1. RAs are required to have and maintain a 2.5 total institutional grade point average at time of application and throughout term of employment.  RAs whose total institutional grade point average falls below the 2.5 requirement will automatically be placed on “Academic Probation” with the Department of Housing and Residence Life, and an Academic Success Plan. RAs with total institutional grade point averages below 2.0 will have their employment terminated. Grade point averages are reviewed each semester. The RA is, first and foremost, a student. If at any time the position is a perceived detriment to the student’s academic success, termination may be considered. 
   
   
2. RAs must have a FAFSA on-file for the academic year during which they will be employed. Failure to complete the FAFSA by July 1^st for students employed for fall, and December 1^st for students employed for spring, will result in employment offer being rescinded.
   
   
3. RAs must complete all required hiring paperwork through the Office of Student Employment and successfully pass a national and local criminal background check prior to starting work. Failure to complete hiring paperwork and pass a national and criminal background check by July 1^st for students employed for fall, and December 1^st for students employed for spring, will result in employment offer being rescinded.
   
   
4. RAs will report for work on the day indicated and will remain until the day specified each semester by the Department of Housing and Residence Life. Student staff working in buildings utilized for various break housing periods should be prepared to work during university academic breaks, including Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break.  Student staff should not anticipate leaving their position prior to the official hall closing date and time.
   
   
5. RAs are to abide by all University and departmental policies, procedures, and conditions outlined in the terms of the housing contract, the Student Staff Manual, and Hilltopics for Residence Hall Living.  RAs must also meet the performance expectations of their respective supervisor.
   
   
6. RAs must participate in all scheduled training sessions and in-service trainings (a.k.a. L.E.A.D. sessions) as coordinated by their supervisor and the Department of Housing and Residence Life. RAs are required to report for training sessions prior to residence hall check-ins for both fall and spring semesters (see “Important Dates” section below).

1. The RA appointment is for the entirety of the academic year, roughly August (prior to the opening of the campus residence halls) through May (after commencement). The appointment is contingent upon the successful completion of tasks, assignments, responsibilities, and favorable performance evaluations.
   
   
2. RAs are invited to reapply for the position each academic year. Reappointment to the position is not guaranteed.
   
   
3. There may be limited numbers of summer positions, which require a separate application and selection process.
   
   
4. RAs work 20 hours per week over the course of the fall and spring semesters.  Periodically, the RA work week is expanded to meet the needs of the department (ex. M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan Week, hall openings and closings, emergency situations including closures, etc.).
   
   
5. The RA compensation package includes an hourly wage rate of $9.00 at which the RA is paid 20 hours every week so long as job duties are completed to communicated expectations.  
   
   
6. RAs are assigned to private rooms and are rarely allowed roommates due to the sensitive nature of their position. At times when occupancy exceeds capacity, the Department of Housing and Residence Life may assign RA roommates on a temporary or permanent basis.
   
   
7. All RAs receive an RA Room Scholarship at the median rate of all residence halls as calculated by Student Financial Assistance. The RA Room Scholarship is considered Other Financial Assistance and is included in the overall financial aid package. Students with questions regarding how the RA Room Scholarship may affect their financial aid package are directed to contact Student Financial Assistance directly at (270) 745-2755 or fa.help@wku.edu.
   
   
8. RAs are provided with many opportunities for leadership, interpersonal, communication, and conflict mediation skill development, networking, and work experiences applicable to many career fields.
   
   
9. The RA position is a 20 hour per week commitment; after self-care and academic work, which requires 40 hours per week on average, the RA role should be of greatest importance. Therefore, RAs are not permitted to hold other employment, on- or off-campus during the RA appointment.
   
   
10. Student teaching or participation in a paid or semester internship while serving as an RA may only be approved by the Associate Director for Housing and Residence Life or their designee and must be disclosed prior to accepting the RA position.

Time Commitment

1. RAs may be required to work at the front desk or in an on-call capacity at times with the University is closed and classes are not in session including Labor Day, Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Spring Break (see “Important Dates” section below).
   
   
2. Some campus activities and leadership roles are not compatible with the RA position due to scheduling conflicts and required time commitments. Roles including those of H4 Counselor, ISEC Navigator, and M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan Mentor, and activities including Marching Band Camp and sorority recruitment, pose significant conflicts. Students are highly encouraged to discuss their other campus involvements, especially if they include those detailed above, with Housing and Residence Life prior to applying for the RA position.
   
