Potomac State College of West Virginia University Resident Assistant Position Description Revised: March 17, 2014 The Resident Assistant is a staff member of the Office of Housing & Residence Life appointed for one academic year. The Resident Assistant, working with the Residence Hall Coordinators (RHCs), the Assistant Director, the Division of Auxiliary Services and the University is responsible for meeting the goals of the Office of Housing & Residence Life: Establish an integrated academic and residential learning experience Create a climate and culture within the Residential Learning Communities which are conducive to academic success Focus on service to students and personalize the first year student experience Provide clear expectations to students regarding academic achievement Provide clear expectations to students regarding community standards in the Residential Learning Communities Encourage high quality faculty, staff and student interaction in all Residential Learning Communities Promote safety and security within the Residential Learning Communities Create a framework for the development of life-long learning skills Foster the development of critical thinking skills Encourage and support student involvement and leadership Encourage responsible decision making and accountability Encourage healthy choices and personal well-being Assist the University in recruiting and retaining quality students, faculty, and staff PRIMARY FUNCTIONS 1.) Provide personal help and assistance to residents The RA is often the first person a student approaches when questions or problems arise. In addition the RA is frequently in a position to observe or gain information from others. The RA will: A. Become well acquainted with and knowledgeable about each resident and their academic and social progress at the College. B. Initiate contacts with residents who appear to need support, or contact students at the direction of the Residence Hall Coordinator and/or the Assistant Director. C. Be available and accessible to students. 2.) Promote the growth and development of students. The RA is instrumental in contributing to the sense of community and the promotion of the residence halls as academic communities. Residence hall programming serves as an important element in the learning experience and development of college students. Providing effective programmatic experiences has been shown to increase student satisfaction with the living environment.
The RA will: A. Plan and participate in programs and activities for their residents with the Residence Hall Coordinator. Encourage and participate in activities which promote greater unity among residents and contribute to a sense of community and belonging B. Help to organize a minimum of one floor/building program (either social, community, or academic) for the residents on his/her floor/building in each of the following months: September, October, November, January, February, March, and April. C. Support campus activities as determined by the Residence Hall Coordinator and Assistant Director D. Help to support and facilitate the first-year experience for their residents. E. Be a positive role model. F. Promote and support Office of Housing & Residence Life activities and programs and the department s goals. 3.) Manage and facilitate groups. Much of the RA s time and effort is spent leading and working with groups of students on a residence hall floor. RAs play a formal leadership role when organizing programs or conducting floor meetings. At other times, the RA may choose to lead informally by assisting students in the process of organizing themselves. The RA will work together with the RHC to: A. Hold floor meetings to discuss program plans, explain policies, address issues and group concerns, promote other hall-wide activities. Encourage and support group activities on the floor, between other floors, and between other halls/rlcs (e.g. intramural sports). B. Hold floor meetings every week through September followed by every other week for the remainder of the school year. C. Provide leadership by displaying enthusiasm and a positive attitude toward activities on campus. 4.) Maintain an orderly and reasonably quiet environment. The residence hall serves as a student s home; consequently, the RA is expected to work with students to create and maintain a responsible living environment to ensure the well-being of all residents. It is essential that the RA helps to ensure a studious atmosphere while taking into consideration other students needs. In addition, the RA should strive for student responsibility to maintain personal security and the safety of the community. The RA will: A. Explain residence hall emergency procedures. B. Encourage group responsibility for the safety of the residents. C. Enlist all residents in maintaining quiet hours and other conditions to achieve a responsible and clean living environment. 5.) Explain and apply rules and regulations. It is necessary to have policies and procedures to provide guidelines for appropriate behavior; thus, the RA is expected to acquaint students with their responsibility to each other and the residence hall community. In addition, the RA must apply University and/or Residence Life rules and regulations to ensure equal opportunities for students to mature and succeed academically and personally.
