Residence Life Student Staff Recruitment & Selection Information
Please see the updated details below regarding the hiring process for our 2023-24 RAs and ACAs.
Resident Assistant (RA)/Apartment Community Assistant (ACA) Position Information
We are excited that you are considering becoming a Resident Assistant (RA) or Apartment Community Assistant (ACA) here at UIndy! These positions are very rewarding student leadership positions on campus that provide our student leaders with both personal and professional development. Many of our staff look back at their experience as being beneficial in helping them develop their communication skills, crisis management skills, and leadership skills. We can’t wait to get to know you through our process!
Resident Assistants (RAs) are an integral part of the Residence Life Team. They are paraprofessional staff that have direct and constant student contact. Their primary responsibility is to act as facilitators for the residence hall community and to enhance the social, educational, intellectual and cultural development of each individual. The RA articulates to students the philosophy and policies of Residence Life and the University, and represents the office as a role model in all facets of University life. RAs work to achieve the department's five learning domains: Self-Authorship, University Discovery, Inclusion/Equity, Total Wellness, Local & Global Engagement, with an emphasis on the six basic roles of RAs: Community Development Manager; Referral Agent; Team Member; Administrator; Programmer, and Conflict and Policy Manager.
RAs work in one of our seven residence halls on campus: Central, Cory-Bretz, Cravens, Crowe, East, Roberts, Warren.
RA Chaplains serve as a spiritual confidant, mentor, mediator, & referral agent for residents who are in need of additional support and want to seek faith based practices to help inform their decisions. RA Chaplains are RAs with additional responsibilities through the Ecumenical & Interfaith office. RA Chaplains receive additional compensation and facilitate additional programming in the residence halls. We currently have an RA Chaplain in Cory-Bretz, Cravens, Crowe, and Warren.
"Living Learning Communities are specialized living environments that connect students inside and outside the classroom experience." - University of Pittsburgh, 2019
Our current Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) on campus are Engineering (Cory-Bretz Hall), Honors (Central Hall), Nursing (Roberts Hall), Stonewall Suites (Roberts), and Umoja Scholars (Crowe Hall). More potentially could be added for the academic year in other areas.
To be eligible for the Nursing and Engineering LLC RA role, you will need to be in those specific majors and have a 3.0 GPA. Also, to qualify for the Honors LLC RA Role, you must have at least a 2.5 GPA and should be a part of the Honors College. Lastly, you do not have to be in any specific major for the Umoja Scholars LLC RA Role, however, you must have at least a 2.5 GPA.
LLC RAs receive additional compensation and facilitate additional programming in the residence halls.
- 24 credits by the start of the academic year of hire
- Registered student at UIndy
- 2.5 cumulative GPA
- Free from social and academic probation
- Strong academic practices
- Ability to establish relationships & create long-standing connections
- Positive representation of University & Department of Residence Life
- Follows and enforces all policies to the best of their ability
- Flexible
- Adaptable
Apartment Community Assistants (ACAs) are an integral part of the Residence Life Team. They are paraprofessional staff that have direct and constant student contact. Their primary responsibility is to act as facilitators for the apartment area community and to enhance the social, educational, intellectual and cultural development of each individual. The ACA articulates to students the philosophy and policies of Residence Life and the University, and represents the office as a role model in all facets of University life. ACAs work to achieve the department’s five learning domains: Self-Authorship, University Discovery, Inclusion/Equity, Total Wellness, Local & Global Engagement, with an emphasis on the six basic roles of ACAs: Community Development Manager; Referral Agent; Team Member; Administrator; Programmer, and Community Mediator.
ACAs work in one of our three apartment communities on campus: College Crossing, Greyhound Village, University Lofts.
Key differences between the ACA and RA roles are:
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The RA role has a greater emphasis on community building than the ACA role does.
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The ACA role is moreso operational, as the ACAs work more desk/duty shifts and help facilitate our mail/package process out of the apartment community front offices.
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RAs facilitate intentional conversations with their students.
