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Student Life

RA Application & Hiring Process

Application

Below are the documents that you will need to complete for the application:

To complete, please print and fill out the above items. All materials are due to the Office of Residential Life in Ferguson 124. 

The reference page may be emailed to your references or printed and given to them, these are due no later than February 9th, 2021, for the 2021-2022 year.
If submitting in offseason recruitment, references are due upon submission. 

Required Steps To Become an RA

-Must turn in required materials as stated above.
-Complete Leadership Exercise.
-Complete 2 Shadow Rounds. (One Community Style and one Suite Style. Building Announcement TBD). 
-Complete and Interview (emails sent, if invited to interview). 

Interview Format

Each RA Candidate interview will be approximately 30 minutes long. It will focus on why you are applying, any relevant experience you may have, and what you hope to accomplish as an RA. There will also be time at the end for the candidates to ask any questions they may have. Interviews will be scheduled between February 22nd-25th 2021.

Application Essay Prompt

We are asking for a two page- double space essay/statement to the prompt.

Please send this via email to Area Coordinator Kelsey Earle at Please put "Application Essay" in the subject line.

Why do you want to be an RA?
What does leadership mean to you?
How would you apply your leadership approach to your community?

Leadership Exercise

Information for this coming soon! 

Interviewing Tips

  • Research the position. Know about all aspects of the staff member role including programming, peer helping, student conduct, community building, staff interactions, etc.
  • Reflect on why you want a position as a RA and what you hope to accomplish in the position.
  • Review the activities you have done recently so that you can demonstrate how your experiences could assist you as a staff member.
  • Think about what makes you unique. Ask yourself the question, "Would I hire myself as a staff member, and why?"
  • Arrive 5-10 minutes early. Confirm the time and place.
  • Acknowledge each member of the interviewing team. Offer to shake hands and introduce yourself.
  • Maintain eye contact and listen intently. Make sure you understand the question before you answer. Ask for clarification if you need to. It is perfectly acceptable to pause and reflect for a few moments before you answer the question. Remember to answer all parts of the question.
  • Dress The Way That Makes You Feel Confident: We in Res Life wear business casual attire and we all have our own style. So whether you come in in a three-piece suit of jeans, wear what makes you, you.  We just ask that no sweat pants or pajamas are worn.

Shadowing a Duty Night

Each applicant is required to complete a shadow round in both types of Residence Hall; Community or Suite Style. Buildings will be announced soon. 

The purpose of these shadows is for all the applicants to see what a typical duty night is looking like. From walking the halls to checking safety and security, the applicant will see how things run in the halls at night. This also gives the applicants a chance to see the different building styles and to interact with current RAs to learn more aspects of the job.