Do You Have What It Takes to Become an RA?

Embarking on the pursuit for new residential assistants

Campus News > Do You Have What It Takes to Become an RA?
Do You Have What It Takes to Become an RA?
Residential Student Services has begun the process of scouring for new resident assistants for the upcoming Spring 2021 semester.
Khali Raymond, Staff Writer

Residential Student Services held their second info session about applying to become a resident assistant for the upcoming semester on Friday, Nov. 20, from 9 to 10 p.m. via Zoom.

Several representatives from RSS facilitated the info session as they provided interested students an overview of the position, as well as explaining the requirements of fulfilling it.

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The presentation started off with an ice breaker, during which three volunteers shared their special talents.

Afterward, the session commenced by reviewing the roles of a residential assistant and being part of a team.

Being a residential assistant means taking on the following responsibilities:

  • serving as a role model to other students
  • providing resources and connections to offices and departments on campus
  • building a sense of community on their designated floor inside their respective hall
  • collaborating with other RAs and department-wide teams
  • providing support for departmental and campus-wide events

There are many benefits to being a residential assistant. Residential assistants receive a scholarship that covers the costs of their room and board, with their own single room that is not part of a suite.

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Residential assistants are equipped with the knowledge and experience to handle high-stakes situations, such as building evacuations, mediating conflicts and making compromises. They also learn to work better in teams, proper time management strategies, grow their emotional intelligence and facilitate programming.

General qualifications for the position are:

  • 2.75 cumulative GPA or higher
  • Applicants must be either a sophomore, junior or senior
  • Full-time matriculated students at the university
  • Good conduct standing with the university
  • Must attend at least one informational session

All candidates must complete an online application that includes a resume and two professional references. Candidates who move past the application screening will be invited to the group process and individual interviews.

Two more informational sessions will be held, the first on Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. and the second on Dec. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Applications for the position will go live during the spring semester.

For any questions, comments and concerns about the position, Residential Student Services are reachable via email at reslife@kean.edu.


about the author

Khali Raymond, Staff Writer
raymonkh@kean.edu

Raymond_Khali-web.jpg

Khali Raymond is a senior majoring in English with a writing concentration. He attained his associate's in business administration from Berkeley College - Newark in 2019. In addition to his work as a staff writer, he is also a published author, spoken word artist, musician, activist and is the president of Kean Got Talent, a performing arts club on campus. Khali uses his creativity to overcome all adversity and impact the lives of those around him.