Resident Assistant (RA): 2027-2028 Academic Year

Lipscomb University•Nashville, TN

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Resident Assistants (RAs) support Lipscomb University Residence Life by helping create a safe environment that promotes academic excellence, spiritual development, and social growth. RAs serve as leaders among their peers and role models for students. They invest in residents’ academic, spiritual, social, and personal welfare; build community; help residents understand and follow university policies; and support residence hall programming and operations. The role includes rotating lobby duty, weekly Monday-night meetings, one-on-one interactions with residents, administrative reporting, and resident checks. RAs also help open and close residence halls during breaks, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break. Applicants must meet the stated GPA, campus-residency, weekly availability, and weekend-availability requirements. The position may be federal work-study eligible.

Requirements

Have a minimum 2.75 GPA upon application.
Not be on any type of official 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

Be available and accessible to residents, spend adequate time in the hall, and regularly interact with the hall or floor community.
Assist residents with personal, spiritual, relational, social, emotional, and academic concerns while maintaining confidentiality, notifying the Residence Hall Director (RHD) as appropriate, and referring residents to suitable resources.
Recognize problems and potential problems, and learn all residents’ names and faces by the second week of school.
Work cooperatively and collaboratively with RAs, RHDs, and other team members; maintain a respectful working relationship with the RHD and comply with work-related requests in a timely manner.
Treat Lipscomb University students, faculty, staff, and administration respectfully, including refraining from gossip about residents and colleagues.
Explain the RA role to residents, establish rapport, and help residents understand their roles and responsibilities in the community using the Community Contract.
Enforce policies consistently and without bias or malice; uphold university policies, including the Student Code of Conduct and Residence Life Housing Rules, and educate residents about the Student Code of Conduct by serving as a role model.
Keep residents informed about campus and hall activities; conduct hall or floor meetings when requested by the RHD.
Support and attend dorm-wide programming and teammates’ programming, and fulfill programming requirements set by the RHD and Director of Residence Life.
Promote Lipscomb University positively and support its faith-based mission.
Perform rotating lobby duty, remaining at the lobby desk for the full shift: 8 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Notify the RHD when away from campus and clear vacation or travel plans in advance of making reservations.
Attend weekly Monday-night meetings on time and prepared, without allowing personal commitments to interfere with responsibilities to residents, teammates, and the RHD.
Help close and reopen residence halls during breaks, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break.
Maintain paperwork and forms systematically, including room checks, room inventory sheets, programming logs, and maintenance forms; submit reports and logs promptly.
For freshmen, conduct resident checks at least three nights per week, check every room multiple nights, and log checks immediately.
For upperclassmen, conduct resident checks once per week, check every room, and log checks immediately.