Resident Assistant Position Description   The Resident Assistant (RA) is a paraprofessional staff member of the Office of Residence Life (ORL) and reports directly to one of the Area Coordinators (AC). The ACs report to the Assistant Director of Residence Life (ADRL).  The ACs will assist the RAs in their role as an integral part in the overall operation of the residence halls.  Primarily, the RA is concerned with the growth and development of each individual on his/her floor and the building community as a whole.  Additionally, RA’s are continually striving to enhance the quality of life for our residents.  Below is an abbreviated list of the specific responsibilities of the RA position.   I.  Advising and Counseling   -    Know the residents of your hall.  Be aware of their personal, social, and academic concerns, and respond to those concerns appropriately. -    Help your residents with personal problems and concerns. -    Be visible, available and approachable to all residents. -    Be sensitive to the issue of confidentiality.     II.  Information, Communication, and Resource Referral   -    Attend all staff meetings and be on time. -    Post necessary notices in your hall and update weekly. -    Hold monthly floor meetings. -    Be familiar with, role model, communicate and enforce Institute and ORL policies and procedures.     III.  Program and Activity Planning   -    Strive to develop a sense of community among residents. -    Initiate, plan and organize active programs of social, educational, cultural, and recreational nature. -    Plan and implement at least two wellness programs and two social programs per semester. -    Contribute to Residence Life Week and other ORL programs and activities. -    Submit program paperwork within the established timeline. -    Create passive social and educational programming opportunities through the use of bulletin boards     IV.  Duty & Related Responsibilities   -    Participate in rotating, on call duty roster.  Duty hours are currently:    Weekdays – 5:00 pm through 8:00 am of the following day (may change)    Weekends – Friday 5pm until Sunday 5pm (may change) -    Arrive early before student check-in and stay late after the closing of the halls in order to assist with opening and closing tasks each semester. -    Check with your AC before making travel arrangements that may affect duty or training attendance. -    While on duty, maintain office hours from 7pm -11pm and perform building rounds.     V.  Facilities and Safety   -    Report needed repairs according to established procedure. -    Follow-up on maintenance requests. -    Understand and familiarize residents with community safety, emergency and fire evacuation procedures. -    Maintain good liaison relationship with custodial personnel.     VI. Limit Setting and Residential Safety   -    Model appropriate behavior at all times. -    Be familiar with, enforce, and be able to explain ORL and Institute policies and regulations. -    Encourage students to take responsibility for their own actions -    Report and document in a neat, timely, and orderly fashion all incidents and situations which threaten the health, safety, and security of hall residents. -    Respond to and report emergencies on a 24-hour basis.     VII.  Administrative   -    Complete assigned paper work and administrative tasks correctly, timely and efficiently -    Be familiar with and be able to explain housing and maintenance procedures. -    Complete specific tasks for the ORL staff as assigned (e.g. feedback summaries, surveys, etc.). -    Assist with opening and closing of the residence halls -    Arrive early and stay late for openings, closing and holidays, etc.     VIII.  Interpersonal Skills and Teamwork   -    Exhibit effective communication, listening, and confrontational skills. -    Challenge yourself to achieve higher levels of awareness of people’s perceptions, maintaining appropriate sensitivity and awareness of cultural norms. -    Make yourself available to your residents, AC, fellow RAs, ADRL and ORL. -    Maintain and exhibit a positive and supportive attitude toward the ORL, Aramark, Temco, Campus Police and Stevens Institute of Technology.     IX.  Decision Making   -    Follow-through on decisions and keep your AC informed. -    Use common sense and good judgment. -    Understand when and how to address matters that may be conflicting or sensitive.     X.  Committee Responsibilities   -    Actively contribute to the success of committee and related tasks. -    Be actively involved and contribute successfully to all committee functions. -    Attend weekly committee meetings (~1 hour) and be on time. -    Complete all assigned tasks on time (1-2 hours / week).     XI.  Personal/Paraprofessional Development   -    Attend all training and meetings on time, and balance time commitments well. -    Recognize limitations and work to improve self and performance. -    Be committed to the RA position and responsibilities. -    Attend at least one designated professional development conference per year. Enjoy what you do & have fun!
Resident Coordinator	Resident Assistant	Area Coordinator