Position Overview: Resident Assistant
2007-2008

The Resident Assistant is one of the most important positions on campus. Without RA’s, there would be no Residential Life! The following expectations are all critically important to the mission of Res Life and Hope College. As you can see, there are a number of areas in which any good candidate must be willing to grow. As you apply, know that the Res Life staff is dedicated to helping all our RA’s thrive in meeting these expectations!

Student Interaction
o Develop and maintain positive relationships with residents.
o Be an active academic and social role model.
o Maintain availability to residents.
o Maximize availability to assist students during orientation, final exams and other times as needed.
o Encourage positive interpersonal and group interactions.
o Identify and offer assistance to students who have personal, academic, health, psychological health or other concerns.
o Refer students as needed to appropriate professional staff.
o Treat all residents with unconditional positive regard.

Community Development
o Encourage community responsibility.
o Assess needs and wants of residents.
o Initiate a variety of social and educational programs for the floor, cottage or hall.
o Facilitate discussion, creation, implementation & enforcement of community and roommate agreements.
o Assist with resident concerns including roommate conflicts and mediation needs, involving upper housing staff as necessary.

Diversity
o Foster an environment that recognizes and embraces a diverse world.
o Create a community inclusive of all residents.
o Implement activities that increase students' awareness of diversity issues.
o Respond to student behavior that is inappropriate/discriminatory/ harassing in nature (i.e. racial, ethnic, religious, ability, gender or sexual orientation).

Learning Focus
o Create a dynamic learning environment that challenges students to grow in mind, body, and spirit.
o Be familiar with and educate others about campus people, resources and procedures.
o Respond intentionally to student behavior.
o Establish and maintain an environment that is supportive of successful academic achievement.
o Help students utilize academic and career resources on campus.

Policy Enforcement
o Explain and enforce college policy.
o Consistently document policy violations and participate in the judicial process.
o Encourage resident accountability.
o Maintain confidentiality where appropriate.

Staff Support
o Work as a team to create community within the hall/neighborhood.
o Involve/communicate regularly with upper housing staff about community matters.
o Support and communicate effectively with all housing staff.
o Be flexible and willing to take on assignments as needed.
o Understand, support and articulate the mission and values of the Department of Residential Life.

Facilities and Operations
o Work to ensure safe, comfortable, and clean facilities that meet the needs of students.
o Assist in check-in & check-out procedures.
o Ensure the completion of accurate and thorough room condition forms.
o Educate residents about safety issues and their role and responsibility in maintaining a clean and safe living environment.
o Support maintenance and custodial staff.
o Maintain positive working relationships with Residential Life & Campus Safety.
o Communicate effectively and timely with upper housing staff about facilities concerns, work orders, reports of theft/vandalism, etc.
o Take initiative to address safety concerns.

Staff Communication
o Submit paperwork in timely manner- duty switches, duty logs, incident reports, work orders, supply requests, weekly reports, etc.
o Carefully plan, implement, and evaluate community development activities.
o Create / utilize publicity for hall activities.
o Participate in the staff evaluation process.

Spirituality
o Model behavior that allows spirituality to flourish in housing units.
o Create an environment that fosters expression of student’s spirituality.
o Support students in their spiritual growth.