Application Packet for the
2016-2017
Community Advocate Staff
Applications must be submitted as a hard copy to
The Housing Office by:
Friday, April 15th at 4:30pm
Office of Housing and Residence Life
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington 99258
Gonzaga University Owned Off-Campus housing is comprised of 13 theme houses and three apartment
complexes throughout the Logan Neighborhood, approximately 100 residents. With the increase of off-campus
properties, student needs, university expectations, and Residence Life goals, the Community Advocate Staff
was created to assist the Residence Director in developing the off-campus community, assisting residents, and
helping manage rental processes.
Off-Campus Housing Mission: The overall philosophy and mission for offering off-campus housing is to
provide students the resources to be connected to campus, to guide them through the academic, curricular, and
relational portions of their life, and provide a strong community, while also educating and assisting them
through the housing process. We attempt to build positive landlord-tenant relationship for renters, treat all
residents with care and concern, and provide an educational component through the rental process. We hope
our off-campus residents see renting a property from Gonzaga University as a value-added educational
experience and anticipate the lessons residents learn in their off-campus rental experience will assist them in
purchasing their own home from an “informed point of view” pertaining to costs, benefits, and challenges. Our
goal is to build a strong community that will increase positive behavior and enthusiasm for our area!
2016 – 2017 COMMUNITY ADVOCATE STAFF APPLICATION
The information to be provided on the following pages will be essential in your overall evaluation as a
candidate for Residence Life Staff.
______________________
Last Name
Current Phone Number: __
Current Address: __
(include Box #)
_
__________________
__________
First Name
Middle Initial
_____________________
___________________________
Cell Phone:
______________
GU ID Number
Email: _
_______________________
__________________________
___________________________
Permanent Address: __
________________________
__
________________________
College(s) Attended
Permanent Phone: _
Major
Dates
_________________
Degree
_________________________
___________________
___________
_________________________
___________________
___________
Current Year at Gonzaga:
Present Major:
Grad
4th year
3rd year
2nd year
Last Semester GPA: __
________________________________ Expected Graduation Date:
_____
Cumulative GPA: ___
_____
1st year
__________
THE APPLICATION
To be considered for a Community Advocate, please provide the following information:
1) Resume and cover letter that reflects:
a. A purpose statement regarding your application for a Residence Life leadership position
b. Relevant previous leadership positions (including High School and GU experiences)
c. Prior work experience
d. Personal characteristics or traits that make you an excellent candidate for the position
2) Answers to the following questions:
a. List all extracurricular commitments you hope to keep next year and the amount of time they will
require each week (e.g. sports, theater, internships, music, student teaching, work hours, etc.).
b. Why do you want to be a Community Advocate and what needs do you perceive exist in the offcampus community that the Community Advocate team can address and how?
c. Describe a positive experience you have had as a member of the Gonzaga community. How will
you work to develop similar experiences for your residents living in Gonzaga owned off-campus
housing?
RECOMMENDATION (applicants who have worked for Residence Life and Housing Office are exempt from
submitting a recommendation, i.e. current or past Resident Assistants, Community Advocates, Work Study
Students, etc)
Applications WILL NOT be considered complete until one (1) recommendation form or letter of reference has
been received by the Office of Housing and Residence Life. Reference forms may be found attached to this
email or at the Housing Office. Complete references may be emailed to geis@gonzaga.edu or submitted to the
Housing Office.
Recommendations are due by 4:30pm on Friday, April 15th
The following references are required. The reference page is attached to this application.
1.
YOUR PRESENT RD, RA, CA or ARD or Residence Life Professional or Employer
Please ask this person to evaluate you in your capacity as a member of the floor and Residence Hall Community.
*If you are not currently living on campus, or have never lived on campus at Gonzaga, please substitute this recommendation for
a reference from a current or past employer.
Please initial the following statements indicating that you have read and agree to the best of your knowledge
and ability:
I have read and understand the information contained in this packet including the appropriate position
description(s).
If appointed as a staff member, I understand that I must perform all duties in a satisfactory manner or my
appointment may be terminated.
