Residence Life: Resident Assistant Selection

2013-2014 Application Process

Thank you for your interest in the Resident Assistant (RA) position at the University of Portland. Being an RA carries with it great opportunities and responsibilities.  The opportunity to learn and develop as a leader, to work within a staff, to be responsible for and advise peers, and to learn valuable transferable life skills are just a few of the benefits of being an RA. 

Each hall at UP has its own unique identity, culture, and traditions. As such, the best leadership for the continuation of each hall’s distinctiveness is to hire RAs from the hall in which they live (or have lived in the case of Study Abroad, Haggerty & Tyson, and Off Campus). Our process begins, therefore, with an in hall interview and selection process. Hall staff will fill RA positions from candidates within their hall from this first process. Our second process will include in-hall candidates deemed hirable by the staff there but for whom not enough RA jobs exist. These candidates will then be considered by other hall staff who were not able to fill their RA jobs from their in-hall candidates.

The RA position is a challenging, yet very rewarding job for which we are looking for leaders who are committed to building community, fostering diversity, and living the UP mission. Successful candidates are students who want to be a part of furthering hall community and traditions, involved in the spiritual life of their hall and the campus, and who advocate the characteristics of UP’s mission of teaching and learning, faith and formation, service and leadership in their own lives. RAs are a vital part of creating and maintaining the community of hospitality in our residence halls, where students learn to love the world and each other through the education of the head, heart, and hands.

Resident Assistants at UP are expected to incorporate Christian values into their lives and their lifestyles, so that they may take a pro-active role in the growth and development of other students who come here to study and learn.  University of Portland RAs are known for creating welcoming and safe environments for their residents that promote opportunities for growth, study, faith, service, and fun. RAs work with their hall staff and Hall Director to create communities where students can participate in what it means to be a part of a Holy Cross education by educating the person as well as learning how to be ministers, educators, and professionals.

Students seeking to be a Resident Assistant must be willing to make this position their first priority after academics; RAs cannot have outside employment without pre-approval from their supervisors. Candidates need to have a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Interested candidates with a cumulative GPA less than 3.0 can submit an appeal for their application to be considered (see details below).

Candidates should also have leadership experience, a commitment to faith and service, and a desire to serve others within their halls. We are recruiting students to serve as RAs in halls they have lived previously. 

Please contact the Office of Residence Life or your Hall Staff if you have any further questions regarding the selection process or the position. We encourage you to talk to current or former RAs, your Hall Director, and/or your Assistant Hall Director to fully understand the responsibilities and rewards of this leadership position.

Application Materials

On-Campus – You are currently studying on-campus at University of Portland during the Fall semester and will continue to be on-campus during the Spring semester.  2013-2014 On Campus Student RA Application

Study Abroad – You are currently studying abroad in a full year program (or two consecutive semester programs) OR will be studying abroad in the upcoming Spring semester.  2013-2014 Study Abroad RA Application

Returning – You are currently a Resident Assistant at University of Portland and are applying to continue in the position next year.  2013-2014 Returner RA Application 

2013-2014 RA Selection Recommendation Form

Submission

In an effort to reduce the amount of paper that is used throughout the RA Selection process, we are requiring that all application materials, including recommendation forms, be submitted electronically. This should be done by emailing your completed application or recommendation form to applyra@up.edu . If you encounter any difficulties in submitting any application materials, please contact the Office of Residence Life at (503) 943-7205.

Application Resources

2013-2014 New Applicant Timeline

2013-2014 Returning RA Timeline 

Resident Assistant Job Description

FAQs for Applicants

A Week in the Life of a UP RA

Six Things to Know When Applying

GPA Requirement Appeal 

If your cumulative GPA is less than a 3.0 and you would like to apply to be an RA, you must write a letter to the Staff Selection Committee (no more than 1.5 pages) outlining the following:

• Why your cumulative GPA is below a 3.0
• What your plan for continuing to raise your GPA is
• How the RA position fits into your plan for raising your GPA

Candidates pursuing this option must also have a conversation with their Hall Director regarding their GPA, plan, and the RA position; candidates must ask the HD to email the Staff Selection Committee (at applyra@up.edu ) with their thoughts regarding the GPA exception. The Staff Selection Committee will then review all materials supplied (application, letter, and HD email) and make a determination whether or not the candidate may proceed with the RA application process.