Lindsey Rush, current area assistant for the Wallace Complex Eastside residence hall, and a resident assistant in the Theophilus Tower for the 2012-2013 academic year, said getting involved with University Housing was one of the best decisions she’s made in college.
Katy Kithcart | Argonaut
Lindsey Rush, area assistant for Wallace Complex Eastside, explains what exactly a resident assistant does. RA applications are due at
5 p.m. Friday and can be found on the uidaho website.
“Whenever I’m on campus and I overhear someone talking, like they don’t know where something is or there’s an incident between them and a roommate, there’s always that rewarding feeling when you realize ‘I can help them, I’m trained to do that and I have the tools to help them if they need it,'” Rush said.
University of Idaho students who want to build their leadership experience and receive free room and board can apply to become a resident assistant for University Housing. The department is currently seeking applicants for RA positions for the 2014-2015 academic year. Applications for the positions are available online at www.uidaho.edu/universityhousing and the deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday.
“RAs are student leaders and mentors for communities within our residence facilities,” said Matt Kelly, assistant director for student success. “They’re there for crisis situations, they’re there for policy enforcement, they’re there to build community and they’re a resource for students when they live in our halls.”
Kelly said while there are a few requirements for the position, any student regardless of their background is encouraged to apply.
“There’s no one specific cookie-cutter RA,” Kelly said. “But, the minimum requirements are they have had to be [a student] for a semester, they need to have at least a 2.5 GPA — both semester and cumulative — and just be a … good-natured person.” RAs are assigned to a hall or area within one of UI’s five residence halls — the Wallace Complex, McConnell, Theophilus Tower, Living Learning Communities and Targhee. The RAs communicate with residents in their hall daily, schedule teambuilding activities and ensure their residents receive the college experience in a safe environment, Kelly said.
Rush said even though the most noticeable benefit of the RA position is free room and board and a textbook scholarship, she thinks the most rewarding aspect of the job is the leadership experience.
“For me, the biggest benefit of the job is the amount of training you get in working with people,” she said. “You learn how to run things and administration duties, but RAs also learn just how to communicate with people better.”
Rush said there is a place for everyone in University Housing, because the department recognizes that sometimes the best leaders are the most unexpected ones.
“So there’s the shy ones, but they handle policy really well,” Rush said. “Then there’s the social ones who think of all the crazy ideas for programs and there’s also the strict ones who help make that guiding line for the rest of the staff.”
The application process is extensive, Rush said, but it’s effective because it ensures the best leaders are selected for the positions and they’re being placed somewhere that will fulfill the students’ and the department’s needs.
“First you actually have to fill out the application and get your references in,” Rush said. “Then there are group interviews and individual interviews followed by a 6-week training class and then you will be officially offered your position — assuming it all goes well. We also have fall training, we go on a camping trip and basically become really close with our housing staff before the students get to campus in August.”
“This is going to benefit me down the road,” Rush said. “The RA experience is one of a kind and I think everyone should apply.”
Amber Emery can be reached at [email protected]