The RA Role - At a Glance
First Things First... It Varies
The RA role will look a little different for each community. This is due to community location, needs, student populations, and different supervisor styles, among other things. Be sure to listen closely to your supervisors' expectations, ask questions, and be open to a new experience!
While this page offers a broad overview of the RA role, defer to your communities Lead Staff (Assistant Resident Director(s) and Resident Director) for any specific expectations.
While this page offers a broad overview of the RA role, defer to your communities Lead Staff (Assistant Resident Director(s) and Resident Director) for any specific expectations.
Summing It Up
The RA role has a wide scope of responsibilities - from interacting with residents and staff to serving in an on-call rotation, the role can be a difficult one to summarize! Knowing there is variety from community to community, we've summarized the RA role to a few main areas - Community Building and Being On Duty.
Community Building
Human connection is the heart of our work - you will hear this phrase time and time again throughout this year! Our role as Residential and Community Living staff members is to create communities with all of our residents. Community Building is the foundation of all work that we do and no one is more important to that process than you.
Competency Areas Covered: Making Human Connections; Availability; Approachability; Self-Awareness; Team Work; Communication Skills; Dependability & Follow-Through; Ability to do Administrative Task; Programming; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice, & Belonging (DEISJB)
Key Vocabulary
Alternatives: Occur Friday or Saturday nights between 9pm and 11pm, and serve as "alternatives" to going out to parties in Isla Vista.
Community Development Activities (CDAs): Events or activities typically done with the residents in your immediate jurisdiction.
Your lead staff will set expectations for how many CDAs and alternatives you will need to host each quarter as well as if they will require you to submit a program proposal prior to hosting and an evaluation once your program is complete. Programs are not held during Study Week and Finals Week and you cannot be on duty during your programs.
Competency Areas Covered: Making Human Connections; Availability; Approachability; Self-Awareness; Team Work; Communication Skills; Dependability & Follow-Through; Ability to do Administrative Task; Programming; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice, & Belonging (DEISJB)
Key Vocabulary
Alternatives: Occur Friday or Saturday nights between 9pm and 11pm, and serve as "alternatives" to going out to parties in Isla Vista.
Community Development Activities (CDAs): Events or activities typically done with the residents in your immediate jurisdiction.
Your lead staff will set expectations for how many CDAs and alternatives you will need to host each quarter as well as if they will require you to submit a program proposal prior to hosting and an evaluation once your program is complete. Programs are not held during Study Week and Finals Week and you cannot be on duty during your programs.
Being On Duty
While on duty, you serve as a primary support system to residents within the community! From concerns around community impact to support with lockouts, being on duty is one of the core functions of the RA role. While the scope of the responsibilities can feel broad and intimidating, you will have a variety of tools at your disposal! Apart from training you receive during SLD, one of the Resident Directors or Assistant Resident Directors are always holding a phone, 24/7, 365 (or 366 during the 2024 Leap Year) to support you in situations that may arise, offer guidance and advice, and help to remind you of the many processes we have!
While on duty, you will be expected to hold a duty phone, respond to calls, & perform duty walks around your community. During SLD you will receive training and expectations around your specific community including how to complete duty walks, when to text versus call Pro On Call, and how to respond to crisis (and non-crisis) situations while on call.
Competency Areas Covered: Making Human Connections; Availability; Approachability; Maturity; Communication Skills; Conflict Management; Safety, Security, & Community Standards; Maintaining Confidentiality
Key Vocabulary
Incident Report (IR): An official report that documents everything you see, smell, and hear, in an objective, non-biased fashion.
Documentation: Follows an incident or policy violation that you need to report in which you, as an RA, will be expected to write an IR. Start practicing shifting your language away from "writing up" residents towards "documenting" situations.
Duty Walk: A detailed walk through your community to accomplish goals including but not limited to: building connections with residents, ensuring all doors are properly locked, policies & guidelines are followed, and overall the community is safe & secure.
Pro On Call: 24 hours a day there is a lead staff member on call for your area in case additional assistance is needed or you have questions. The phone number is saved in the RA duty phone.
While on duty, you will be expected to hold a duty phone, respond to calls, & perform duty walks around your community. During SLD you will receive training and expectations around your specific community including how to complete duty walks, when to text versus call Pro On Call, and how to respond to crisis (and non-crisis) situations while on call.
Competency Areas Covered: Making Human Connections; Availability; Approachability; Maturity; Communication Skills; Conflict Management; Safety, Security, & Community Standards; Maintaining Confidentiality
Key Vocabulary
Incident Report (IR): An official report that documents everything you see, smell, and hear, in an objective, non-biased fashion.
Documentation: Follows an incident or policy violation that you need to report in which you, as an RA, will be expected to write an IR. Start practicing shifting your language away from "writing up" residents towards "documenting" situations.
Duty Walk: A detailed walk through your community to accomplish goals including but not limited to: building connections with residents, ensuring all doors are properly locked, policies & guidelines are followed, and overall the community is safe & secure.
Pro On Call: 24 hours a day there is a lead staff member on call for your area in case additional assistance is needed or you have questions. The phone number is saved in the RA duty phone.