Resident Assistant Selection
The Office of Residence Life and Housing employs approximately 75 Resident Assistants (RAs) who are at least second-semester first-year students. Working closely with full-time Area Coordinators (ACs), the RA is responsible for the overall supervision of a residence hall floor or apartment community of approximately 25-50 residents.
As a member of the Residence Life and Housing staff, RAs works to foster the development of a community on a floor or apartment area through a variety of methods. It is important for RAs to be willing to develop the interpersonal skills necessary for working with a wide variety of people. Resident Assistants should have a genuine interest in working with all students and helping these students develop intellectually and socially, regardless of background.
Resident Assistants are the foundation of the Housing staff and have the responsibility to serve as an administrator, organizer, programmer and role model for the residents of their hall or apartment areas. The RA position is considered the principal out-of-class activity and any competing employment, interests, and activities must be approved in advance by Residence Life and Housing.
Resident Assistant Job Description 2024-2025
The 2024-2025 RA job description is available online here.
How to Apply
The RA Application is available in Roompact. If you are an off-campus student and are interested in applying, please contact our office so we can add you as a Roompact user.
Important Information and Timeline
Information Sessions
Information Sessions are meet and greet informational meetings that any student interested in applying to be a Resident Assistant can attend. Current Resident Assistants and professional staff members will provide you with background information about what the RA job entails, what the application process looks like, what to expect throughout the process, and can answer almost any question you may have.
- Upcoming RA Info Sessions (HCC 210)
- January 21st – 5:30pm – 6pm
- January 22nd – 5:30pm – 6pm
- January 23rd – 5:30pm – 6pm
- January 27th – 1:30pm – 2pm
- January 29th – 1:30pm – 2pm
Individual Interviews
Candidates are interviewed by staff members of the Office of Residence Life and Housing. You can expect to be asked a series of questions pertaining to your interest in the role, awareness of the position, leadership potential, community building, conflict management, and working with others. The interview will take approximately 45 minutes.
Group Process Interviews
Group Process interviews are essentially an experiential interview. As long as all application materials have been submitted and academic requirements are met, all RA applicants will participate. During Group Process interviews, you will be led through a series of interactive activities by experienced facilitators. You will also be observed and subsequently evaluated by members of the Residence Life and Housing team. The evaluators will be observing how you interact with your peers, your leadership skills, and the way you espouse or demonstrate the qualities that we are looking for in our RA staff.
Alternate Pool
The Alternate Pool is for those candidates for the Resident Assistant position who are qualified and have the skills to be a Resident Assistant, but we, unfortunately, do not have a position available at the time. If there should be a Resident Assistant position vacancy, professional staff from the Office of Residence Life and Housing will review and select candidates from the Alternate Pool. Candidates in the Alternate Pool will be notified via phone and e-mail if they are offered a position.
Alternate Pool candidates are eligible for hire until the next RA Selection Process.
RA Training
Resident Assistant Training is mandatory for all hired RAs. Resident Assistants come back early in August and January for training. Housing and meals are provided during this time.
RA Class
The RA Class is an opportunity to get further acquainted with Residence Life and Housing, meet your fellow staff members for the next year, and complete paperwork pertaining to employment. Class time is TBD and will be announced to new RA hires later this semester.
Fall RA Training
Fall training takes place in the month of August and is designed to teach RAs the necessary skills to be a residential leader in our communities. At the end of the training, RAs have the practical knowledge to carry out RA responsibilities and a philosophical understanding of why those responsibilities exist. In addition, RAs bond with other RAs, all of whom will be great resources to build community in our residence halls.
Winter Training
Winter training takes place in the month of January. RAs will return to campus before other UMW students. Winter training is designed to introduce and train new RAs, to further strengthen the cohesiveness of the group, and to redress problematic areas of the fall semester.
RA Benefits
Resident Assistants receive a reduced room rate credit and a stipend paid out over equal payments. The RA position requires someone who is truly dedicated to making living in the residence halls a positive experience for others in order to be successful. Due to the level of commitment needed, we encourage applicants who are only considering the stipend and room credit to consider whether or not they will be successful in the RA role. RA benefits are subject to change based on budgetary allocations and administrative decisions. Finalized RA compensation will be outlined in the offer letter for review prior to acceptance of the position.
Other benefits RAs receive include:
– Professional Development opportunities (conference attendance, training, etc.)
– Leadership Development
– Communication Strategies and Development (through connections with faculty, staff, and students)
– Marketable Skill Development