Resident Assistant

Job Description for RA's and ACA's

Resident Assistants

Resident Assistants are essential to creating a safe, inclusive, and engaging residential environment at North Central College. The quality of their efforts directly impacts the experience of all community members. The RA’s primary responsibilities include supporting students in achieving academic success, fostering a positive and welcoming community, planning and implementing residence hall programs, maintaining a safe living environment, upholding College policies, and serving as a key resource for on-campus residents. Individuals in this role must be genuine, flexible, and capable of building meaningful connections with others.

Compensation includes room and board.

RAs are expected to arrive on campus for Fall Training beginning Monday, August 4, 2025. Employment concludes 48 hours after Commencement, following hall closing on May 3, 2026, including for graduating seniors.

RAs must arrive early for each semester and remain after each closing. Attendance is required for all staff training sessions including Spring, Fall, Winter trainings, and ongoing in-service activities throughout Fall Break, Spring Break, and designated portions of Winter Break and May Term. RAs must return for Winter Training as early as January 2, 2026.

Requirements

• Must have a cumulative and current semester GPA of 2.5 or higher and maintain this throughout employment

• Must have been enrolled at North Central College for at least one semester prior to applying

• Must maintain full-time student status (minimum 12 credit hours) and receive approval to enroll in more than 18 credit hours

• Must be in good conduct standing with the College and the Office of Residence Life
  
  

Community Building & Programming Responsibilities

• Build and maintain positive, healthy relationships with residents; be consistently available in your assigned area

• Promote a respectful and civil living environment where students value others’ rights, property, and identities

• Support a diverse population by fostering inclusive dialogue and validating individual experiences

• Identify and assist residents with academic, social, or personal concerns; refer them to campus resources as needed

• Create a safe, student-centered community that encourages responsibility and accountability

• Foster a living space conducive to studying, sleeping, and socializing

• Plan six programs per semester (3 All Halls and 3 Floor Event), aligned with the Residence Life programming model and resident needs. Floor collaboratons are encouraged.

• Connect individually with residents and promote activities that build community and get to know your floor. 

• Actively participate in the Weekend Programming Board and Residence Hall Association, in collaboration with the Office of Residence Life and the Office of Student Engagement and Belonging.
  
  

Administrative Responsibilities

• Hold floor meetings as required by your Area Hall Director (AHD)

• Develop and maintain educational bulletin boards and door decorations

• Assist with opening and closing procedures during each semester, including Fall, Thanksgiving, and Spring Breaks

• Report maintenance or facility concerns and work collaboratively with custodial and facilities staff

• Follow all emergency procedures and conduct regular health and safety inspections

• Serve in a scheduled on-call rotation

• Support RA hiring processes and participate in Residence Life staff selection as needed
  
  

Communication Responsibilities

• Promote collaboration among residence life staff, students, and hall government to support shared goals

• Familiarize and connect residents with campus resources including Dyson Wellness Center, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Career Development, Campus Safety, and Disability Services

• Act as a liaison between residents and professional staff, advocating for both students and College policies

• Disseminate timely information from the Office of Residence Life related to policies, events, and updates

• Partner with other campus offices to effectively address the needs of residential students
  
  

Student Conduct Responsibilities

• Model responsible decision-making and uphold high behavioral standards

• Abide by all federal, state, and local laws as well as College policies

• Be knowledgeable about and communicate College policies and expectations clearly

• Promote community standards by addressing violations professionally and documenting incidents promptly

• Support and uphold all decisions made by the Office of Residence Life and North Central College
  
  

Additional Expectations

• Be in your assigned room by 2:00 a.m. nightly; nights away require prior approval and are generally limited to one weekend per month

• Obtain explicit permission from your AHD before accepting outside employment; outside jobs may not exceed 10 hours per week

• Regularly review all additional commitments (e.g., clubs, organizations, internships) with your AHD to ensure they do not interfere with RA duties

• Prohibited concurrent roles include Student Teaching (Fall semester), Orientation Leader, Orientation Team Leader, Premier Team Leader, and President of SGA, RHA, or WPB

• RAs assigned to first-year communities may be asked to arrive early to assist with first-year student-athlete move-in (please clarify exact date if available)

• Fully participate in and assist with Welcome Week Orientation and related events, as directed by the Office of Residence Life

Area Community Assistant

Overview 

The Area Community Assistant (ACA) is a senior leadership position for Resident Assistants (RAs) in the Office of Residence Life at North Central College. The ACA’s primary duties include serving as a resource to all RAs on campus, assisting the Office of Residence Life with special projects, and maintaining all other RA responsibilities. The individual who accepts this role must be genuine, flexible, and capable of interacting effectively with others.  ACA's are expected to arrive on campus for Fall Training beginning Monday, August 4, 2025. Employment concludes 48 hours after Commencement, following hall closing on May 3, 2026, including for graduating seniors.

