Building authentic, meaningful relationships with residents is a cornerstone of the RA role. As a student leader and support resource, each RA is expected to make a consistent and genuine effort to get to know every resident in their community. At a minimum, RAs should strive to learn basic information about each resident, such as their major, interests, and general well-being.
In addition to daily interactions, RAs are required to engage in intentional 1:1 conversations with at least 75% of their residents each semester. These conversations serve as a valuable opportunity to check in, offer support, connect students to resources, and foster a sense of belonging within the residential community.
1:1s are meant to be casual but purposeful, focusing on the resident’s experience—both inside and outside the classroom. These conversations not only support the student’s success but also help identify early signs of disengagement, mental health concerns, or academic challenges.
All 1:1s must be documented using the RA/Resident 1:1 Conversation Form, ensuring that conversations are tracked and that necessary follow-up can occur when needed. Maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, and care during these check-ins is essential.
Intentional outreach through 1:1s helps create strong, supportive communities and reinforces the RA’s role as a trusted and approachable leader.
Roommate Agreements are a key tool in fostering healthy communication, setting expectations, and preventing conflict within shared living spaces. As a Resident Assistant, you are not only responsible for completing your own Roommate Agreement, but also for actively facilitating and ensuring the completion of agreements by all residents in your assigned area each semester.
These agreements encourage residents to have open and honest conversations about topics such as cleanliness, guests, noise, shared responsibilities, and personal boundaries. RAs play a crucial role in guiding these conversations and helping residents navigate any initial discomfort or uncertainty.
Each semester, RAs are expected to:
Proactively communicate the importance of completing Roommate Agreements.
Offer support and structure during the agreement process.
Follow up with residents who have not completed their agreements by the designated deadline.
Mediate and assist in revisiting agreements if conflicts arise later in the semester.
Roommate Agreements should be completed no later than the end of the first two weeks of the semester and revisited as needed, particularly when new roommates are assigned or when issues develop within a shared space. Completed agreements should be submitted to the Director of Residence Life by the outlined deadline provided to students living on campus.
By promoting and supporting the Roommate Agreement process, RAs help create respectful, cooperative, and positive living environments for all students.