UCLA
Residential Life

Resident Assistant (Hill and Undergraduate Apartments)

What is a Resident Assistant?

Residents Assistants (RAs) are accountable for the administration and implementation of various responsibilities that work towards building a positive community environment, assisting with the growth and development of residents, and providing emergency and crisis response to their community. Under the supervision of a Resident Director (RD) and Assistant Resident Director (ARD), RAs serve as a resource to fulfill the goals and values of Residential Life. Learn about the various communities Resident Assistants support below.

Hill

Resident Assistants on the Hill support various living styles including classic halls, deluxe halls, private bath and shared bath plazas, and suite style accommodations. The Hill is comprised of De Neve, Rieber, Sunset/Sproul, and Hedrick Courts.

Apartments

Residents Assistants in the Apartments for Undergraduate students support shared apartments. The Undergraduate North Apartments communities are comprised of Southwest Campus, Gayley Heights, and Westwood Hills.

Living-Learning Communities

LLC Resident Assistants (RA) have the opportunity to shape a student’s experience in one of our 14 Living Learning Communities and have the support of a Community Development Intern to contribute to the LLC in the following ways:

ADMINISTRATION

  1. Participate in recruitment of Community Development Intern for LLC (reviewing applications + interviewing)
  2. Attend a quarterly LLC staff meeting to meet other LLC RAs
  3. Meet with LLC team regularly to plan LLC events
  4. Work with LLC student group affiliates and liaise with other internal and external partners
  5. Collaborate with LLC-affiliated Faculty in Residence
  6. Work with a Community Development Intern to budget additional LLC funds from the department

PROGRAMMING
With the help of the LLC Community Development Intern, LLC RAs will:

  1. Plan a Welcome Reception - invite campus partners and connect with faculty and stakeholders
  2. Coordinate Floor Retreat - provide a time for students on the floor to get to know one another outside of the building and to bond over their interest in the floor.
  3. Plan Signature Program - work with Community Development Intern to plan a large-scale event that will cater to the UCLA community and engage floor to participate in its planning and implementation.
  4. Host at least one LLC-related program each quarter.

TRAINING

  1. In spring, you are invited to connect with former LLC staff to learn about the program and to start thinking about curriculum for the next year
  2. During summer RA training, meet with LLC Coordinator to discuss 9 Deliverables & their implementation
  3. Attend 2 trainings with LLC intern, co-LLC RA, Assistant Resident Director, and Resident Director during summer RA training.
  4. Meet with primary stakeholders and campus partners to connect and establish relationships

What are the qualifications?

  • You must be enrolled as a full time UCLA student (undergraduate or graduate) to be eligible for RA-Hill and UAN Undergraduate positions at the time of application submission. Enrollment in UCLA Extension does not meet the requirement. Upon hire, you will also need to be able to provide proof of eligibility to work in the U.S. as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. If you have questions about your eligibility (ex: student visas), please email HR@orl.ucla.edu
  • Student academic records will be reviewed for all applicants being considered for the Resident Assistant position. Students must be in good academic standing in order to apply to the position. Current undergraduate UCLA students at time of application must maintain full-time enrollment, 12 units per quarter, during time of employment. Graduate students must maintain full-time enrollment per the respective graduate division. Students must maintain 2.3 minimum cumulative GPA at time of application, hire, and/or rehire (beginning of fall quarter of each academic year).
  • All student conduct records from the Office of the Dean of Students and Residential Life will be reviewed for all applicants being considered for the Resident Assistant position. Students must be in good conduct standing to be considered for the position. Any future violations may result in withdrawal of offer and/or termination of employment.

What are the terms of employment?

  • Employment as a Resident Assistant is contingent upon completion of a satisfactory background investigation. The “Live Scan” is the process of obtaining digital fingerprints and submitting them electronically to the California Department of Justice and to the FBI.
  • This position is for an appointment of the full academic year (10 months) to any on-campus residential community. Live-On Student Staff may be considered for up to two (2) academic year appointments.
  • Employment will start with training beginning September 3, 2024 and continues through the entire academic year, which ends in June. You will be required to attend training in September and more information will be shared with you once you are hired. You will also be required to fully participate in Move-In Weekend and Welcome Week in late September / early October. Please refrain from other commitments (work, internships, vacation, test dates, etc.) during this time.
  • Primary work hours for this position are evenings and weekends. RAs may also be asked to work official university events at varying times
  • The position requires you to be present during mandatory Monday Night Meetings. These meetings require your availability from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Please refrain from other commitments (work, internships, coursework, etc.) during this time.
  • Must reside in assigned building to respond to situations as needed.
  • Community placement may change at any time, although this is rare and sought to be avoided.
  • All commitments outside of the RA position (employment, club/organization involvement, internship, etc.) must have the written pre-approval of the supervisor.
  • RAs are expected to fulfill all responsibilities in the job description and RA contract, which is signed after accepting an RA offer. Failure to meet job expectations or conduct contrary to the standards above may result in job actionable consequences, including termination.

