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RA Application & Selection Process

Resident Assistant for the 2023-2024 Academic Year
  • November 14th: Application Opens
  • December 13th: Application closes
  • December 19th-January 20th: Recorded Interviews
  • March 5th or March 6th: App Communities 101
  • March 23rd or March 24th: Placement Celebrations
  • April 14th: First staff meeting
Application & Selection Process

Being a Resident Assistant (RA) can be one of the most enriching and rewarding experiences of your college career. The relationships you develop and the leadership training and experience that you gain will serve you long beyond the time that you are a staff member with University Housing. The RA position, however, is also a very challenging one. A live-in position can be hard to balance. We encourage candidates to familiarize themselves with the responsibilities and expectations of being an RA before applying. You can do this by reading the application materials and talking to your RA or other University Housing staff members. These contacts will help you decide if the position is right for you and can help you with being prepared for the interview process.

All candidates must attend an information session in order to be eligible to move forward with an interview. Candidates will get the opportunity to meet with current staff, ask questions about the RA position, and learn more about the interview process. Please plan to attend at least one of the below listed sessions.

Sunday, Nov. 13th Three Top (PSU) 8:00-9:00 PM
Monday, Nov. 14th Roan Mountain (PSU) 12:00-1:00 PM
Monday, Nov. 14th (Mountaineer MPR) 8:00-9:00 PM
Tuesday, Nov. 15th Thunder Hill 003 8:00-9:00 PM
Wednesday, Nov. 16th Zoom Session 12:00-1:00 PM
Thursday, Nov. 17th Three Top (PSU) 8:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, Nov. 20th Thunder Hill 003 8:00-9:00 PM

If you can not attend an information session please contact Liv Maldonado (maldonadooj@appstate.edu) or Jimmy Kramer(kramerjj@appstate.edu for additional information.

Applications are emailed to candidates who have attended one of the RA information sessions in November. All RA applications are due on December 13, so please start on your application as soon as possible! A complete application includes the following materials:

  • Demographic information
  • An updated resume
  • A professional reference
  • Answers to four short answer/essay questions.

Candidates will complete a recorded interview using the Big Interview, interviewing software through the Career Development office. After the candidates complete their application, they will receive an email containing the link and instructions for completing their interview. Interviews will be recorded from December 19 through January 20 so candidates could complete the interview at home over break or once they return to campus. RAs will be offered an RA position on campus in February.

All RAs, newly hired and returning, will attend one session on March 5 or March 6 (Location and time to be determined) that will discuss the different building structures, student populations and specific housing policies that should be considered when thinking about where they would like to work the following year. Staff will also learn details about the placement celebrations and what information they should bring back with them from break in order to complete their student employment paperwork.

The RA staff that has been hired for the 2023-2024 academic year will be given a specific time on March 23 or 24 (Location and Time TBD) to show up and select where they would like to be an RA for the following year. More specific information will be shared at the App Communities 101 session as to how the process will run and the order in which staff will be invited to the placement celebrations.

On Friday, April 14 all staff will be invited to attend a staff gathering where they will meet their hall RA staff for the first time. They will spend time getting to know their fellow RAs, learning what to expect once they return for training and other relevant information related to the RA role for 2023-2024.

(Note: the Resident Assistant Recruitment Taskforce will process all applications to ensure that they are complete and that candidates meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If for any reason your application is incomplete or you are not eligible to interview, the committee will contact you regarding your status in the selection process).