All of the information in this application is correct to the best of my knowledge.
Community Advocate Job Description 2016-2017
This position is designed for 2-3 student staff, depending on demand and year. Designed for students in their
third year at Gonzaga or higher, the staff member must live in university owned off campus housing.
The student(s) will provide essential support to a professional Residence Director who is assigned by the
University to manage university owned off campus residential properties and work with students living off
campus in non-university owned facilities to provide assistance, support, information and professional
resources. In addition, this professional works diligently in the Logan Neighborhood toward a good
relationship between the university and its neighbors by being active in the neighborhood association and acting
as a resource to the neighborhood’s non student population in regards to student concerns.
Each Community Advocate will be assigned special assignments they will be responsible for throughout the
year, which may include Theme House Management, Campus Relations, and Community Outreach. These
special assignments are designed to provide staff members the opportunity to develop more specific skills and
passions, and take ownership of their areas. Furthermore, the Advocate will be a resource to assigned
properties. They will work with the residents in assigned houses / apartments to place work orders, develop and
execute theme house events, and educate about policies and procedures. The Advocate will assist the Residence
Director by providing skill, presence, and accomplishing tasks as assigned and loosely described below:
Finally, the Community Advocate will be responsible for working collaboratively with a team of RA’s to ensure
a relationship between On-Campus and Off-Campus students all belonging to the same “block”.
General
 Develop relationships through personal contact with off-campus residents
 Encourage strong student leadership in off-campus block and theme houses
 Help mediate off-campus roommate conflicts
 Encourage off-campus student participation in block council
 Work to integrate the Residence Life Community Development Model into off-campus residents
 Attend staff meetings, trainings and 1:1s
 Plan and organize end of year barbecue to welcome new theme house residents
Support services for housing department -RD
 File creation on residents
 Filing of important information related to property management
 Roster design and upkeep
 Walking regular rounds of outside the properties to attend to grounds upkeep
 Personal contact and follow-ups with residents resisting email/phone contacts
Support services for GU renters provided by RD in collaboration with CA staff:
 Showing properties to prospective student renters
 Explaining Housing Agreements
 Checking students in and out of properties
 Inventorying property conditions
 Developing relationship with renters in order to provide care and concern
 Working with theme houses in the area to encourage a stronger leadership role from these particular renters
 Teaching simple courses on property care
o Snow removal
o Snow melt application
o
o
o
o
House care
Refuse/recycling disposal
How to request repair/maintenance work
Getting along with apartment or housemates
 Housemate agreements
Support services for GU renters provided by ARD in collaboration with CA staff:
 Assist RD in running CA selection, including interviewing CA candidates
Theme House Management and Program support- CA
 Theme House Programs
o Work with houses to educate and help them execute 2 social programs and 1 service project and
program per semester.
o Track events and budget of each theme house
 Attend and support theme house programs
 House Dinners
o Eat dinner with each house in an assigned district, addressing resident concerns
Campus Relations- CA
 Marketing
o Bulletin Board management
 Sinto
 Lamplighter
 Ritter
o Theme House program marketing
 Work with current theme house residents to present on theme house applications to potential
applicants
 Responsible party hosting
 Social events
 Additional programming developed by staff member if desired
Community Outreach- CA
 Newsletter
o Feature development and institutionalization
o Resident of the month
o House of the month
o Apartment of the month
o Recipe of the month
 Logan Neighborhood Meetings
o Attend and record Theme House Attendance
 Additional programming developed by staff member if desired
Off Campus Maintenance-Off Campus Apartments-CA
 Snow shoveling and salting the walk way from the building to the street sidewalk (NOT the sidewalk along
the street however)…within 12 hours of a snow event
 Biweekly dust-mopping the floor in laundry area, wiping down any stair railings, sweeping up any piles of
trash/leaves blown up into stairwells or walk ways

Checking in with theme houses to be sure they comply with their responsibilities for snow removal under
their rental agreements – for those which visually appear to not be in compliance
Compensation
CA’s will be provided rent free housing as compensation for responsibilities