   
3. All RAs are expected to be present and available on their floors to respond to resident needs and any situations that arise. RAs are provided an RA Room Scholarship  and are assigned a bed space in the building in which they work; they are expected to reside in this space.
   
   
4. RAs help ensure the safety of hall residents by serving in a 14-hour on-call rotation, 6pm-8am, roughly one standing weeknight (varies by building). On weekends, roughly one weekend per month (varies by building), RAs serve in a 24-hour on-call rotation. While serving on-call, during the week and on the weekends, RAs are required to remain in their buildings, hold the on-call phone, conduct rounds of the building, and respond to calls. They may also be called upon to work the front desk to ensure a 24-hour desk operation. RAs always serve on-call in pairs, 1) ensuring back-up for incident response, 2) allowing one RA to leave the building during short periods of time between the hours of 8am-6pm on weekends while the other remains in the building and holds the on-call phone.
   
   
5. RAs work between 6-10 hours at the front desk weekly; the number of desk hours vary by building and may be scheduled at other area front desks. 
   
   
6. RAs are required to attend weekly staff meetings (1 hour), monthly all staff meetings (1 hour), and weekly one-on-ones with the Residence Hall Director (30 minutes-1 hour).

Important Dates

Listed below are important dates for RAs related to training, move-in, and hall openings and closings. RAs are required to attend and participate in all trainings and hall openings and closings. Students interested in applying for the RA position should make note of the dates listed below prior to applying. Note: these dates are subject to change but are best approximations as of the date of this posting.

 *Dates may be subject to change

Personal Conduct and Conflicts of Interest

1. RAs are expected to establish positive, effective working relationships with the Residence Hall Director and other student staff members.
   
   
2. RA are expected to maintain a direct line of communication with Residence Hall Director; resolve questions, share concerns, follow-up, and provide updates with professionalism.
   
   
3. When communicating with each other, RAs are expected to demonstrate maturity, respect, honesty, patience, and empathy.
   
   
4. RAs are not to have romantic relationships with residents over whom they have direct, indirect, or perceived influence. Recognizing that such relationships can develop, RAs are expected to disclose romantic relationships with residents to their supervisor at which time a building transfer may be considered.
   
   
5. RAs must not use their position to have influence over residents, including friends, roommates, or partners.
   
   
6. RAs assist in the recruitment of new RAs and help facilitate Interview Day activities.

Community Development

1. Display a positive attitude and serve as a constructive role model for hall residents.

2. Establish helping relationships with floor residents by knowing and calling residents by their preferred names and interacting with each resident twice per semester. 

3. Be familiar with and use university referral resources when needed (academic, personal, social, counseling, financial, disciplinary, etc.).

4. Create and maintain attractive, informative, relevant, and up-to-date Bulletin Boards and Door Decorations in accordance with the Programing Model.

5. Plan, advertise, facilitate, and evaluate social and educational programs as set forth by the Programming Model.

6. Promote an appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion by role modeling and facilitating positive interactions between residents.

7. Encourage attendance at university-sponsored, building-wide, and area- programs and activities.

8. Encourage resident involvement in hall and departmental student organizations including Hall/Community Council, Residence Hall Association, and National Residence Hall Honorary.

9. Proactively address potential roommate conflicts by encouraging completion of the Roommate Lifestyle Agreement. 

10. Mediate conflicts that may occur between roommates and among other residents.

11. Be cognizant of happenings on the floor or wing (i.e. environment, programmatic initiatives, student leadership, and behavioral issues) and communicate them to the Residence Hall Director or other university officials in a timely and appropriate manner.
    
    

Administrative Functions

1. Effectively manage time to meet all deadlines and fulfill all administrative duties.

2. Assist with room check-in and checkout procedures throughout the year.

3. Inventory and update the condition of resident room items via StarRez prior to the beginning of the fall semester and throughout the academic year as residents check-in and out of their spaces.

4. Maintain accuracy of key box by distributing keys according to training.

5. Conduct informational floor meetings as set forth by the Programming Model.

6. Be aware of the physical condition of hall common areas (hallways, kitchens, study rooms) and public spaces (lobbies, lounges, recreation rooms), reporting maintenance issues, concerns, damages, or vandalism to the Residence Hall Director in a timely manner.

7. Assist residents in submitting maintenance requests.

8. Accurately account for hours worked by signing in and out of desk shifts, recording hours on Web Time Entry, and submitting Timesheets by communicated deadlines.

