SO YOU WANT TO BE AN RA?
Resident Staff Info Session
Rich Ressler, Program Coordinator for Resident
Staff Selections
Agenda
What does an RA really do?
Where can I be an RA?
How can I apply?
Questions?
RA Q&A Panel
What does an RA really do?
Housing and Residence Life’s Mission
Statement
The mission of our department is to
work collaboratively to create
inclusive, welcoming communities
where residents are empowered to
engage their potential as scholars and
leaders through self-governance and
participation in their residential
community.
The Role of a Resident Advisor
Build Community



Develop Programs
Support Residents
Enforce Rules
Time Commitments
Staff Meetings
• Weekly meetings with your Senior Resident and
other RAs in your association (your “staff”)
• 1hr/week
Big Area Meetings
(BAM)
• Thursday night meetings that cover important
topics for continued training
• 2hrs/month
Orientation (OWeek)
• Two week long training before classes begin
Coverage
• 10pm-2am “on duty” shifts
• Friday, Saturday nights plus special situations
• Frequency varies by area
Programs
• (At least) monthly events coordinated by RAs for
their residents
• e.g. “Movie Night”, “Self Defense Training”, etc.
Employment: HRL’s structure
Housing and Residence
Life
Professionals, including Deans
Mix of professionals and
students
Area
Coordinators
(ACs)
Program
Coordinators
(PCs)
Roughly 28 students supervised
directly by Area Coordinators
Senior Residents (SRs)
Roughly 250 students, split into
“staffs” of 5-15 responsible for
an “association” and managed
by an SR
Resident Advisors (RAs)
Co-Chairs
Compensation (subject to change)
A furnished single room rent-free
during the term of employment, local
phone, data hook up, and Resident
Staff Meal Plan (50 meals and 130
Plus Dollars per semester).

If you sign an on-grounds housing contract for 2015-2016 and you
accept your offer, you will be released from that contract


This means you will not have to pay for that room, and another student
may be moved into that space
This does not apply to off grounds housing, nor does it apply to
candidates who are not offered an RA position
What you really get:
More than a Free Room, More than a Free Meal





Lasting friendships
Community of
support
Valuable training
Leadership skills
Opportunities for
promotion
How to learn more about what it’s like
to be an RA


Talk to your RA or Senior Resident
Stick around for our Q&A panel at the end of the
info session
Where can I be an RA?
The Areas
First Year Areas
Upperclass Areas
Focused Communities
First Year Areas

Approximately 150 RAs total
Between 8 and 14 RAs per association
18-25 First Year Residents per RA
RAs live on halls or in suites

Areas include:



 Alderman
North: Hall Style
 Alderman South: Suite Style
 McCormick
Upperclass Areas

Approximately 30 RAs total
Between 5 and 10 RAs per association
30-80 Upperclass/Graduate Residents per RA

Areas (all apartment style):


 Bice
 Copeley
 Faulkner
 Lambeth
Focused Communities





Approximately 50 RAs total
Between 5 and 10 RAs per association
30-50 residents per RA
Must apply and be accepted to a community before
applying to be an RA in that community
Areas:





JMW Transfer Community
Brown College
International Residential College (IRC)
Hereford Residential College
Language Houses
How can I apply?
Eligibility: Who can apply





First Year Areas: full-time undergraduate students,
and 5th year masters candidates
Upperclass and Focused Communities: full-time
undergraduate and graduate students
Cumulative GPA of 2.25 or greater; 2.00 semester
GPA
Good academic standing as defined by your school
Good judicial/disciplinary standing
A note on Judicial History
Having a judicial history does not
immediately eliminate a candidate
from consideration. Some issues will
be explored during the individual
interview. Certain incidents may
warrant further review and potential
removal from the process (e.g. arrest
or UJC guilty verdict in the last year).
Two Different Processes
Focused Process






Only for applicants to Focused
communities
Apply to one or more specific areas
(e.g. Brown, IRC, etc.)
Additional written application
supplement
Earlier deadline for application
Separate interview process for each
area
Candidates eligible to switch into
First Year/Upperclass process if not
offered a position as a Focused RA
First Year/Upperclass Process





