Resident Counselor

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy•Aurora, IL

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Resident Counselors (RCs) are members of a four-person hall staff who work collaboratively to monitor and support a residence hall. Each of our seven residence halls houses approximately 96 students. RCs are charged with directly supporting and developing 24 students in their wing. Through this live-in campus position, RCs facilitate the personal, social, emotional, and academic growth of students through personal interactions and programming in a living-learning environment. The majority of work hours occur during the evening or on weekends, although occasional work may need to be completed before 3 pm on weekdays. The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive teaching and learning environment. This position will support IMSA's Diversity work by ensuring the delivery of quality, equitable, and inclusive constituent-centered support while promoting and maintaining an inclusive work environment and culture that embraces the diversity of people and perspectives collaborating at IMSA to ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Driver's license required.
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated ability to work well with a variety of individuals and diverse populations.
Comfort with technology and the use of basic computer skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in residence life strongly preferred.
Experience working with adolescents strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Directly monitor and support the academic, emotional, developmental needs and progress of 24 gifted residents and refer them to academy resources as necessary.
Annually plan, implement, and document educational and social programs grounded in our Residence Life curriculum which is focused on social responsibility, life skills, interpersonal/intrapersonal intelligence.
Work and/or attend Academy-sponsored events, including but not limited to Convocation, Graduation, Community Days, Carnival, equity and excellence initiatives, etc.
Coordinate and facilitate service learning opportunities for students in your wing.
Complete professional development outcomes to grow and learn in your role and the field of residence life as a whole.
Communicate student issues with residence life staff, parents, faculty, and other support staff.
Respond to and document emergencies such as: physical and mental health crises, acts of intolerance, and substance abuse situations.
Monitor student attendance, academic progress, and service learning requirements through weekly written reports to track developmental progress of students, provide necessary supports and coaching.
Spend about 20% of the 40 hours in an office setting completing administrative tasks and being available to address student concerns, questions, or be a listening ear.
Assess and document student growth and fulfillment of residential expectations through written quarterly grades.
Follow up regularly with parents regarding student concerns and residential programming.
Transport students on social trips or other necessary destinations in State-owned vehicles, including driving 14-passenger mini-buses. (Training provided).
Work one summer orientation session.
Participate in RC summer training at the beginning of the academic year.
Serve in a liaison capacity in one of the following areas: residence hall function, student development, learning and leadership, or student involvement.
Participate in an “on-call” rotation approximately every 9 days, in which they are expected to respond on a 24-hour basis while on duty.
Serve as “overnight” approximately every other day where they act as an on-call responder in their building overnight (10 pm – 9 am).