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Peer Leader: Resident Assistant

Carleton College
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ABOUT THE PEER LEADER PROGRAM:

The Peer Leader Program serves to synthesize the work of these 12 offices into one developmental experience for students’ current and prospective aspirations. These roles not only allow students the platform to work with staff to create programming, resources, and peer support for the campus community, but also offer students opportunities to think critically about and commit diligently to their own development and skill attainment.


Resident Assistant - Job Description & Working Agreement

The Resident Assistant(RA) position is part of the greater Peer Leader program at Carleton College. The RA position is focused on enhancing the quality of life of residents living in campus housing through regular resident interactions, intentional programming, and monitoring the safety and holistic wellness of community members. Residential Life strives to enhance student growth and educational experience through an emphasis on cultural competency, holistic individual and community development, leadership, advocacy of academic inquiry, and expression in the spirit of mutual respect. These are the hallmarks of the Carleton residential experience and provide the essential foundation for a quality liberal arts education within a diverse and dynamic community.

For more information about Residential Life’s commitment to Carleton’s diverse community please read out Inclusivity Statement. 

Job Requirements

Community Development and Programming
  • Develop individual relationships with residents in assigned community through regular interaction; Know names and information about residents in assigned community.  
  • Assist residents whose behavior may be indicative of personal, social, or academic concerns and report concerning behavior to their Area Director.
  • Serve as a mediator in conflicts between community members and refer to Area Director as needed.
  • Communicate regularly with residents via study breaks, emails, newsletters, group messages, etc. to ensure residents are current with information important to the community.
  • Plan, promote, facilitate, and evaluate programs each term that appeal to the needs and interests of community members while also encouraging the social, emotional, and intellectual development of residents. 
  • Foster a positive living environment by consistently communicating and enforcing community living standards. 
  • Enhance physical residence hall spaces through the creation of door decorations, bulletin boards, flyers and other promotional/instructional signage, etc. to create a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing space for residents.
  • Partner with other offices on campus to meet the needs of assigned community 
  • Manage a programming budget in alignment with the mission and goals of Residential Life.
  • Serve as a role model and abide by all local, state, and federal laws and all policies written in the Carleton College Student Handbook

Administrative
  • Be knowledgeable about departmental and college policies, procedures, and resources
  • Facilitate administrative procedures (check-in, check-out, reports, etc.) as required by Residential Life.
  • Manage a variety of projects and balance multiple tasks/responsibilities
  • Meet deadlines set by the Residential Life Office and Area Directors and communicate proactively when these deadlines cannot be met.
  • Inform supervisor of community happenings including: student behavior, facilities, policies, programming, etc. through Weekly Reports, bi-weekly 1-on-1s, program planners and evaluations, and additional communication as needed.
  • Serve as a team member for Residential Life by supporting all departmental initiatives.
  • Participate in activities involving all RAs, including RA selection, staff meetings, and all training and development activities.

Safety and Well-being 
  • Refer and connect residents with on-campus resources (e.g. Student Health and Counseling, Academic Success Center, etc.) when they are in need of support
  • Serve in an on-duty rotation
  • Enforce college policies including local & federal laws in all residential areas in order to ensure community safety and well-being of residents 
  • Utilize Area Director on-call, Campus Security, and other on-call resources as needed when responding to incidents 
  • Foster and maintain communication with the Area Director for the purpose of reporting policy violations and crisis situations
  • Maintain privacy when presented with personal and/or sensitive information about members of the Carleton community
  • Serve as a responsible employee of Carleton College (reporting Title IX violations to supervisors in a timely manner)
  • Respond to moments of crisis as needed within the community/area one is assigned

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Actively engage in personal development related to diversity, equity, and inclusion through participating in training and educational opportunities offered by Residential Life, Carleton, and beyond
  • Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment on your floor by sharing what you have learned and promoting DEI opportunities including events to attend or organizations to join. 
  • Apply inclusion and accessibility best practices when engaging with and advocating for residents 

Compensation
  • RAs are classified as "salaried, non-exempt," which is different from other student employees. RAs are paid with a combination of salaried and hourly pay. Salaried pay is distributed during the term. 
  • During training/development, openings, and closings RAs are compensated with an hourly wage because these fall outside of the “academic term” work.  
  • The total pay for RAs is expected to be $6,725 or more (academic year salary of $5,220 over 30 weeks for all hours worked during the academic term + plus break earnings for training/opening/closing hours worked at an hourly rate of $11.25). 
  • You will be paid via student payroll distributed over the fifteen Term pay dates. Please note these are the amounts for RAs who work all three terms, attend all trainings, and work during all closings and openings.