The RA will: A. Adhere to federal and state laws and the rules and regulation of the University and Residential Education. B. Know and support University and/or residence hall rules and regulations and be able to explain why they are educationally advantageous to students as necessary. C. Explain and interpret University and/or residence hall rules and regulations to students, and enforce all residence hall policies in a fair and objective manner. D. Document policy violations and participate as required in the student conduct process. E. Maintain confidentiality in all student personal (including academic and conduct) matters. 6.) Keep students informed and, when necessary, direct them to appropriate referral sources. The RA is expected to be knowledgeable about the campus, its facilities, special programs, services, and overall referral procedures. The RA will: A. Be readily accessible to students and accepting of their questions, particularly during times of the year that generate many concerns (registration, selection of room assignments, final exams, etc.) B. Be familiar with campus personnel, resources, and procedures. C. Be aware of changes in available services and resources on campus. D. Read and post all information of interest to students. E. Design and create bulletin boards monthly and door decorations each semester. F. Post all pertinent information in a timely manner and remove old information. DAILY OPERATIONS Each hall will be staffed each night with the duty RA and a reasonable number of staff members, to be determined by the Residence Hall Coordinator and Assistant Director. RAs: A. Are allowed one weekend off during the following months: September, October, November, January, February, March, and April. RAs are responsible for requesting and reporting weekend absences to their Residence Hall Coordinator. Prior approval must be granted by the RHC. B. Are allowed 1 night off each week during the following months: September, October, November, January, February, March, and April. In addition RAs will be permitted one night off during the last full week of August provided it is not the first week of classes. Prior approval must be granted by the RHC. C. In addition RA s are allowed 2 extra nights (floater nights) off during each of the following months: September, October, November, January, February, March, and April. Prior approval must be granted by the RHC. D. Are permitted to combine a weekend off with a night off and thus take 3 nights off; however, extended time-off (i.e. more than 3 days) is not guaranteed: the Residence Hall Coordinator must approve this in advance. E. Must be in their assigned residence hall by Midnight Sunday through Thursday and by 2:00am on Friday and Saturday and remain there until 6:00 am (Reasonable short trips to specific hall commons areas are allowed: e.g. designated smoking areas.) F. Will accept special staffing duty as necessary (i.e. sporting events, concerts, weekends before finals, days when the College is closed due to weather or other emergencies, etc.) G. Must attend and participate in Fall Training and mid-year training.
H. Must attend and participate in all staff meetings. I. Will be responsible for weeknight duty, weekend duty, weekends where special coverage is deemed necessary, and hall openings and closings. J. Must be available through the end of each semester for closing of the residence hall. (RAs should plan on not leaving campus until a full day after semester hall closing.) K. Work desk or rove duty shifts approximately 4-6 hours per week. L. Must participate in selected campus programs and other special activities as determined by the Residence Hall Coordinator and Assistant Director. M. Will be required to be on duty and in-hall on opening weekend. N. Report housekeeping and maintenance issues promptly to their RHC. O. Complete all paperwork promptly and accurately in accordance with the request of the Residence Hall Coordinator. P. Keep the Residence Hall Coordinator informed of floor activities, problems, concerns and general floor atmosphere. Q. Assume other responsibilities as designated by the Residence Hall Coordinator in order to promote an environment conducive to student development and academic success. R. Assume responsibility for reading and understanding information in the RA Manual. S. Must check staff mailbox, voicemail, and email messages twice daily. T. Will complete other duties as assigned by the RHC and/or Assistant Director. Note: A Resident Assistant is expected to abide by residence hall policies and exhibit professional conduct at all times in the residence hall. For example, alcohol use is not permitted in the residence halls. Furthermore, at no time is a staff member to abuse alcohol or be impaired to perform their job responsibilities even if the alcohol use occurred off campus and/or if the staff member is of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages. A single incident may be grounds for immediate dismissal. Please refer to the training materials describing the types of behaviors that can prove problematic. REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENT ASSISTANT POSITION 1. RAs must maintain a minimum 2.5 undergraduate cumulative grade point average at the time of assumption of duties as a Resident Assistant, with preferences given to those applicants with higher GPAs. 2. If at any time a RA falls below a 2.5 cumulative grade point average his/her retention will be based on an individual counseling session with the Residence Hall Coordinator. Each RA should receive at least a 2.5 undergraduate GPA each semester. If a RA drops below the 2.5 minimum GPA requirement at any time, a decision will be made which is in the best academic interest of the student during their employment period with Housing & Residence Life and the needs of residents. If a cumulative grade point average or semester grade point average falls below 2.5, the RA will enter into a probation status. A RA should not be on academic probation with Housing & Residence Life for more than two consecutive semesters. 3. Candidates may not be considered for the position if they are not in good standing with the Office of Housing & Residence Life or have received disciplinary sanctions from the Office of Student Conduct. 4. RAs must be enrolled as full-time students. RAs wishing to take credits outside these parameters may do so only after consultation with and approval by their Residence Hall Coordinator. A RA may have only one semester below full-time during his/her employment period with Residential Education.
