By: Ashley Reynolds, Staff writer
Strong sense of community, student leadership experience, and free room and board. These are all perks of being a Residence Assistant, more commonly known as an RA. With applications for the 2013-2014 year going live on Monday, Feb. 1, interested students are polishing up their resumes and preparing for the first interviews.
However, being an RA is not easy, and aspiring RAs have to go through a long and arduous selection process to get their jobs . First they must attend an information session (the last session of 2013 was on Jan. 23) which will give them the necessary dates and times for the rest of the process.
Applicants must post their resume and cover letters between Feb. 1 and Feb. 10..
After that, selected applicants are invited to group interviews Feb. 18-21 to test how they interact with others and work as a community. Only after that will a student be asked to an individual interview.
So what are they looking for?
In the first information session, KJ McConnell, Associate Director of Residence Life, went over a few key qualities they look for in applicants. You need a minimum GPA of 2.5 to apply, but a higher GPA helps. The other two requirements are a good judicial standing and that the student has lived on campus at least two semesters.. While they want someone active in the community, an RA needs to be regularly available.
KJ strongly suggested applicants take the course “Campus Leadership Skills” (SLU-115). The class takes place Sunday nights from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and is curtailed to the skills specific to the RA position. KJ herself teaches the course, and emphasizes the importance of community throughout the class.
Even with all of these requirements met, with so many people competing for the same job, it is difficult to get the position. There are currently 44 RAs on campus between the 12 residence halls, with more positions opening up when Apartment 6 is opened. This is not enough for all the people that want to apply, especially considering many previous RAs are invited to return to their positions.
The Office of Residence Life is in the lobby of Apartment 6 and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
