Resident Assistant Staff

Current Resident Assistants 2008-2009

The Resident Assistant Experience

Resident Advisors range in year from sophomores to seniors and, though their experiences vary, R.A.s have come away from their experiences with new friendships, leadership and life skills, and personal learning and growth. Read about an R.A.'s experience below.

"They are many times in life when you will feel like you are being twisted and turned in every direction. The path of life is not an easy road that one follows with a map, and there are moments when life is so overwhelming you want to burst. In these moments there are two consistent things: God and the people God puts in your life to walk alongside you. During my year there were many times I was ready to burst, but the experience stretched me in directions I didn't think I could go, and God put people in my life who carried some of the burdens I could never have carried on my own. I gained priceless memories and friends for life. I came in as a girl and walked out as a woman of confidence. I cried some days but I laughed a lot more. Being a Resident Assistant took me into areas of my life I didn't even know, challenged me in ways that have now made me bold. Everyday I will thank God for the gift of experience that has made me grow."
- Karen Roberts, Anderson Hall RA 2006-2007

RA Corner

Learn about the staff of the month below.

Content coming soon.

What is an RA?

A Resident Assistant (R.A.) is a student staff member of Residence Life. Each living area’s R.A. staff varies in size, with the smallest staff having two R.A.s and the largest having nine. Resident Assistants report to the Resident Director. R.A.s oversee the residents living on a specific floor or section of the living area, approximately 30 to 50 students. They exist to build relationships with the residents and foster community through one-on-one conversations, weekly events, educational programming for their floor/section or the whole living area, and assisting other R.A.s in campus-wide programming. The resident assistant helps the resident director in creating and maintaining a “living-learning” environment in the residence hall, apartment, or house, thereby allowing for opportunities of academic study and growth, establishing community on the floor and in the residence hall, providing an environment that encourages personal development and growth, and helping foster positive interaction among residents.

What is an RD?

A Resident Director (R.D.) is a professional, full-time staff member of Residence Life. Each living area has one R.D. who lives in that living area. Resident Directors report to the Director of Residence Life and Housing. R.D.s supervise Resident Assistants (R.A.s), a student Desk Manager (D.M.), and a student staff of Desk Attendants (D.A.s). A Resident Director is responsible for developing and maintaining a healthy and positive community that addresses the academic, emotional, physical, psychological, social, and spiritual facets of the students in his/her residence hall. An R.D. strives to foster a sense of community through the intentional development of appropriate mentoring relationships with residents; through the initiation, direction, implementation, and evaluation of hall programs and operations; and through the supervision of Resident Assistants and staff members. The Resident Director position is a ten-month, live-in position.

How to contact an RA?

In each living area, Resident Assistants are on duty from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. every night. During this time period, R.A.s are present in the living area and carry a pager. In the case of an emergency, an issue concerning safety, or a lockout, you may contact an R.A. for assistance in one of two ways.

You may page the R.A. by calling (773)-649-plus their extension as listed for the respective living areas. After you dial the number, you will be prompted to dial a number where you may be reached. The best number to dial would be an on-campus extension, but if that is not possible, a cell phone number may be inserted. The R.A. will then call you at that number soon after you page him/her.

The second way to reach the R.A. on duty would be to go to the living area’s front desk, if possible, and ask the desk attendant to page the R.A. on duty.

Once an R.A. is paged, if the R.A. sees the need for further assistance, he/she will page the R.D. on duty, and he/she will respond to the situation at hand.

* In the case of an emergency, an issue concerning safety, or a lockout, please look for an R.A. in your living area or go to the front desk and ask the desk attendant to try and contact someone for you.

* If you go to the hospital yourself or take someone else to the hospital, please let your R.A. know so that he/she is aware and may help you in any way if needed.