RA FAQ

• The RA Application will open on December 7th, 2020 and close on February 21st, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (ET) – application must be fully completed through the external application link that is posted on Handshake.
• If application is fully completed by the deadline and meets requirements, RA candidates will be invited to both an individual interview and a group process interview. Interview are to be be held in March 2021.
  • Both the individual interview and the group interview will be conducted via Zoom for the current selection process.
• Decisions will be sent in early April 2021.

• We recommend business casual dress for your individual interview.
• For the group interview, we recommend a more comfortable attire - Syracuse University pride is encouraged.
• We also recommend that you get a good night’s sleep.
• Make sure cell phones are put away and on silent during individual interviews and group interviews and that you are in a space that has minimal distractions.
• Be sure to sign-on a few minutes early to make sure your technology works!

There are a roughly 175 RA positions within the Office of Student Living based on departmental needs for a given academic year.

Yes, you can be considered/hired as a summer RA and academic year RA. There are separate processes for the academic year and the summer positions.

If you apply for a LLCRA or a Theme Housing position, you can still be considered as a general RA candidate. You can apply for all position types.

Things change for everyone. You can be called as an alternate at any given moment from the moment you accept alternate status until April 1st of the following year. If it is something you can still do, you can accept the position if called, but if that status changes, you should inform the Office of Student Living by emailing osljobs@syr.edu. If you continue to be interested, you can be contacted at any time.

Early April - this is typically prior to Spring Break and Housing Selection.

You are expected to move-in approximately 3 weeks before classes start in the Fall in order to go through RA Training.

The RA role is pretty flexible. However, you must be available to attend the RA staff meeting on Wednesdays from 8pm-10pm and should not take more than 19 credits (undergraduate) or 12 credits (graduate). Please note you are also expected to have a strong presence on your floor and in the hall. Time in the building is an important part of the RA position.

Yes. In order to apply to be an RA and maintain the RA position you must meet the minimum of a 2.5 GPA (undergraduate), 3.0 (graduate), 2.2 (law) per semester and cumulative.

Yes. When applying to be an RA, we do not take placement preferences. When hired as an RA, you are hired for the Office of Student Living as a whole and are placed based on strengths and building needs.

When applying to be an RA, we do not take placement preferences. When hired as an RA, you are hired for the Office of Student Living as a whole and are placed based on strengths and building needs.

When applying to be an RA, we do not take preferences. When hired as an RA, you are hired for the Office of Student Living as a whole and are placed based on strengths and building needs.

Come to an information session or email osljobs@syr.edu.

• RA = Resident Advisor; commitment of 1 academic year (Student Staff)
• LLCRA = Living Learning Community Resident Advisor. LCRAs work specifically with a Living Learning Community in the residence halls; commitment of 1 academic year (Student Staff)
• Summer RAs work in 1 of 2 summer programs: SummerStart or Summer College and work 26.5 hours a week; commitment of approximately 7 weeks. (Student Staff)
• RD = Residence Director (Professional Staff)

All RAs are expected to participate in the following:

• Conversations About Race & Ethnicity dialogue circle (6 weeks for 2 hours a week in the Fall semester)
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner and supporting events (January)
• Periodic in-services and all on-going training events (varies)
• Assist with the Resident Advisor Recruitment & Training processes (varies)

• RAs are expected to have a strong presence on their floor and will need to complete the approximate 20 hours per week requirement for the RA job
• RAs must follow all Code of Conduct and Residential Policies and must always be mindful of where they’re going and who is there (i.e. residents) when out of the building

• RAs will need to arrive about 3 weeks before classes start in the Fall in order to go through RA training, preparing for opening, and working during opening
• ALL trainings are mandatory
• RAs will also need to arrive about a week before classes start in the Spring in order to go through RA training and prepare for opening
• Not all RAs will be required to work during Thanksgiving and Spring break, but some RAs will need to work during these breaks, as there are RAs on-call. If not working these breaks, RAs can leave.

• RA: Room and board
  • Room
    • Will live in a single room
    • Not all RA rooms have their own bathroom, varies depending on the building – can be in community bathroom style
  • Meal Plan
    • RAs can select between two plans:
      • 14 Meal Plan &  Super Card money
      • 10 Meal Plan &  Super Card money
      • If you want to add more than this, you can, but have to pay the difference
  • Early registration
• LCRA
  • Same as academic year RA
  • Additional monetary stipend
• Summer RA
  • 26 hours per week at a rate of Min.Wage/hour
  • Room
  • 14 meal swipes/week

RAs can have a job outside of the RA job, but cannot commit to more than 10 hours to this other job (in combination with any and all other extracurricular activities/internships/organization commitments).

RAs can do other things outside of the RA role, as long as those other things do not exceed 10 hours a week.

No. One cannot be a RA and an Orientation Leader nor part of Goon Squad. This is because of the significant RA responsibilities during Syracuse Welcome and residence hall opening.

To be an RA, you must be a full time student, but cannot exceed 19 credits (undergraduate) or 12 credits (graduate).

RAs who are abroad and/or are considering going abroad can still apply to be an RA. We ask that students are forthcoming about their Study Abroad plans. Studying Abroad will not limit your ability to become an RA.

• Commitment to the job
• Enthusiasm for the job and to interact with residents
• Flexibility
• Willingness to learn and try new things
• Time management

• There are 3 different types of communities: First Year Centers, Mixed Populations (first year students and upper division students), and Upper Division Communities.
• Each of these populations have different needs and will ask for a different kind of work from the RAs in these communities. No one position has more work than the other, the work is different.
• Not all RAs will get their own bathroom because not all buildings are the same.

• First year students are new to the campus and will probably have a lot more questions for their RAs and will need help navigating the campus. There is a greater social focus in communities with first year students, as it is important for RAs to help students connect with each other and form friendships. There is also a greater focus on educational experiences in an effort to get students connected to other offices on campus and make students aware of the different services the university offers.
• Upper division students are returning students. They have more specific needs and will likely seek their RA for academic support/professional development/and reflective opportunities. Experiences and events in upper division buildings are completed in a less traditional way and will have a more detailed and specific focus, depending on the need and student.

This will vary depending on the building. There is a mixture of floors with just one RA and floors with co-RAs.

Co-RAs work together as a team for their residents. As co-RAs, each RA will be responsible for completing initiatives for the floor, but will have the opportunity to collaborate. Each RA will be responsible for the same tasks, but can be figured out between each other on how they want to work through each task together.

RAs are placed in their position/building depending on the building’s needs and how the RA can best help that building achieve its goals. Each RA is intentionally placed based on strengths, interests, and the community’s needs.