What is the compensation?

  • Room and board

What are the position responsibilities?

The functions of all RAs are the same; however the manner in which functions are implemented may vary according to the specific community assignment. In addition to the responsibilities listed below, RAs may be asked to assist with other duties as assigned and/or may be given additional opportunity to support community and/or departmental initiatives.

Community Development

  • Work to foster an inclusive community environment of residents’ identities, backgrounds and needs.
  • Promote, develop, and implement programs to meet departmental goals.
  • Provide residents with information and resources about the UCLA campus.
  • Facilitate roommate agreements. Assist residents with amendments as needed.
  • Mediate resident conflicts.
  • Support Welcome Week initiatives.
  • Actively assist with Move In of community/court area.
  • Work collaboratively with community’s Resident Government Council.
  • Get to know and develop relationships with residents; articulate resident and community concerns to supervisors.
  • Initiate, plan and execute social and educational programs (active and passive) and events.

Academic Development

  • Establish an atmosphere conducive to study and provide academic assistance to residents.
  • Provide basic academic and personal counseling/resources to residents.
  • Visibly role-model academic success skills, including time management.
  • Be knowledgeable about academic resources and encourage residents to utilize academic resources available to students on campus.
  • Actively collaborate with Faculty in Residence in resident engagement and education.

On-Call Responsibility (Duty/Emergency & Crisis Response)

  • Serve in active “on-call” rotation. This includes, but is not limited to, responding to calls, documenting incidents and alleged violations of policy, collaborating with campus partners, engaging with members of the residential community, following protocols for emergency scenarios and taking on an active/leadership role for emergency and crisis response.
  • Help to maintain the safety and general well-being of residents.
  • Provide “duty coverage” for the on campus housing community on a rotation basis. RAs provide coverage from 8:00pm to 7:00am. Examples of “duty” calls: alcohol, drugs, sexual assault, suicide ideation, distressed/distressing students, alarms, transients, noise, community disruptions, etc. Conduct community tours (active walking rounds of community) three times a night when scheduled as ON duty. This involves actively engaging with community members and checking emergency equipment. Assist with Midnight Yell Mitigation during finals week.
  • Know and enforce On Campus Housing and University regulations and document any student concerns.
  • Write incident reports (via Advocate software) to document student concerns and/or alleged policy violations.
  • Assist students in handling crisis situations and solving problems.
  • Confront residents in an educational, appropriate and professional manner.
  • Connect with residents to ensure well-being and demonstrate discretion when dealing with resident issues.
  • Assist with building/emergency evacuation and crowd mitigation.
  • Opportunities to work duty shifts for pay during breaks may be available.

Leadership Development

  • Counsel residents regarding problems or concerns and provide resource and referral information.
  • Maximize positive resident interaction and their interaction with the campus community.
  • Demonstrate a level of flexibility and positivity that contributes to team-building.
  • Demonstrate a willingness to give and receive job performance-based feedback.
  • Follow all guidelines and policies set forth by the department and university and role models respectful community-based behaviors.
  • Attend all required events.
  • Establish positive and productive relationships with professional and student staff both within the department and with campus partners.
  • Demonstrate strong decision-making skills (gets input, asks advice, weighs options, etc.).
  • RAs are expected role model positive behavior and represent UCLA in accordance with the True Bruin Values and the UCLA Principles of Community as well as Residential Life within the department’s mission statement, The Core 5 (Goal Areas) and Standards of Service (Values), even when not actively performing job functions.

Administrative Responsibilities

  • Regularly check university email account at least once a day and must provide a contact number with voicemail for occasional work use.
  • Respond to e-mails and phone calls within 24 hours.
  • Document alleged policy violations and/or resident concerns; submit by 10am the following day.
  • Disseminate and share campus information.
  • Collect information from residents (as directed by the professional staff) relative to Residential Life matters.
  • Complete scheduled room inspections in conjunction with Housing colleagues.
  • Support community and departmental initiatives.
  • Actively engage and be consistently prepared for all meetings and trainings throughout the year (i.e., staff, 1:1’s in-services, etc.) and specialty assignments if applicable.
  • Assume other responsibilities as assigned by the Resident Director, Assistant Resident Director or Assistant Director.
  • Assist with the opening and closing of residential communities at the beginning and end of each academic year.

Application & Timeline

The 2024-2025 Undergrad Hill & UAN RA application is now closed.

All candidates who have applied to the position have been notified via email of their candidacy as of 3/15/24.

Questions?

For general questions about this position or the recruitment process, please email RARecruitment@orl.ucla.edu.