Resident Assistant

The Resident Assistant (RA) position at Towson University promotes an environment in which students can learn about themselves and others, discover the world around them, and grow into model leaders. As an RA, you are expected to value learning and education, and promote an inclusive and welcoming living environment. The RA should strive to help each and every student discover themselves, others, and the collegiate experience, and also encourage them to engage and connect within their community. Through upholding Towson University policy, being an RA requires role modeling positive, professional, and inclusive behavior while serving as a representative of Housing & Residence Life.

event	Date/TIme
Application Opens	November 3, 2023
Application Closes	11:59pm on December 3, 2023
Interview Notices	January 19, 2024
Interview Availability Due (if offered an interview)	January 26, 2024

Community Development and Engagement

• Develop and maintain relationships with the residents on their floor(s) in a traditional or apartment style community environment.
• Promote and encourage an environment that embraces diversity, celebrates differences within a community, and shows appreciation for creating an inclusive and welcoming community among residents.
• Encourage interaction among residents on their floor(s) and within the campus community.
• Empower students to encourage active problem solving.
• Assess the social, educational, personal, and community needs and interests of your residents in order to design and implement quality engagement opportunities that meet those needs.
• Plan, advertise, and implement events and engagement opportunities in a timely manner.
• Create passive programming initiatives to provide additional opportunities to actively engage with residents.

Leadership and Policy Implementation

• Support and promote all policies, procedures, and programs initiated by the Department of Housing & Residence Life (HRL) in addition to the Towson University Code of Student Accountability.
• Comply with all federal, state, and local laws.
• Be accessible and approachable while projecting a professional, caring , and friendly demeanor.
• Address and respond to all inappropriate behavior and policy violations. Report in a timely manner.
• Report incidents of hate or bias through the #NotatTU hate crimes and bias incident reporting form.
• Be able to recognize and provide emotional support for resident students as needed.
• Promote and sustain organic leadership by maintaining positive peer-leader relationships and supporting the goals of the residents.
• Respond appropriately to student concerns dealing with situations such as violence, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and any domestic disputes.

Administrative

• Take part in the weekly on-call rotation in the apartment or traditional style residence hall.
• Submit all paperwork in a timely manner. This includes, but is not limited to: opening and closing forms, community engagement opportunities, policy violation reports, staff reports, room condition reports, work order requests, and other paperwork as assigned.
• Complete daily walk-throughs of community floor(s) and report any concerns in the areas of housekeeping, maintenance, vending areas, maintenance of bulletin boards and removal of outdated materials.
• Assist in all residence hall openings and closings.
• Attend weekly staff and one-on-one meetings as determined by the Residence Life Coordinator (RLC).
• Inform residents of pertinent academic and university information.
• Support all HRL initiatives and signature events.
• Other duties as assigned by the RLC.

Qualifications

Resident assistant applicants must:

• Be a full time undergraduate Towson student carrying a minimum of 12 credits
• Have completed one full semester at TU prior to applying
• Have completed a minimum of 24 credits by June 2024.
• Have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. 
• Not be on disciplinary and/or Residence Life probation from application – employment
• Be in good standing with Student Accountability and Restorative Practices. We reserve the right to review and adjust decisions based on involvement in egregious conduct situations that may call the candidate's leadership and decision making into question.

Compensation

• Single room in your assigned residence hall (apartment style building RAs will have roommates in apartment, and suite style RAs will have suitemates)
• Meal plan (Silver plan or similar)
• $1,500 stipend per semester

Job Requirements

• Successful candidates must be available Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. for training and meetings
• Evening and weekend work is required
• Involvement/Employment outside of the Resident Assistant position is limited to no more than 10 hours per week
• If assigned to a 9-month community, you will serve in the on-call capacity during minimester, mid-term, Thanksgiving Break, Spring Break, and Winter Break periods.

How to Apply

Step 1: Attend optional info session about the job 
Step 2: Review application requirements
Step 3: Prepare your application materials 
Step 4: Click the button below to apply

What happens next?