9. Perform other duties as necessary or assigned by supervisors or the Central Office staff.

Safety & Security Functions

1. Contribute to the safety of hall residents and security of the residence hall by consistently enforcing university and residence hall policies, consulting with the Residence Hall Director as needed. 

2. Uphold and maintain a positive attitude concerning the department’s policies and procedures.

3. Educate residents about hall policies and procedures, providing rationale and addressing questions.

4. Perform building rounds and complete rounds logs while serving on-call, three times per night.

5. Conduct health and safety checks of resident rooms according to published schedule.

6. Document alleged policy violations via Maxient Incident Reports, submitting Reports in a timely manner, and work closely with the Residence Hall Director to communicate actions taken.

7. Maintain confidentiality concerning policy violations and their resolution.

8. Respond to emergency and/or crisis situations according to training protocols. 

9. Serve as Responsible Employee and report all instances of Title IX disclosures in adherence to university policy. 

Customer Service Front Desk Operations

1. Adopt a spirit of helpfulness and provide excellent customer service to residents of and visitors to the residence hall, while working the front desk.

2. Serve as informational resource to residents and visitors, answer questions to best ability and make referrals when necessary.

3. Assist in ensuring the security of the building by requiring identification of residents and visitors upon entry, and logging visitors into the StarRez Student Housing System.

4. Accept deliveries, sort and log packages using Notifii Package Tracking software.

Resident Assistants should expect informal, continual feedback regarding their job performance from their supervisor throughout the term of their employment. RAs are formally evaluated twice per academic year. During this process, feedback from residents and peers may be requested. Failure to meet expectations for job performance will be documented and may initiate Job Action.

Resident Assistants serve as role models for academic success, conduct, and behavior. To fulfill the duties of their position, RAs must hold themselves accountable to university and departmental policies, and expectations of their position. Should an RA fail to meet said expectations, or violate the terms of their employment, th RA can expect intervention on behalf of their supervisor up to and including termination.

The Job Action steps detailed below are intended to assist the RA in identifying areas for improvement, accessing resources, developing skill sets, and building confidence to ensure success in the position.

• Verbal Warning (documented via Job Action form)
• Written Warning (documented via Job Action form; official letter in employment file)
• Probation
• Termination

Violations of the Student Code of Conduct, Hilltopics for Residence Hall Living, Student Staff Manual, and housing contract may result in termination. Some alleged violations require further investigation. During this time, the RA may be removed from their duties temporarily, pending an outcome. The Job Action process does not replace the University conduct process; both processes can take place concurrently and separately, with one sometimes impacting the other.

Any RA who is terminated has the right to appeal the decision to the Director for Housing and Residence Life or their designee in writing within five (5) business days of termination. Upon termination, RAs are required to move out of their assigned space; accommodations in another residence hall may be provided.

Interested students must apply online via Handshake. Contact CareerHelp@wku.edu with questions about your Handshake account. 

The application requires an updated resume. Additionally, if you were not employed in the RA position during the 2023-2024 academic year, video responses to supplemental questions are also required. Video responses will be collected via Spark Hire, a video interview platform. Video responses can be submitted using a mobile device, tablet, laptop, or computer.

A link to Spark Hire will be sent to applicants via email within three (3) business days. 

Tips for video responses:

1. Pick a quiet and well-lit place where you won’t be interrupted.
2. Speak clearly and audibly.
3. Take time to consider your responses.
4. Keep your responses concise, but make sure they’re complete.
5. Listen to your recording. If you don’t like it, re-record it.
6. Reviewers will be able to see you; consider your appearance.
7. Be sure to provide your identifying information prior to submitting.

Hiring Timeline--Returning RAs

• Position Posted--March 1
• Application Deadline--March 15
• In-Person Interviews (during scheduled one-on-one times)--March 25-April 5
• Returning RAs Offers Extended (via email)--April 12
• Accept/Decline Deadline--April 19
• April LEAD/Fall Staff Meeting--April 22

Hiring Timeline--New RA Applicants

• Position Posted--March 1
• Application Deadline--March 15
• Application & Video Response Review--March 25-April 2
• New RAs Interview Offers Extended (via email)--April 3
• Interview Scheduling Deadline--April 5
• New RA Interview Day--April 6*
• New RA Offers Extended (via email)--April 12
• Accept/Decline Deadline--April 19
• April LEAD/Fall Staff Meeting--April 22

*New RA applicants extended offers to interview are required to sign-up for a one-hour interview slot on Saturday, April 6.

Questions regarding the application process may be directed to hrlapply@wku.edu.