Applicants can rank
preference between First Year
and Upperclass areas
Same interview process for all
applicants
Later deadlines than Focused
process
Much larger process
Applicants unable to switch
into Focused process
The Application Process
Written Application
• Short answers
• Recommendation
• Resume
Individual Interview
Group Interview
The Written Application


Submitted online at virginia.edu/housing/selections.php
See the application page for details





Application Deadlines



Short answer questions, 250-500 words
Resume
Recommendation
Focused Supplement (for Focused applicants only)
For Focused Applicants: Friday, January 16th at noon
For FY/UC Applicants: Tuesday, January 27th at noon
Late and/or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

If you experience technical issues with submission, please contact Rich Ressler at
selectionsuva@gmail.com
The Recommendation: More Info

Part of a complete written application




This is a form, not a letter – the time commitment to complete a
recommendation is only about 15 minutes
Only need one recommendation – only the first will be accepted
Pick someone who can speak to your leadership style, character, and
experience, e.g.:




Must be submitted by the specified deadline
Your RA, SR, or another Resident Staff member
A student leader in a CIO
A faculty member or administrator
A recommendation from someone who knows you well is always
better than a recommendation from someone “prestigious”
The Resume: More Info

Part of a complete written application
 Must


be submitted by the specified deadline
This will be helpful as you move through your
college career, so time and effort spent here will be
useful beyond the RA Selections process
Good resources to use:
 University
Career Services – career.Virginia.edu or
434.924.8900
 Resume Workshop – November 17th, 6:30pm @ Clark
108
The Group Interview

Where and When:
For Focused Applicants: Sunday January 25th, New Cabell
(location tentative)
 For FY/UC Applicants: Sunday February 15th, New Cabell
(location tentative)



90 minute interview with 3-5 current RAs as interviewers
and 8-12 other candidates
You will work as a group to address several different
situations designed to test your character,
understanding of the role of an RA, critical thinking
skills, and ability to work as a team
The Individual Interview

Where and When:
For Focused Applicants: Friday January 30th, HRL Offices in
Kent/Dabney (location tentative)
 For FY/UC Applicants: Wednesday February 18th –
Saturday February 21st, New Cabell (location tentative)



30 minute interview with 2-3 current RAs as interviewers
You will be asked a variety of questions that speak to
your leadership qualities, your understanding of the
role of a Resident Advisor, your appreciation of
diversity, and your approach to issues commonly faced
by RAs
Important Notes on Interviews

Arrive at least 10 minutes early
You will need to sign in and be directed to the location of
your interview
 Logistical problems may cause interview locations to change
at last minute, so arriving early is critical to ensure that
interviews run on time
 If you arrive late, you are not guaranteed an interview and
may receive a zero score for that portion of the application


Dress professionally


At least business casual
You don’t need to bring anything other than a good
attitude
Conflicts
Excusable reasons for conflicts are: academic,
emergency, or certain University sponsored events.
If you know you have a conflict or a conflict arises,
contact Rich Ressler at selectionsuva@gmail.com
Non-emergency conflicts must be raised no less than two
weeks from the date of the conflict.
Studying abroad next semester? You can still interview
– email Rich to arrange accommodations.
Just tell me when I’ll know!



Hiring decisions will be emailed to your UVA email
address during Spring Break
Offers must be accepted or declined by late March
Some candidates will be offered an “alternate”
position
 This
is basically like our waiting list – you will get more
details if you are chosen as an alternate
Financial Aid
For financial aid purposes, the compensation received for
room, board and stipend is included as a resource. When
adjusting the financial aid award, this resource will be
applied first to unmet need, then loans and then work-study. If
this resource exceeds your unmet need, loans and work-study,
then your university grants will be reduced. Speak with
someone from Financial Aid to understand how your package
may be impacted.
Contact: faid@virginia.edu
OR Melvin Miller (mm4ec@virginia.edu)
Questions?
Website: virginia.edu/housing/selections.php
Facebook: “University of Virginia Residence Life Selections”
Email: Rich Ressler, selectionsuva@gmail.com