Resident Advisors

The Center for Residence Life is looking for individuals who are serious about the Resident Advisor (RA) position and can define and articulate their motivation, expectations and desire for learning. The RA position is one of the most important and sought-after student leadership positions on our campus, and it requires a high degree of responsibility and commitment.

General Requirements of the position include:

• Connect residential students’ needs and interests to community engagement opportunities
• Serve as a Liaison between Residential Students and The Center for Residence Life
• Crisis Management and Policy Enforcement
• Administrative Tasks

A RA is a student staff member who resides within RIT housing with their residents and is employed by the Center for Residence Life. The RA is responsible for creating an engaging residential experience for members of their assigned community, as well as assisting their supervisor with administrative duties regarding the daily operations of the residence hall. Administrative tasks include, but are not limited to ensuring necessary forms and reports are completed accurately and submitted on time.

RAs will act as peer educators who are there to assist and develop community amongst their residents. RAs are neither strictly community builders, nor policy enforcers, but they should consider themselves a leader among students who foster a community of respect and civility and show concern for the development of all residents. RAs will recognize opportunities to initiate contact with their residents and provide tutelage and support that aligns with advancing a positive experience for our residents. In addition, RAs ensure accurate and timely communication occurs, disseminating pertinent information and collecting feedback from residents.

RAs will participate in collaborative efforts within their assigned staff, as well as center-wide initiatives to promote an educational environment conducive to upholding and honoring the individual rights and responsibilities of all students. RAs are expected to demonstrate integrity and uphold the core values and policies of RIT and the Center for Residence Life to be effective liaisons and support for students living on campus.

Given the high standards of this position, RAs must possess a genuine concern for others, inspire respect, and set a good example in attitude and general role modeling. RAs are expected to have the ability to articulate the strengths of others, as well as utilize solution-oriented feedback when interacting with students. They are expected to conduct themselves professionally both on campus and in the community. RAs will think critically in order to assist residents with problems or behaviors of concern and demonstrate the resiliency to access the appropriate university resources. RAs will provide opportunities to reflect on the outcome of situations with residents when appropriate.

In addition, this role has set time commitments including a training period prior to each academic semester, a weekly staff meeting, and planned in-service training opportunities. All dates will be provided in the Resident Advisor contract, given upon hire.

The following criteria must be met in order for a student to be given initial consideration as a candidate for the RA position:

• Meet all Rochester Institute of Technology student employment eligibility requirements
• Enrolled as a full-time student at RIT
• Undergraduate students: minimum of 12 credits per semester
• Possess minimum GPA 2.40 cumulative and semester  
• Must be available for staff meetings on Monday nights between 7-10 p.m.
• Must be enrolled in the RIT emergency alert system
• Cannot hold a status of Probation or higher through the RIT conduct process
• Must complete all required training sessions prior to the start of employment

RAs in the 2025-2026 academic year received the below compensation for the position:

• RAs will be credited 100% of a single residence hall room and 100% of a meal plan (exact meal plan to be determined) while they remain in the position, plus additional debit for the training period.
• Compensation is reported to the Office of Financial Aid and may impact eligibility for and/or financial aid awards.

The RA application for the 2026-27 school year will be open at 10 a.m. on Nov. 3, 2025, and will close at 10 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2026.

Students interested can apply on the MyLife portal, select Employment, then Resident Advisor. 
Please note: you must attend one of the mandatory information sessions in order to be eligible to apply. Failure to attend an information session will result in an incomplete application.

When you are ready to apply, your application must include a PDF resume detailing your experience and qualifications as well as a PDF cover letter (1 page maximum). In the cover letter, address each of the prompts listed below. 

• Tell us about activities that you have been involved in at RIT or in high school. What did you learn from these experiences that has helped you grow personally?
  • How will these experiences help you succeed as an RA? 
• How do you see the RA role contributing to your career goals?
• In what ways do you think being an RA will enhance your overall experience at RIT?

Join us for an Info Session! Each session is one hour long and includes a 30-minute presentation, followed by approximately 30 minutes of Q&A. 
Note: attendance at an info session is required for your application to be considered. If you cannot attend any of these info session dates, please email ritraselection@rit.edu at your earliest opportunity.

• Sept. 24, 2025, 7:30-8:30 p.m. - Gracie's (First 40 attendees enter Gracie's for free)
• Oct. 9, 2025, 8-9 p.m. - Glass Box Theater (Located in the SHED) 
• Oct. 24, 2025, 8-9 p.m. - Zoom
  link here
• Nov. 8, 2025, 3-4 p.m. - Zoom link here
• Dec. 9, 2025 (Reading Day) 5-6 p.m. - SDC-1300

Additionally, join us for two optional Campus Connect events focused on being a student leader! 

• Nov. 20, 2025, 3-5 p.m. - DSP-1250 
• Dec. 3, 2025, 12-2 p.m. - DSP-1250

There are a number of services and resources available to support you in crafting a resume and cover letter that will capture the attention of a potential employer. Not sure where to start? View the Cover Letters and Resume Guide developed by Career Services and Co-Op. If you're in need of additional writing assistance, contact the University Writing Program.