Resident Assistant (RA): 2027-2028 Academic Year

Lipscomb University•Nashville, TN

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Resident Assistants (RAs) help provide residents with an environment that is safe, promotes academic excellence, fosters spiritual development, and nurtures social growth. The role is a student leadership position involving responsibility as a peer leader and example to students at Lipscomb University. RAs invest in residents’ academic, spiritual, social, and personal development; build community; help residents understand university and residence-life expectations; and support hall programming and operations. RAs are expected to be accessible to residents, develop rapport, respond appropriately to resident concerns while maintaining confidentiality and referring residents to suitable resources, and work collaboratively with other RAs and Residence Hall Directors (RHDs). They enforce policies consistently, uphold university guidelines, promote Lipscomb’s faith-based mission, attend required meetings and programming, and complete administrative responsibilities such as resident checks, reports, and logs. Lobby duty rotates among staff members. Shifts run from 8 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. RAs also help open and close residence halls during breaks. The position may be eligible for federal work-study.

Requirements

Have a minimum 2.75 GPA upon application.
Not be on any type of official probation, including academic, behavior, Bible, or chapel probation.
Have lived on campus at Lipscomb University for at least one semester.
Be able to devote up to 15 hours per week to the Resident Assistant job.
Have at least two free nights Monday through Friday, with no classes, club meetings, practices, or similar commitments.
Be available and on campus most weekends; RHDs will work with RA staff to arrange weekends off.

Responsibilities

Invest in the academic, spiritual, social, emotional, relational, and personal growth and welfare of residents.
Build community among residents and within the hall by being available, spending adequate time on the hall, and regularly interacting with residents.
Learn all residents’ names and faces by the second week of school.
Assist residents with concerns, maintain confidentiality, inform the Residence Hall Director as appropriate, and refer residents to relevant resources.
Work cooperatively with RAs and RHDs, maintain a positive working relationship with the RHD, and comply with work-related requests in a timely manner.
Help residents understand the RA role, community responsibilities, and the Community Contract; enforce policies consistently and without bias or malice.
Keep residents informed about campus and hall activities and conduct hall or floor meetings at the RHD’s request.
Support and attend dorm-wide and teammate programming, and fulfill programming requirements established by the RHD and Director of Residence Life.
Uphold university policies, including the Student Code of Conduct and Residence Life Housing Rules; educate residents about the Student Code of Conduct and lead by example.
Promote Lipscomb University positively and support its faith-based mission.
Rotate through lobby duty, arriving on time and remaining at the lobby desk for the entire shift.
Notify the RHD about time away from campus and clear vacation or travel plans before making reservations.
Attend Monday-night weekly meetings on time and prepared.
Help close and open residence halls during breaks, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break.
Maintain paperwork and forms systematically and submit reports and logs promptly.
For freshmen halls, conduct resident checks at least three nights per week, check every room multiple nights, and log checks immediately.
For upperclassmen halls, conduct resident checks once per week, check every room, and log checks immediately.