Each year MTU looks to the students in the dorms to take the experiences they gained from their RA and pass it to the next class of students. In doing so Tech traditions stay alive and strong communities thrive in the halls. Tuesday marked the beginning of this process, as residential assistant (RA) applications for the next academic year opened.
As an RA, students will gain a variety of responsibilities ranging from continuing hall traditions to doing rounds of the building at night. RAs must attend a weekly meeting with their fellow staff members to gain news updates, as well as gain knowledge to improve job performance. They will host hangouts and meetings throughout the school year to promote engagement in the halls. Finally, RAs must also check in with their residents to ensure mental health is healthy in the hall.
With these extra responsibilities comes compensation. Each RA will receive a single room in the dorms at no charge to them. Included with the room will be an unlimited meal plan and membership to the Quad Core Fitness Center.
RAs also gain interpersonal skills and soft benefits throughout their time in the job. Jaxon Verhoff, previously an RA for two academic years, says, “Being an RA allows one to perfect the ability to think on the fly. You get a call late at night about a situation, show up, and have to figure out the best course of action to finding a solution everyone can get behind.” The role is also a great source when building your resume or participating in interviews according to Verhoff.
After completing an application for the role, candidates will be put through a round of interviews along with attending an information session should they apply for the job.
The interview process consists of three sections. The first section focuses on question and response between the applicant and two housing members. The second section has the candidate prepare a community building activity. This is similar to what one would face as an RA in planning a hall hangout. Finally, the candidate will perform a mock check-in with one of the housing members. The point of check-ins is to see if a student is thriving in the hall or in need of support.
When asked about the interviews, Verhoff stated to just be yourself during them. “Check-ins can be vital as an RA, and so showing you know how to interact and relate to people is key. Keep calm and find a way to keep the conversation going with the interviewer, but also know that silence isn’t always bad.”
The last required step to be considered for the role is to attend an information session. There the roles and responsibilities of an RA will be further discussed, as well as the benefits of the job. Those meetings are on December 7 and January 19. For more information one can reach out to housing@mtu.edu or navigate to the housing webpage.
