Family Housing Resident Assistant

Utah State University•Logan, UT

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Family Housing Resident Assistant (RA) is a student and/or spouse of a student who lives in an on-campus family housing community and supports its residents. As a member of Residence Life Staff, the RA helps develop and maintain a safe, secure, comfortable living and learning community, serves as a peer resource and community leader, and acts as a role model who follows University and Housing policies. The position is appointed for a specific contract year; applicants must be able to commit to the entire year. Reappointment depends on job performance, academic progress, supervisory review, and Residence Life staffing needs. Because the position is live-in, the RA must be willing to respond to residents’ needs at any time of day or night and maintain consistent availability and strong interpersonal skills. The RA facilitates community development, organizes initiatives and events, enforces housing policies, manages secure-space access responsibly, and completes administrative, facility, and emergency-response duties. The position is described as part-time and requires 20 hours per week, though some weeks may require more or less time. RAs must attend required meetings and training, work scheduled office and on-call shifts, and be available to residents regularly, including at least two weekends per month. Residence Life may schedule staff to work on University holidays and may activate staff for extended periods during emergencies. Compensation includes rent for on-campus housing and an option for a stipend and/or meal plan. The position is primarily office-based, with regular travel throughout housing facilities and moderate physical activity.

Requirements

Be a full-time student enrolled at Utah State University, or be the spouse of a full-time student enrolled at Utah State University; full-time enrollment is defined as 12 undergraduate credit hours or 6 graduate credit hours per semester.
Maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA; two consecutive semesters below 2.0 may affect continued employment or rehire status.
Qualify to live in Family Housing by being married, being single with children, or being married with children.
Commit to the entire appointed contract year.
Maintain full-time student status and meet academic standards.
Be willing to respond to residents’ needs at any time of day or night and meet regular availability expectations, including required trainings, staff meetings, scheduled shifts, and weekend availability.
Follow University and Housing policies, including strict requirements for confidentiality, policy enforcement, apartment access, and master-key security.
Use sound judgment and maintain the mental focus needed to handle responsibilities and sensitive or challenging situations.
Be able to perform moderate physical activity, including walking, standing, and lifting up to 25 pounds.
Submit a resume and complete the specified survey in addition to the online application.
If both spouses are hired as RAs, both must attend all required training and staff meetings; compensation for the position is split between the couple.

Responsibilities

Facilitate strong communities and encourage responsible, involved community membership through regular resident interactions and relationship-building.
Conduct new resident orientation meetings with other RAs and the area supervisor as directed.
Maintain objectivity, neutrality, trust, and confidentiality; recognize residents’ circumstances and refer them to campus or community resources when appropriate.
Encourage resident involvement and interaction, promote community development through initiatives, events, policy enforcement, and involvement, and support the Aggies Think, Care, Act initiative and RHA and Leadership Council efforts.
Coordinate initiatives and events, including submitting proposals at least one week in advance, involving residents in planning and delivery, aligning activities with community needs and Residence Life guiding principles, identifying learning outcomes, advertising appropriately, coordinating with campus groups, managing budgets, and filing reports within 48 hours.
Read and understand housing rules, policies, and contracts; educate residents about policies and address all reported or observed violations.
Submit incident reports and related documentation within 24 hours of addressing a policy violation; maintain confidentiality and follow up as directed.
Safeguard master keys and access devices, follow apartment-entry and key-use rules, report lost keys immediately to the Community Coordinator, and obtain approval for entry when required.
Remain visible, available, and approachable; be in the apartment regularly, post 15 hours of resident availability each week, visit eight apartments weekly, and aim to visit every apartment at least once per semester.
Attend required staff meetings, training sessions, retreats, and in-services; work scheduled office shifts and on-call duties, including weekdays and weekends; be available in the community at least two weekends per month and notify the supervisor when away overnight.
Submit weekly work hours and logs; track apartment visits; complete initiative proposals and reports, incident reports, office coverage, rounds, and on-call shifts; and perform assigned additional area duties.
Conduct annual safety and cleaning inspections, update area postings, and complete weekly community walkthroughs, paying attention to porches and patios.
Know and share fire-safety information, enforce safety regulations, and build positive working relationships with USU Police, Fire Marshals, Housing maintenance, grounds, custodial crews, and other campus personnel.
Report, document, and follow up on safety violations, safety and security issues, building damage, and maintenance problems.
Respond to emergencies and crises; report to work for extended periods or perform duties outside the normal role or area when activated by department leadership.
Report sexual misconduct and possible legal violations as required of Residence Life mandatory reporters and Campus Security Authorities.
Perform other duties as assigned.