Resident Assistants
The Resident Assistant (RA) position at University of Dubuque is a great leadership opportunity within the Office of Student Life. The RAs live in the residence halls and serve as a leader, helper, and resource person for students. This position serves as a critical link between the students on their floor, the Residence Hall Directors for Residence Life, and the Residence Life Office. This leadership opportunity requires being a representative of the University and a representative of student issues in the halls and across campus.
Resident Assistant Staff Selection
Through our Resident Assistant selection process, the Residence Life Office look to find student candidates who demonstrate the qualities of leadership, teamwork, maturity, and understanding of the needs of their fellow students. Thus, this search includes three major components:
- Application with free-response questions with two letters of recommendation
- An individual interview with current staff members
- A small group problem-solving activity session
Each of these components assists the search committee in evaluating the strengths and areas needing improvement for each candidate, while building a much more complete picture of the student. The overall goal of the selection process is to create a strong team of staff members for the following year, but in so doing, the department also hopes to provide a fun and rewarding experience for any student that desires to hold one of the most important, yet challenging, positions on a university campus.
RA applications and further information is available by contacting ResidenceLife@dbq.edu or stopping in the Office of Residence Life, 2nd Floor, Peters Commons.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities of Resident Assistants
Serves as a resource to residents
- Knows and interacts with all students within the assigned floor or area
- Communicates and promotes the mission and policies of the Residence Life Office
- Knows, abides by and enforces all rules, regulations and policies of the residence halls and of University of Dubuque as listed in the Student Handbook
- Mediates roommate conflicts and responds to crisis situations
- Works with Facility Services and/or Campus Safety & Security staff to resolve maintenance issues and safety concerns
Develops community
- Creates an environment where the needs and concerns of diverse populations of students are appreciated
- Promotes an environment that is conducive to academic and social development
- Promotes and supports University of Dubuque campus events and activities
Time Commitments
- Participate in all trainings, staff meetings, openings and closings during the academic school year
- Help with major on-campus events (examples include New Student Move-in, Homecoming Events, etc.)
- Serve in a regular duty rotation
Because of the nature of the position, the Resident Assistant is expected to be a presence in their community, especially early in the semester, a time critical for the development of a strong residential community. Individuals who have significant time commitments that prevent them from participating fully in fall training, from being a strong presence in their communities early in the semester or from assisting during opening and/or closing are expected to discuss those time commitments prior to accepting the position.
Qualifications
- Lived on campus or involved on campus for two semesters by the August of start of position.
- Achieved a cumulative and semester 2.5 GPA (both during the application process and throughout employment).
- Be in good conduct standing with the University.