Some RAs have the opportunity to live and work within a Living Learning Community. LLCs are “communities within a community” where residents live along side others that share a common interest, studying similar topics, or have decided on the same major. It is a great way for our residents to get to know others who will be in many of their classes, have common interests, and/or participate in events, activities, and field trips together that are related to a common topic of interest. Students in LLCs typically excel more than their peers in social satisfaction, grades, and retention.

Some LLCs have one RA, some have multiple RAs. When selecting an RA for each individual LLC, we are ideally looking for someone who is studying a similar topic to residents of the LLC they are placed in, or have a passion for the topic. However, University Housing must balance multiple priorities during the assignment/selection process.

Some perks of being an LLC RA are:

• Students on your floor all have something in common and are very social
• If you are studying the same thing as your students, there is a built-in connection and you are able to help them find resources, talk about specific instructors, and help guide them related to what you are studying
• LLCs have additional funding to do fun trips or larger events – usually these have great attendance!
• LLCs have additional professional staff on campus who support them – meaning you get to build relationships with professors, academic advisors, and resource center staff who can write you letters of recommendation.

Please review the current list of LLCs at llc.uwm.edu to see if being placed in any of them would interest you!

UWM Resident Assistant Position Description
(updated June 2023)
University Housing Mission Statement
UWM University Housing is committed to enhancing community members’ cultural understanding, leadership skills, academic success, social connections, and social responsibility by creating safe, comfortable, and well-maintained living learning environments that inspire growth and development.

Position: Resident Assistant (RA) for Residence Halls

Supervisor: Residence Life Full-time Staff Member

Scope: To work with students within the residence halls (Cambridge Commons, Sandburg Hall, and RiverView) in a paraprofessional capacity. Resident Assistants assume responsibilities for providing student assistance through peer counseling, developing and implementing educational and social events for residents, enforcing University Housing policy, and assuming the role of maintaining a safe living learning environment in the residence halls.  A Resident Assistant is expected to be dependable and exhibit leadership while remaining sensitive to the needs of others. Resident Assistants must also maintain an acceptable level of academic performance.

Minimum Qualifications for all RA Candidates:

• Must have full-time student status of 12 undergraduate or 8 graduate credits at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the time of application and will be expected to maintain this minimum while employed as a Resident Assistant.
• By the date of hire, Resident Assistants must have an accumulation of 24 credits or two semesters completed on campus.
• Resident Assistants will maintain good academic standing with the University including both a semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5.
• Must not be on contractual status of Probation or above during the academic year of application.
• Should possess initiative, responsibility and good judgment as well as the ability to act independently, with little or no supervision while performing a variety of tasks.
• Participation in student teaching co-opportunities are strictly prohibited while serving as a Resident Assistant.
• RAs must fulfill full academic year contract, unless hired for Spring Semester.

Preferred Qualifications for RA Candidates:

• Demonstrated qualities and experiences of leadership are preferred.
• Adequate experience and knowledge of a resident community, obtained either at UW-Milwaukee or another institution, is preferred.
• Previous experience in customer service, living in the residence halls, and leadership positions preferred.

Essential Functions:

• Develop an open and honest personal relationship with each resident (approximately 32-72) in their community, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and serving as University resource person.
• Be a role model for the student/resident community by maintaining a positive attitude with students and staff, demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and showing a genuine interest in working within the student’s best interests.
• Develop a community atmosphere conducive to effective studying and appropriate social relationships, as well as promote student development through events and outreach.
• Ensure that privileged information remains confidential while maintaining accurate records and completing necessary paperwork for University Housing.
• Be on duty in the residence hall during evenings and weekends when specified (approximately 1-2 nights per week). This includes: assessing and appropriately responding to emergency situations, dealing effectively with potential problems and/or security situations, developing community and building relationships with residents, and performing security-related functions as assigned.
• Assist in maintaining community standards by working a specific number of hours at the Service Desk or Monitor Station contingent on the needs of the assigned community.
• Adhere to the University Housing Resident contract and the Resident Assistant Employment Agreement as well as meet all additional expectations as outlined in the RA Manual, training materials, and training sessions.
• Be available for extensive training prior to each semester (mid-August & mid-January) and participate in on-going staff development throughout the year.
• Coach and advocate for residential students’ academic success.
• Actively participate in fire safety training.
• Facilitate events utilizing the departmental CLASS developmental model; Cultural Understanding, Leadership Skills, Academic Success, Social Connections and Social Responsibility.

 Physical Requirements:

• Physical ability to handle position responsibilities including touring building and responding to emergency situations promptly (use of stairs and elevator).
• Must be physically able to move quickly through congested crowd situations and effectively communicate to a large group of people.
• Ability to communicate effectively by means of a two-way radio system and a telephone.
• Ability to complete paperwork and read IDs.
• Ability to respond to duties at any hour and for prolonged periods of time.

Compensation:

There are some differences based on the size and complexity of residential communities and compensation provided.  The standard base compensation for a Resident Assistant is a single room and board plan valued based on the residential community in which one is placed, plus a yearly stipend paid in bi-weekly installments.

The application process to become an RA involves three different steps.

Step 1: Submit an application
Applications are reviewed by two University Housing employees and are checked thoroughly to ensure that the applications fit the need and scope of the position. The application is an Orgsync form and is due according to the timelines below. Applicants that are deemed qualified will be invited via e-mail to the next part of the RA selection process.

Step 2: In-person interview with professional staff
All applicants chosen will be invited for a 30-minute interview with professional staff. This process allows for us to hear in person about your values, experiences, and interest in the position. Remember that while interviewing you are sharing a piece of yourself with interviewers, so think carefully about how you want to present yourself.

Tips for Writing a Good Application

1. Look up the essay questions on the application and use a Word document to create your responses before putting them in the Orgsync form.
2. Take your time, edit, and review your responses.
3. Ensure that you have fully answered the question that is being asked.
4. Incorporate your personal experiences into your answers. This is what gives the reviewer a better idea of who you are as a leader.
   1. Never had a job before? Use personal class experiences or involvement that you have from involvement in student organizations.

Tips to Having a Great Interview

1. Visit the Center for Student Experience and Talent (SET)
2. Practice your interviews with someone that will be honest about your performance.
3. Read the position description, talk with current RAs, and reach out to your RLC/ARLC for tips on how to do well in the interview.
4. Dress to impress.
   1. Dress pants/skirt/dress.
   2. Button up shirt.
   3. Fixed hair and appearance.
5. Prepare questions that you can ask during your interviews. This shows that you have researched the position and are interested.
6. Remember to take a moment to gather your thoughts if you are at first unsure of an answer.
7. Choose your words carefully and do not use obscenities.
8. Think of examples that you could use to highlight your strengths, leadership, confrontation, diversity knowledge, and areas of improvement.
9. Be yourself and breathe.