*The First-Year Student Resident Assistant program will begin accepting applications for the 2023-2024 academic year in the coming months. Information will be sent to your Providence College email in the spring about how to apply. Check back here for updates!
As you prepare for your arrival to Providence College at the end of August, the Office of Residence Life and Housing is thrilled to announce the launch of the First-Year Student Resident Assistant (RA) Program. The First-Year Student RA Program is a singular leadership opportunity designed for select high-achieving, highly motivated, incoming first-year students interested in energizing residential campus culture by becoming a Resident Assistant during their first year at the College.
What is a Resident Assistant?
Resident Assistants at Providence College represent the elite student leader group on campus responsible for the cultivation of community within the residence halls, serving as a critical resource and referral agent, campus culture broker, safety & security agent, and facilitator of social, academic, and spiritual success. The Resident Assistant position is a transformative way to support and inspire others as a role model, resource, and trailblazer of the campus community. RAs at PC are premiere student leaders that showcase involvement and investment in the PC experience, from large campus events to making connections with the unique perspective of every resident they engage. As an RA, you would facilitate peer-to-peer experiential learning, develop innumerable transferrable skills that apply to countless job and career fields, and position yourself to leave a legacy that truly shapes the future of Friartown.
What kind of responsibilities do RAs have?
RAs work with their teams to identify the needs of their community and ensure that residents are safe, comfortable, and engaged through connection. They maintain formal and informal connections to residents through responsibilities like duty, during which they complete rounds of their assigned residential community; or simply by maintaining an accessible presence in the residence halls for any residents finding themselves in need of assistance or socializing. RAs also stimulate residents’ connection to campus-wide events and perform intentional conversations with residents across the gamut of their collegiate experience.
What are the benefits of joining the First-Year Student RA Program?
Invaluable development of hard and soft skills that enable RAs to become an invaluable asset to any career or educational program they choose to pursue.
The opportunity to provide support and guidance to residents and take meaningful steps toward being the change they want to see in their community.
Unforgettable, dynamic relationships with peer RAs, residents, and professional staff.
Early-access connections to peer and administrator mentors.
Remuneration of the cost of housing (minus taxes) via bi-weekly paychecks.
An “Anytime Dining” meal plan grant that covers the total cost of the meal plan.
Will First-Year Student RAs experience the RA position differently?
The Office of Residence Life and Housing values the First-Year student experience as imperative to the development and growth of all students, including its Resident Assistants. To that end, we are committed to tailoring the First-Year Student RA Program experience to your gradual growth and full-fledged transition to the RA role simultaneously with your orientation to and familiarity with the Providence College social, academic, and spiritual experience.
Were you selected for the program, starting in August you would receive comprehensive training through a paraprofessional cohort model via our standard RA training, with additional intentional training sessions geared towards integrating you to the Providence College culture. This training will continue throughout the academic year in the form of weekly meetings with Residence Life and Housing staff to further familiarization with the College community, check in with your academics, and provide support and guidance to essential role responsibilities in an effective balance with your academic rigor. First-Year Student RAs will also conduct Community Monitor shifts for the fall semester in lieu of duty shifts. This transitional responsibility is intended to facilitate pacing for your work/academic schedule, while acculturating you to the campus safety and security apparatus in a gradual format.
Sound like an awesome debut at Providence College?
If it does, then we strongly encourage you to talk with your parent(s) or guardian(s) about applying now! Applications are open, and we can’t wait to roll out the red carpet for your arrival to Providence College!
Other Common Questions
Yes! The First Year Student Resident Assistant Program is new to the 2022-2023 Academic year, and was created to provide an opportunity for select high-achievement, highly motivated first year students who are interested in becoming a Resident Assistant to start developing their leadership skills on day one of their Providence College career.
Unfortunately, RAs are not permitted to have another on-campus job, other than the RA position.
All RAs receive a meal plan grant, covering the cost of their meal plan. FYSRAs will receive the “Anytime plan”, and will not need to pay any cost for the meal plan for as long as they remain an RA.
RAs also receive a remuneration of their housing cost. All RAs pay the same Traditional Hall housing rate up front, and receive that cost (minus taxes) in the form of bi-weekly paychecks that begin once the school year starts.
Our RAs work a maximum average of 20 hours per week, but this doesn’t mean that you would be working 20 hours in shifts during a specific set of hours. Some of our responsibilities have set times (such as staff meetings on Thursday nights, and department wide “All-Staff” meetings on the last Thursday of each month at 5pm), but others are a little more flexible. For example, as a FYSRA, you would be participating in community monitor shifts during the fall semester, and duty shifts during the spring. You could form your schedule and have no shifts one week, and 3 shifts during the next week, but you have a lot of flexibility in terms of how busy your schedule is. The required number of shifts is determined prior to the start of each semester based on staff size, and the number of dates that require coverage. Other responsibilities, such as DDI’s, have checkpoints and benchmarks throughout the semester, but can ultimately be completed as gradually, or quickly as you want, or are able.
Community Monitor shifts are designated as 9:00pm-1:00am, and would only take place on Sunday through Wednesday, leaving Thursday-Saturday for our external security.
Duty shifts are designated at 8:00pm-12:30am on Sunday-Thursday nights, and 8:00pm-2:30am Friday and Saturday nights.
Resident Assistants move onto campus on Sunday, August 14th, 2022, in order to begin Training in the morning of Monday, August 15th. Training sessions will take place between August 15th, and First Year Student Move-In on August 25th.
The Office of Residence Life & Housing is committed to ensuring that FYSRAs are placed in our six Traditional First Year halls (Meagher, McVinney, Raymond, McDermott, Guzman, and St. Joseph Halls). FYSRAs that wish to live with roommates, or remain with their roommate group, need only indicate this on the application. The Office of Residence Live & Housing hopes to accommodate all preferences regarding roommates, but accommodation is not guaranteed.
All RA receive training in August prior to move in, which prepares them to complete essential job functions, connect students with a multitude of campus resources and staff, and respond to a wide range of potential needs that students may have. The Office of Residence Life and Housing also facilitates professional development in weekly staff meetings, and monthly All-Staff meetings, to ensure that the RA experience is as enriching and developmental as possible. FYSRAs will also participate in weekly meetings, and training sessions during August training, specifically for FYSRAs, to familiarize them with the Providence College campus experience.
All RAs are supported via a network of their peer RAs and Head RAs, a team of supervising Complex Directors and Hall Directors. FYSRA’s can also expect to participate in weekly 1-on-1 meetings with their supervisor, and weekly FYSRA meetings, both with the goal of identifying the needs, and mitigating the cognitive and occupational load on FYSRAs.
Yes! The RA schedule is very flexible, and many of the responsibilities can be scheduled or completed in whatever pace the RA chooses, allowing for greater flexibility for student athletes.
The number of RAs per community depends on the building; some of our Traditional First Year halls have 5 RAs, while others have more!
RAs are not required to stay on campus during break periods. As the year progresses towards break periods, RAs may be choose to apply for a Break RA position, in which they would be compensated for completing duty shifts during the break period. RAs wishing to stay on campus during a break period and not work as a Break RA should complete a break housing request form, which will become accessible as the year progresses.