Working Agreement
Required Dates: Resident Assistants (RAs) are required to participate in training and development prior to each term, as well as assist with Opening duties. RAs are also required to stay past the official closing time each term to assist with Closing duties. RAs will need to be able to cover some weekend duty shifts during each term. RAs must commit to attending weekly 1-1 meetings, RA Staff Meetings from 7:00-8:30pm every Tuesday during the term. The required RA dates for the 2021-2022 year have not been finalized, but RAs will need to agree to the dates prior to accepting a position. 
  1. I understand that I am expected to fulfill all position responsibilities listed in the Resident Assistant (RA) Position Description.
  2. I acknowledge that my employment is contingent upon my maintaining good academic standing (minimum of 2.5 GPA).
  3. I understand RAs are mandated reporters required to report incidents of possible sexual misconduct, including names of involved students, through a Community Concern Form when relevant information comes to my attention.
  4. I acknowledge that as an RA, I will be one of the most visible and available Peer Leaders on campus, and I will strive to be a role model holding myself to high standards. I recognize that it is necessary that I live by standards that meet the College’s expectations. I agree to follow ALL Community Standards and Policies of the College, as well as Residential Life’s expectations of Resident Assistants; and I understand not doing so may result in the loss of my employment with Residential Life. I will be supportive of other Carleton staff when they are performing their duties (Security, Residential Life, Dean of Students, etc.). I understand that in this position I will be required to confront my peers when they are not following the Community Standards and Policies of the College to help ensure a safe learning and living community. 
  5. I will consider the RA position as my primary out-of-class activity. I understand that there may be times when it is necessary to put aside another commitment/involvement because of my RA responsibilities. I am committed to attending weekly 1-1 meetings, RA Staff Meetings from 7:00-8:30pm every Tuesday, and all phases of RA Training and Development and Peer Leader Training during employment.
  6. I acknowledge I’ve been advised that RAs in their first term of employment should not have additional employment outside of Carleton. After my first term as an RA I will discuss any employment outside of Carleton with my Area Director.
  7. I understand this is a full student work contract and I may not hold other campus employment without prior approval. Additional on-campus work hours will only be considered if I will be off-campus at least one term during the same academic year, and I have worked at least one term as an RA. All approvals will be no more than three hours per week. I understand I am to contact the Associate Director of Residential Life with these requests. The Associate Director, along with my Area Director and Student Employment, will make a determination on whether my request is approved.
  8. I understand that I am expected to discuss any overnight time away from campus with my Area Director well in advance so that we can ensure appropriate coverage of the community.
  9. I understand that it is my responsibility to be on campus whenever the residence halls/houses are open. This is typically from the first day of training until the day after commencement. All RAs are required to assist with openings and closings each term unless they have prior approval from Residential Life. Permission must be given for any exceptions before making travel arrangements. Compensation will be adjusted for RAs who arrive late for openings or leave early for closings throughout the year.
  10. I understand that my performance will be evaluated and that my continuation in the position will be contingent upon positive evaluations and meeting all job expectations.

Contact Tanya Hartwig (thartwig@carleton.edu), Associate Director of Residential Life with questions.

Application Process:
1.) Submit the Peer Leader Common Application ONCE. This application will apply to any Peer Leader positions that you wish to apply for. This application will be live 3/1-3/31/2022.

2.) Submit your resume and cover letter through Handshake for each position that you are applying for.

2a.) Your Cover Letter should address the following:
  1. What characteristics/skills do you possess that will assist you in the role of a Resident Assistant at Carleton College?
  2. What impact do you believe the Resident Assistant has on building community at Carleton?
  3. What do you hope to gain from being a Resident Assistant?

3.) All steps need to be completed before 11:59:00 p.m. on 3/31/2022.

4.) Applications will be reviewed by each office and qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview and next steps.

Carleton is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation regarding this position, email OAR@carleton.edu or contact Sam Thayer (sthayer@carleton.edu, phone number: 507-222-4464) or Joclyn Tiedt (jtiedt@carleton.edu, phone number: 507-222-4917).

We recommend applicants make an appointment with a career coach or Student Career Assistant (SCA) to review their application materials prior to submission.