourage active participation and involvement on a one-on-one, small group, and large group basis.
- Develop and maintain a community atmosphere within the residence halls.
- Assist in administrative duties such as completing Room Condition Reports, proration, duty coverage, and other tasks as assigned.
- Communicate, interpret, and consistently enforce residence hall and university rules and regulations.
- Be a role model to your fellow students through mature behavior consistent with university rules and regulations.
- Inform students about university procedures, services, and policies and make referrals when appropriate to other campus and community agencies.
- Participate in mandatory weekly in-service training and staff business meetings held from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday of the semester. Remember to reserve these times when scheduling classes.
Remuneration and Benefits
The majority of benefits you will receive by becoming a Resident Assistant at Illinois State University will be intangible. Resident Assistants will gain valuable experience in diversity, leadership, organization, time management, ethics, program planning, mediation, crisis response, and administrative capabilities. These experiences will carry with you through your personal and professional life.
Tangible remuneration will include:
- A waiver of room and meal plan
- Stipend beginning the 3rd semester of RA position
- Opportunity for employment in residence halls for up to 6 hours per week for those RA's who have less than two full semesters of experience and up to 12 hours per week for those staff who have two or more completed semesters of experience.
Other Important Information
References: We are unable to accept any references directly to the University Housing Office via fax. If you intend to utilize a fax machine to have a reference send information, this information must be received outside of UHS and then turned in with the rest of your RA Application material. Please understand you or your references may not fax material to UHS directly.
Room and Board Remuneration: Please note that compensation (room and board remuneration) for the Resident Assistant position is considered non-taxable income thus must be reported to the Financial Aid Office. UHS recommends that you contact the Financial Aid Office on how your non-taxable income may or may not impact your financial report (i.e. federal work study, etc.)
Training: Please be advised that RA staff is required to return to school early in January for Winter Training and August for Summer Training. Typically, January training begins two days before we open the halls. Summer training begins the first week in August and usually conflicts with the last week of Summer school. All RA staff are required to attend these training sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions (what you need to know as you are applying to be an RA):
1. Can freshman apply to be an RA?
Yes, they can apply. We are currently taking applications for Fall 2008 which is the semester a typical freshman would be qualified for a position. As long as you are planning to have 27 hours completed by Fall 2007, a cumulative GPA of 2.4, and continue to be in good standing until that time - you definitely qualify to apply now. Our preferred application deadline for Fall 2008 RA candidates is October 26, 2007.
2. What do I do if I want to be an RA in Spring 2007?
You will apply by the preferred deadline of October 26, 2007 - if you qualify for the Spring semester: 27 hours completed at time of appointment, cumulative GPA of 2.4, and in good standing with the university - you will be contacted to interview in November, 2007. If you are selected for an open position, you will notified prior to Winter Break or before the start of the Spring semester.
3. What are the mandatory time commitments of an RA?
Every Tuesday from 3:30-5pm is the RA business meeting and every Thursday is the RA in-service from 3:30-5pm - these are mandatory meetings and classes must be scheduled around these times. You will also be required to serve on-call and on-duty for emergency response which is scheduled with your staff once you have been hired.
4. What should I do if prefer to be placed in a certain area of campus - am I guaranteed this area?
On your application, you will be asked to preference a building or a house. This is only a preference - actual placement is not guaranteed in the areas you preference. We will look at the preferences and accommodate if we can, but we hire RA's based on the needs of an area, which may mean you will not be granted your preference when hired. We believe you will be happy as an RA no matter where you are placed.
5. What if I really want to be an RA in a certain area of campus and do not get placed there--Can I just not accept my offered placement and go back in the candidate pool?
NO! You will only have one opportunity to accept or decline your placement offer. If you decline the RA offer, you will be removed from the candidate pool and must re-apply the following semester.
6. What if I have been documented for a policy violation?
You must be considered in "good standing" with the university to be qualified for an RA positon. To be in "good standing" you must not currently be on probation or have been involved in any incident with the Police Department.
7. How do I find out more information about an RA position
Talk to a Prostaff in your area, they are always looking to mentor potential RA candidates. Contact any front desk to talk with a Prostaff member.
8. What if I am placed in the alternate pool and not hired for an RA position by March?
You will remain on the alternate list for the period of one full academic year (ex. If you apply in Fall 2007, you will remain on alternate list through Spring 2009). The alternate list means you are a hirable candidate, but that we currently do not have a space for you at this time. As soon as a space becomes available that you would meet our needs, you will be hired. This means you could remain on the alternate list for the full year and not be hired if we do not have enough positions for the alternates. After the year, you will need to re-apply for a position.
9. What do I do if I decide I do not want to be an RA?
Please contact Susan Dudolski at 436-9320 to inform her you are not interested in continuing in the RA process.
10. Can I fax in my references?
NO, you must have them sent directly to Susan Dudolski, Campus Box 2600, Normal, IL 61790.