- 24 credits by the start of the academic year of hire
- Registered student at UIndy
- 2.5 cumulative GPA
- Free from social and academic probation
- 20 years old by January 15th, 2023 (Greyhound Village only)
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Strong academic practices
-
Ability to establish relationships & create long-standing connections
-
Positive representation of University & Department of Residence Life
-
Follows and enforces all policies to the best of their ability
-
Flexible
-
Adaptable
Below is a rough timeline for our recruitment and selection process. Please note that this is subject to change and we will update this site accordingly.
- RA/ACA Informational Session #1 in Schwitzer 010 - Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 8:00PM
- RA/ACA Application Opens on Handshake - Monday, November 21, 2022
- RA/ACA Informational Session #2 in UIndy Hall A - Monday, December 5, 2022 at 3:00PM
- RA/ACA Informational Session #3 in UIndy Hall A - Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 7:00PM
- RA/ACA Application Deadline - 5:00PM on Monday, January 24, 2023
- Both RA and ACA interviews occur in February 2023
- If offered, deadline to accept the RA or ACA position: March 24, 2023
If you are currently out of the country or planning to transfer to UIndy for the Spring semester, please email resliferecruitment@uindy.edu so we are able to schedule a time and day to virtually meet with you. We ask that you allow 24-48 hours for a member of our team to respond.
If you need accommodations during our process, please contact our team as soon as possible at resliferecruitment@uindy.edu so we are able to work with you and the Disability Resources & Build office.
Please email all questions and concerns to resliferecruitment@uindy.edu. We ask that you allow 24-48 hours for a member of our team to respond.
RA & ACA Alumni Experiences
Hear from staff members who have spent time in both the Resident Assistant and Apartment Community Assistant roles here at UIndy!
Jailah Blakely, '20
“Being an RA/ACA for three years has been the best part of my college career! I have learned many things from the position such as interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds, using therapeutic communication, time management skills, responsibility, and conflict resolution! This leadership position allowed me the opportunity to encourage, inspire, educate and help residents as they navigate through their college journey, all while building a community that is inclusive and enjoyable for everyone. This job has helped shape me into the person and Registered Nurse I am today as it allows me to apply those same skills while caring for my patients in the hospital. Being able to help, guide, and provide patient care/education using such communication, time management, and responsibility skills are critical for being a successful nurse. It is also important to provide this care in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment in order to promote comfort and healing amongst patients. I really appreciate being an RA/ACA because it opened so many doors in my life as it handed me the necessary tools needed to be successful in the workforce. I am confident my skills learned as an RA/ACA will undoubtedly stick with me for the rest of my life!"
Bradley Moon, '20
“Being an RA was a huge part of my college career and an experience I will always treasure. I met so many great friends, co-workers, and residents. As an RA I learned many skills to help me succeed on the job, in school, and after graduation. The biggest thing I learned was how to effectively manage my time. As an RA you have a lot of responsibilities. Add to that being a full-time college student, a member of student organizations, and anything else you are involved with you have, and you have a pretty full schedule. In my first year as an RA, I learned how important it was for me to keep a detailed schedule. I began using both a Google calendar and a weekly planner to organize my responsibilities and ensure I met deadlines. After graduation, I use these same tools to organize my twelve classes this semester in dental school. This is one of many examples of how being an RA helped me grow both personally and professionally. I highly recommend applying to be an RA!”
Erin Pool, '19
“Being an RA colored a lot of my college experience and I made a lot of great memories with my staff and residents! Although I graduated over a year ago now, I still look back on those experiences as some that truly shaped me into the person I am now. As a registered nurse in a busy ICU, I use my time management, prioritization, and relationship building skills I developed as an RA daily. I am also able to communicate and coordinate well with many different specialties and teams in the hospital because I did so quite often as an RA. Most importantly, being an RA caused me to check my privilege and become more aware of major issues that our society faces, specifically racism and income inequality, and my role as an RA has helped me become a better advocate for my patients as a nurse.”
Deshon Riley, '20
“The RA and ACA roles have helped me think first before responding to situations of all kinds. They also helped me interact with all walks of life and feel more comfortable when walking into new settings. I'm appreciative for all that these positions have taught me. “