5. RAs who have student teaching or internship assignments need to be aware of the unique time demands and scheduling difficulties involved with fulfilling both responsibilities. The RA s decision to accept student teaching, counseling, and/or other internships should be discussed with the Residence Hall Coordinator prior to signing the employment agreement. 6. RAs must serve in the residence hall assigned. In the event that the residence hall has configuration changes, Housing & Residence Life reserves the right to reassign the staff to other responsibilities commensurate with RA room and board salary equivalents. 7. If a RA is terminated by Residential Education, he/she is not allowed to live in the hall in which he/she was employed. Housing in a different hall may be available contingent on vacancies. 8. If a RA terminates his/her employment, does not renew their appointment, or is terminated by Housing & Residence Life, he/she is subject to the policies identified in the housing contract concerning refunds, forfeitures, and repayments. A RA s room assignment and room and board waivers end when the RA is no longer an RA. SPECIAL NOTES Because of the unique and specialized nature and responsibilities of the RA position, an individual accepting this role must be prepared to commit time and energy to performing the expectations to the best of his/her ability. 1. RAs may only be employed in part-time jobs, if it is financially necessary. Such employment may not exceed ten hours per week. All RAs who desire additional employment must submit a request in writing and receive approval from their Residence Hall Coordinator before starting another job. 2. RAs may enroll in internships/practicums (i.e., co-op, business), not to exceed ten hours per week. 3. RAs may participate in one varsity athletic program during the academic year. Varsity athletes must participate in the fall, mid-year, and on-going training programs. 4. RAs may not pledge social and academic fraternities or sororities during their first semester as a staff member. 5. RAs may not hold elected positions in Hall Council or the Residence Hall Association. STAFF EVALUATION DISCIPLINE/TERMINATION Performance Appraisals Resident Assistants are appointed for the period for one academic year and report directly to the Residence Hall Coordinator. Their Residence Hall Coordinator will evaluate them during the fall semester and during the spring semester. RAs may re-apply during the fall semester for the following year. Retention and re-appointment is based upon the RA s contribution to the goals of performance in all aspects of the Resident Assistant position as determined by the Assistant Director.
Staff Deficiencies The following criteria outlines conditions which, if committed by a Resident Assistant, are considered serious enough to warrant disciplinary action and/or termination from the RA position. 1. Behavior resulting in a felony conviction. 2. Behaviors resulting in a misdemeanor conviction that casts reasonable doubt on the likelihood of satisfactory job performance. 3. Violation of residence hall and/or University policies and regulations. (Please refer to the special note contained following this section.) 4. Illegal possession or use of drugs. 5. Acts of negligence or incompetence that cast reasonable doubt on the likelihood of job performance. 6. Misuse of official keys. 7. Failure to show progress in meeting expectations as outlined in writing by the Residence Hall Coordinator. 8. Refusal to comply with reasonable, legitimate and specific direction from the Residence Hall Coordinator with regard to responsibilities expressed or implied in the job description. 9. Behavior that can be reasonably considered to be seriously damaging to the ability of the University to meet its contractual responsibilities. Note: A Resident Assistant is expected to exercise good judgment. For example, alcohol use is not permitted in the residence halls. Furthermore, at no time is a staff member to abuse alcohol or be impaired to perform their job responsibilities even if the alcohol use occurred off campus and/or if the staff member is of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages. It is to the discretion of the Residence Hall Coordinator in consultation with the Assistant Director to decide if a RA has not used good judgment or has severely failed the mission and goals of residential education on an incident-by-incident basis. A single incident may be grounds for immediate dismissal. Disciplinary Action/Termination Procedures 1. RAs will be made aware of conditions that would lead to employee disciplinary action or termination. Signing the RA Employment Agreement constitutes an understanding and acceptance of these conditions. 2. RAs will be informed of any decision by their supervisor that results in employee disciplinary action or termination. 3. Correspondence will outline the circumstance(s) or behavior(s), which led to employee disciplinary action or termination. 4. RAs who are terminated may appeal such a decision to the Director of Auxiliary Services by submitting a written appeal within two class days of employment termination notice. 5. The appealing RA will schedule a meeting with the Director of Auxiliary Services. 6. Appeals will be considered only if one or both of the following criteria are met: 1) New information that was unavailable at the time of termination can be presented and 2) Established procedures were not followed. 7. The appeal meeting with the Director of Auxiliary Services will serve as the final appeal for termination of student staff. Written notification outlining the decision reached in the appeal meeting will be sent to the appealing. Note: RAs who are terminated or reassign will be required to return their staff shirt.