Screening

Once your application is received, answers will be screened by professional staff with consideration of the following:

• Full and complete answers
• Detailed examples
• Clarity of thought
• Communication of ideas
• Grammar, spelling, and punctuation

Interview

• If you are offered an interview, you will be notified via email in the early Spring 2024 term.
• Interviews will take place February 8 and February 9.
• You will only have one interview and it will take place in person.
• Student selected for interview will receive instructions on how to submit references.

Resources

• Learn more about Housing & Residence Life here: https://www.towson.edu/studentlife/housing/campus/
• Check out some tips and resources from the Career Center on having a successful interview here: https://www.towson.edu/careercenter/students/searchskills/interviewing.html
  • You can even set up a mock interview with a Career Center staff member!
• Need help with your application? The Writing Center can do that! Schedule an appointment and learn more about their services here: https://www.towson.edu/cla/centers/writing/

Frequently Asked Questions

I am a first semester Towson University student and do not have a GPA can I apply?

Yes. The GPA of candidates will be verified via PeopleSoft in Spring 2024. You must meet the 2.5 minimum standard in order to continue in the process.

If I live off-campus can I still apply to be an RA?

Yes. Applicants do not need any prior living experience on Towson University's campus in order to apply to be an RA. Due to the nature of the position, it is beneficial to have lived on campus, but not required.

Do all applicants receive an interview?

No. Applications will be screened by Residence Life Staff. Those reaching the next step in the process will receive an invitation to interview

What should I wear to the interview?

We suggest that all candidates come to the interview neat, but comfortable. There is no need to wear a suit (unless that’s how you feel most comfortable). T-shirts and jeans are perfectly fine. We advise against wearing sweatpants/athletic bottoms or pajamas.

Who should I get to write my reference?

One reference must be from a staff member or leader from the Towson University community.  It can be your RA, Residence Life Coordinator or Assistant Coordinator, supervisor, professor, advisor, and president or organization officer of a student group.  The other should be a work reference or someone that can comment on your potential as an employee and leader.  The reference should not be a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, relative, fiancé or roommate. The Reference Form can be found here: 

What if I can't make it to my interview?

Unfortunately, you are not eligible for hire.  All candidates must attend the entire interview in order to be considered for hire. Due to time constraints, this cannot be rescheduled.

Can I choose the building in which I work?

No.  We will take your Living Learning Community and housing option preferences into consideration; however, we determine your placement based on the information gathered during our interview process.  Ultimately, we are building a team to meet the needs of the building and the residents that live there.

I am going to student teach full-time or have a full-time internship in the fall—can I apply?

No. First semester RA staff are not permitted to student teach or work a 6 or more credit internship

I am an FTP student can I apply to be an RA?

Yes – you can apply now while in the program. In order to continue as a candidate - you must successfully transition to TU as a full-time student by January 2024.

I am graduating in December or going to Study Abroad in Spring.  Can I apply?

No. The RA position is a full academic year commitment

Will the resident assistant position result in changes to my financial aid offers?

If you accept an RA position, the Department of Housing & Residence Life will notify the TU Financial Aid Office.  The TU Financial Aid Office will add the RA benefits to your financial aid record and notify you if those benefits cause any aid reductions.  Whether or not your other financial aid offers are reduced will depend on your total Cost of Attendance, your total financial aid and the type(s) of aid you have received.  Most RAs will not experience any reductions in their financial aid, some will have their student or parent loans reduced, and a much smaller portion of RAs will have their grants or scholarships reduced. 

If your RA benefits do cause major changes in your grant or scholarship benefits, then we strongly encourage you to schedule an appointment with your Financial Aid Advisor to discuss your aid options before you consider any changes in your RA position.  To schedule an appointment, call the Financial Aid Office at 410-704-4236.  For other questions, you may also email us at finaid AT_TOWSON.  If you decide to decline your RA position, contact us to request reinstatement of your reduced or canceled aid.

Additional information about financial aid over-award regulations is also available in the Financial Aid Award Guide.