Peer Resident Assistant

Mission

The mission of Housing and Residence Life is to create a safe and inclusive community where residential students feel at home. Housing and Residence Life will provide intentional, innovative, and holistic programs based on the principles of Lasting Purpose. Our professional and student staff assist in enhancing the overall residential and academic experience for our students and are dedicated to student success.

Peer Resident Assistant Position

Peer Resident Assistants (RA) are live in positions that work to support an inclusive on-campus housing environment that promotes personal development, involvement, and leadership. PRAs support programs that enhance community, meet

residents' personal and academic needs, build positive relationships with residents, and create a safe environment where residents have opportunities to grow academically and socially. P RAs serve as a resource for students in their community and as a role model at Life University. A successful P RA has a passion for working with a diverse student population, a commitment to student learning and development, and strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills. A successful PRA demonstrates initiative, possesses the ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team, communicates effectively, and maintains a positive attitude. P RAs are assigned to t he Commons residence hall, P RAs are supervised by a Residence Life Coordinator (RLC).

PRA's do not maintain traditional 8am-5pm, M-F hours, with work hours varying based upon residential community needs and the needs of the department. This includes nighttime and weekend commitments. Required workdays include special events, sporting events, instances of inclement weather, emergencies, and other unforeseen circumstances.

PRA's are required to attend all designated training days for their position and must be prepared to work during quarter openings and closings. PRA's are required to work during break periods, including but not limited to: Fall Breaks, Thanksgiving Breaks, Winter Breaks, Spring Breaks, and Summer Breaks. PRA's are required to serve on an On Call rotation on both week and weekend days. The frequency of On Call shifts varies.

This job description meant to to provide an outline of essential job functions of the PRA position and is not an all-inclusive list. Through the course of the year there will be times where staff will be called to service based on the needs of the community that may not be outlined in a job description.

Essential Functions Administration

Prepare, attend, and participate in all meetings (ex: staff, committees, 1:1, trainings, etc.)

Time management (ex: attendance/timeliness for meetings, availability on floor, presence in community, etc.)

Complete all desk duties.

Proficient and appropriate use of Life University systems (ex: StarRez, etc.)

Submit paperwork on time and complete projects thoroughly.

Conducts Health & Safety inspections and resident well-being checks, as directed by supervisor or duty staff Communication.

Excel in verbal and written communication

Demonstrate appropriate use of technology (ex: social networking, texting, etc.)

Create and maintain a customer centered environment when working in the office.

Educates residents on Housing po l i ci e s and procedures including but not limited to safety and security guidelines

Departmental Initiatives & Vision

Demonstrate a commitment to inclusion (ex: language, awareness, programming, campus wide trainings/events, etc.)

Serve as a positive role model for residents and fellow staff members

Be visible, available, and approachable in the community

Facilitate relationships among residents

Foster an inclusive hall environment

Create and maintains positive working relationships with housing partners (ex: Housekeeping, Maintenance, and Campus Safety)

Maintain security and ethical use of all passwords, codes, and student information

Preserve the confidentiality of personal information about students and staff obtained in the course of employment. (Ex: rosters, student photos and information in StarRez.

Duty and Crisis

Serve in an on-call rotation that observes, addresses, and responds to the needs of the community as outlined by Life University (ex: community desk hours, rounds, duty phone calls, etc.)

Respond to emergencies in accordance with Life University protocol and procedure

Educate residents on University Honor Code, Community Living Standards, and University Alcohol Policy

Confront and r e p o r t behaviors in violation of University Honor Code, Community Living Standards, and the University Alcohol Policy

Support fellow staff members

Manage and respond to facility related issues

Foster a sense of community by encouraging residents to respect the rights of others and empowering them to address issues in the community (ex: roommate disagreements, environment conducive to sleep/study, etc.)

Make appropriate referrals when necessary

Write incident reports in a timely manner that are clear, concise, accurate, and appropriately detailed

Follow up with students who are in crisis and/or have been confronted for policy violations

Serve as a Mandatory Reporter (obligated to report all violations of the Community Living Standards, State and Federal law, as well as cases of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and sexual harassment to supervisor)

Education and Leadership

Maintain a positive and team-oriented attitude towards the community, staff, and department

Support community initiatives

Serve as an academic role model and actively demonstrate interest in residents' academic engagement

Participate in recognition/encouragement of staff and community members

Demonstrate effective and ethical decision-making skills

Encourages student involvement and leadership development

Promote inclusivity Programming

Support programmatic department initiatives.

Support programs developed by Engagement and Leadership

Assess resident's programmatic needs and forward them to Engagement and Leadership

Serve as a resource to the wing/floor/building

Support programs that promote diversity and inclusion in the residence halls

Required Qualifications

Continuous enrollment as a fulltime student at Life University

Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 or better

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience working in a higher education setting.

Strong inter- personal communication skills

Previous experience in crisis management

Must be able to lift 25 lbs.; standing, walking; carrying; grasping; hearing; seeing; sitting; kneeling; climbing; balancing; stooping; crouching and reaching

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work performed in a student residential facility and a general office environment

Interact with residents of two residential housing facilities