Resident Assistants (RA) are members of the Department of Residence Life, and are supervised by the Director and Assistant Director of Residence Life. The Department of Residence Life is a part of the Student Services Division and the Director reports directly to the Dean of Students.

The primary function of the Resident Assistant is to develop and maintain a positive living and learning community which encourages academic achievement and personal and intellectual development, promotes individual rights and responsibilities, and fosters individual differences. The RA is an integral member of the Residence Life team.

The RA is responsible for a living area housing 30-46 students. At 150 Tremont, RAs live in single rooms, one RA per floor, and are responsible for the residents of their floor. In the Nathan R. Miller Residence Hall, RAs live in single rooms, one RA on every other floor, and are responsible for the residents on two floors.

RAs fulfill many roles while performing their jobs. They are peer advisors for their residents, helping them with academic and interpersonal problems, mediating conflicts, and making appropriate referrals to campus resources.

RAs plan social, cultural, and educational activities in the hall, and are expected to be limit-setters who confront inappropriate behavior and assist in enforcing university policies. They perform a number of administrative duties as well. But perhaps most importantly, RAs are role models, educators, and community builders to the diverse groups of student who live in the residence hall.

Student Development

• Sets a good example for residents by following all University and residence hall policies and modeling responsible and appropriate behavior expected of residents.
• Is known by residents as an available, approachable, visible and resourceful staff member.
• Gets to know the names and room numbers of each resident of his/her floor within the first two weeks of the semester.
• Develops a community on his/her floor in which residents are able to sleep, study and socialize in an atmosphere that is respectful of individual differences and conducive to the educational process.
• Is informed about, understands and abides by all Suffolk University policies and procedures.
• Is a limit-setter in the residence hall, educating residents regarding university policies and standards of conduct, student rights, and the discipline process; enforcing University policies by responding to and confronting inappropriate behavior and violations of policy; and documenting such incidents in a timely manner.
• Works to identify and solve problem situations in the living area including roommate conflicts, personal problems, and emergencies.
  Works with other staff members to develop and maintain an atmosphere in the building which is conducive to studying, sleeping, and socializing.
• Maintains a positive attitude toward others and accepts others whose lifestyles and attitudes are different than their own.
  Is aware of and responds to the academic and personal problems of their residents, which include making referrals to the appropriate university resources (i.e., the Director of Residence Life, Counseling Center, Learning Center, Health Services, or Dean of Students Office).
• Respects and maintains confidentiality regarding resident issues by not discussing them with other students or inappropriate persons. However, the RA will be expected to keep the Director of Residence Life, or some other professional member of the university community, informed about serious or potentially dangerous resident issues.
• Serves as a good listener and helper, while recognizing limits of his or her training and experience as a helper, making referrals as necessary.

Programming

• Identifies programming needs and interests of the residents in the living area.
• Coordinates and implements programs and activities.
• Participates in both planned and spontaneous activities in the living area.
• Documents and reports programming activities.
• Encourages residents to participate in Residence Life and University community events by communicating the necessary information.
• Conducts floor meetings as determined by the Director of Residence Life.

General Administration

• Attends and fully participates in all training and departmental staff meetings.
• Completes all paperwork accurately and within established time lines. This includes: program planning and evaluation forms.
• Distributes and collects all Residence Life information to students within established time lines.
• Assists with the check-in and check-out procedures at scheduled move-in and move-out times and as necessary during the year.
• Assists with room/apartment condition forms and submits them within established time lines.
• Assists with the opening and closing of the residence hall and apartments at the start and end of each semester, as well as Thanksgiving and spring breaks.
• Is prepared to arrive up to 10 days prior to opening and remain through closing and possibly through Commencement.

Maintenance and Facility Administration

• Responds promptly and appropriately to all safety and health hazards.
• Is aware of and follows procedures for reporting housekeeping (ABM) and physical plant problems, and follows up with students to see that the requests have been completed.
• Maintains an accurate report of all students residing in their area at all times.
• Helps maintain a safe and secure environment which is conducive to student growth and development.
• Investigates any damage to the building immediately and reports it to Physical Plant and Residence Life.
• Is familiar with and responds to all fire alarms and is aware of the building and emergency procedures.

Staff Responsibility

• Is available for duty approximately 25 nights per semester. On average, 4 to 6 weeknights per month and 4 weekend nights per month. Duty includes being available and accessible to all building residents, walking through the floors, speaking with residents, responding to problems, and maintaining open communication with the professional staff, security personnel, and on-call staff.
• Coordinates time off with the Assistant Director in advance of making the duty schedule. Seeks advance approval from the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Summer Programs for overnight and weekend absences from the hall. Weekends away will be coordinated by the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Summer Programs to ensure that the residence hall has adequate coverage.
• Discusses outside jobs, major co-curricular involvement, such as student leadership positions or participation in varsity athletics, with the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Summer Programs in advance of the start of each semester.
• Assumes other responsibilities as deemed necessary by the Director and/or the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Summer Programs.

Qualifications

• An RA must be registered as full-time graduate or undergraduate student during both the fall and spring semesters of the academic year.
• An RA must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.8. Exceptions to this policy can only be made by the Director of Residence Life for extremely compelling reasons.
• An RA must be in good academic, financial and social standing with the university.

Compensation

• 150 Tremont & Nathan R. Miller Residence Hall: Each RA will receive a single room, including local phone service and satellite television service, for the academic year. RAs are required to participate in the residence hall meal plan and will not be compensated for this cost.