RAs must arrive early for each semester and remain after each closing. Attendance is required for all staff training sessions including Spring, Fall, Winter trainings, and ongoing in-service activities throughout Fall Break, Spring Break, and designated portions of Winter Break and May Term. RAs must return for Winter Training as early as January 2, 2026.

The ACA is directly supervised by the Graduate Assistant (GA) and works collaboratively as part of a team including the GA and Assistant Director of Residence Life. This tri-level support structure ensures consistent communication, shared leadership, and intentional oversight of staff development and community engagement efforts. 

Compensation includes room and board. 

Requirements  

• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 

• One year of previous RA experience 

• Excellent performance as an RA 

• Demonstrated interest in entering Student Affairs, management, event planning, etc. 

Community Building & Programming Responsibilities

• Assume all primary duties of an RA as outlined in the current Resident Assistant Working Agreement 

• Contribute to a positive community living environment that fosters academic success, respect, support, and positive interpersonal relationships. Know residents individually and use those relationships to support student success 

• Serve on the RA duty rotation  

• Assist RAs in promoting, coordinating, and increasing attendance at hall programs to develop a strong and engaged residential community. Work to create programs that meet the specific needs of the living environment 

• Assist with administrative tasks, such as facilitating portions of staff meetings, helping track programming efforts, and meeting with RAs as assigned by the supervisor 

• Gain experience with day-to-day residence hall management. Help facilitate check-in and check-out procedures at the beginning and end of each term. Conduct regular building walkthroughs to monitor furnishings, keys, equipment, safety hazards, maintenance, and cleanliness. Ensure deficiencies are reported promptly to the GA. 

• Assist in developing creative recognition initiatives for resident accomplishments (e.g., most welcoming room award, resident of the week/month, academic achievements, etc.) 

• Assist with coordination of special building projects, as assigned 

• Assist with coordination and promotion of weekend programs, as assigned 

• Assist with RA training by completing administrative duties, as assigned by the GA.  

• The ACA is expected to be available during both Fall Break and Spring Break, unless otherwise approved. Evenings off campus must be pre-approved by the GA or ADRL. All time commitments outside of academics must be communicated in advance 

• Meet weekly (30 minutes) or bi-weekly (1 hour) with your supervisor to discuss concerns, goals, and updates. Timing and frequency are at the supervisor’s discretion 

• Assist the GA with social media, create content for Residence Life social media to increase engagement and visibility 

• Manage the RA Resource Room: update bulletin boards, order supplies, create and maintain a welcoming and functional workspace for fellow RAs 

List of other Responsibilities.

• Plan Residence Life staff outings to boost morale 

• Develop staff recognition and appreciation initiatives 

• Assist with Fall and Winter RA Trainings 

• Support the implementation of RA Inservice Trainings 

• Contribute to Residence Life marketing efforts 

• Assist with Housing Selection processes and events 

• Complete all tasks and duties as assigned by the GA, ADRL, or other professional Residence Life staff  

Expectations

• You have the opportunity to make a significant impact on students. Keep that as your focus and don’t disrespect the role. 

• Limit phone calls and text messages after 8pm only to things that are necessary. Otherwise, send an email for follow up the next day. 

• Maintain professionalism on and off campus. 

• Show respect to all people you interact with, especially if they are associated with campus. 

• Role model good behaviors no matter where you are. You would be surprised where residents will show up. 

• Keep confidential information confidential. Maintain privacy whenever you have to report things. Always report up, not out. 

• Don’t gossip, speculate, or assume things about students. As a general rule, it is not appropriate to talk to one student about another (whether they are your residents or not). As an RA, people will assume you know the correct information and are sharing on behalf of the College. 

• Be clear and timely in your communication. If you are asked to tell residents something, do so in the timeline provided. 

• AHD apartments are out of bounds without prior approval. 

• Hold each other accountable. You aren’t helping someone if you don’t hold them accountable. 

• Failure to follow all College, local, state, and federal policies could result in serious job action, up to and including termination. 

• This position is more of a lifestyle than a job. Embrace the lifestyle of an RA and work to be the best role model possible. 

• Be flexible and understand everyone will have to make sacrifices sometimes as part of the job. The same people should not make all the sacrifices. 

• Keep a positive mindset and assume people have the best of intentions until they prove you wrong. 

• Don’t seek conflict, but don’t completely avoid it either. Be ready to compromise to resolve it. 

• Uphold all job responsibilities as outlined in your agreement or shared with you by ResLife professionals. 

• We work as a team both in our small staffs and across campus. Be willing to lend a hand and help someone out. Offer to help; don’t wait for someone to ask. Accept help when you need it. 

• Try to resolve concerns as a duty pair before calling an AHD or calling Campus Safety.