You should be able to find all the information you need on this page here. If you require more information please contact residence@usask.ca.
The RA selection process for the 2012 - 2013 academic period is now over and RAs have been hired. Please check back later for information regarding the selection process for the 2013 - 2014 academic year.
Job Description & Qualifications
All RA Positions are for the Fall 2012/Winter 2013 term. They begin August 23,2012 at RA Training and end on April 30, 2013.
We hire a combination of new RAs and returning RAs. Only returning RAs may apply for the Advisor positions.
**All stipend information is from this year and will be changing for next year.
15 RA Positions + 2 Advisor Positions
First Year RA: 561.99/mo
Returning RA: 662.85/mo
Advisor: 706.09/mo
2 teams of:
9 RA Positions + 1 Advisor Position
First Year RA: 463.12/mo
Returning RA: 526.93
Advisor: 561.99
6 RA Positions + 1 Advisor Positions
First Year RA: 345.84
Returning RA: 382.85
Advisor: 463.12
6 RA Positions + 1 Advisor Position
First Year RA: 310.80
Returning RA: 354.03
Advisor: New Position
The RA Information Nights are mandatory for anyone wishing to apply. You may attend an RA Information Night in any building; it doesn't necessarily need to be the building that you are currently living in or applying for.
7:00pm Wednesday, February 29
7:00pm Thursday, March 1
3:00pm Friday, March 2
8:00pm Monday, February 27
7:00pm Thursday, March 1
8:00pm Tuesday, February 28
6:00pm Thursday, March 1
9:00pm Tuesday, February 28
9:00pm Wednesday, February 29
The very first thing that you need to do is attend an RA Information Night (see above for times and places). At the Information Night you will be given an application.
Your completed application is due at the Residence Office (128 Saskatchewan Hall) by 4:30pm on Wednesday, March 7.
A completed application consists of:
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
**RAs who are reapplying for their position will be made aware of the documents required for reapplication by their supervisor.
Mandatory Information Nights will be occuring the week of February 27th - March 2nd.
Completed applications are due at the Residence Office (Saskatchewan Hall 128) by 4:30pm on Wednesday, March 7. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Candidates chosen for an interview will be required to attend an interactive group interview on one of three days: Thursday, March 15 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm; Friday, March 16 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm; or Monday, March 1 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm.
Group interviews are only for new applicants. Those who have already served as an RA will not be required to attend the group interviews.
Candidates chosen for individual interviews will attend a 45 minute interview sometime during the weeks of March 19 - 23 and March 26 - 30 with members of the Residence Life Staff. Sign-up sheets with a variety of time slots will be available for the applicants to pick a time that works for them. If you would like some interview tips you are encouraged to visit the Student Employment & Career Centre
Applicants who have already served as an RA and are reapplying for the position will be required to do a short (5min) presentation. More information about this presentation can be obtained from the applicant's supervisor.
We will be completing any follow-up interviews and Advisor interviews the week of April 2 - 6.
Those applying for the position of Advisor will be required to do a short (no more than 10 mins) presentation on a given subject (to be discussed with supervisor).
On the evening of Wednesday, April 11 successful candidates will be notified which building they will be working in and who their teammates are via letter.
On the evening of Friday, April 13 all of the members of the new team will meet for introductions and to discuss some specifics of the job.
You will be required to go on a Training Round of the building you will be working in prior to the end of the year.
All communication throughout the process will be via letters under the applicants doors. Students will always be notified whether they were successful in moving on to the next stage or not.
If you have any questions at any point during the process you are encouraged to contact a member of the Residence Life Staff at residence@usask.ca .
We are looking for RAs who can be positive role models for all students living in Residence. You should be a positive influence amongst your residents. This includes following Residence and University policies and showing students how to be a positive influence in their community, all while continuing to be a good student. One of the toughest things about the RA position is that people are always watching you.
Students should feel comfortable approaching their RA and asking for help when they need it. RAs should be available for help with personal problems, academic problems and even lockouts. Students should feel comfortable talking to the RAs and feel that they can trust whomever they are talking to.
Being an RA can be tricky at times. Some people will do whatever they can to bend the rules and push your buttons. RAs need to have the confidence to know when to stand their ground. In watching RAs grow over the course of the year we notice that confidence is often one of the places where we see the biggest improvement.
Residence is a fun place to live, and RAs are a huge part of that! Programming is such a big part of the RA role and we're always looking for RAs who can bring fun and interesting ideas to the job.
A part time job on top of full time school is a big commitment and in order to maintain balance RAs need to be well organized. This job also includes a variety of adminstrative tasks to be completed by the RA in a timely manner. Time management and organization are very important parts of the role.
The main focus of the RA role is to help students be successful and enjoy their time in Residence. You will come across many different kids of problems that may take some thought to figure out. RAs will combine creativity, compassion, and determination to find solutions. In any problem the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing you can do is something, and the worst you can do is nothing.
We have various Training requirements starting just before school and running through the academic year. All Training is mandatory for RAs to attend. This Training will help RAs gain the skills and knowledge they need in order to be successful in the RA role and facilitate in building a strong team bond.
CPR and Standard First-Aid Training is a requirement for all successful applicants and must be completed prior to arriving to RA Training. You will be required to show us a copy of your certificate. If any RAs do not already have this Training they will be responsible for completing the course at their own expense prior to arriving at Training. Visit the Red Cross website to find a course near you.
Training runs through the week of Thursday, August 23, 2012 to Friday, August 31. This jam-packed, super awesome, incredibly fun week is full of informational sessions, team building exercises, role-playing, and FUN activities (and so much more!) There are classroom based and hands-on sessions that will help to prepare you for the RA job. For many RAs and other members of the Residence Life Staff this week-long Training is a highlight of the year. We go hard all day, every day so it is important to get a lot of rest when you can during this week. In accordance with Residence policies and ideologies Training week (from arrival the first day to completion on the last day) is alcohol free for all participants.
Every year we get the privilege of sending a selection of RA staff to the Residence Life Profession Association (RLPA) LEAD conference. These students get to spend a weekend in Nordegg, Alberta with other RAs from all over Western Canada. It is such a great opportunity for these RAs and they always bring back so many ideas and are super motivated after the weekend. (This conference is optional and RAs must apply for the opportunity)
After we've given them a bit of time to rest we like to invite those who went to the conference to share their presentations and what they took away from the conference with the rest of the team. It's also a great time to catch up with the RAs from other buildings! (This is the mandatory part)
For one weekend in January we like to get everyone together again for some refresher Training. We usually build this weekend Training based on what we see happening in the first semester and also based on feedback we get from the RAs. Oh, and we also save some time for some fun!
At some points during the year we may get everyone together for some Training that is relevant to the RA position. These would typically be shorter Training sessions during the evenings to focus on a specific topic.
Resident Assistant, commonly shortened to "RA", is a trained student leader, within a college or university, charged with supporting students living in a residence hall. They are employed by the Residence Department to assist students in dealing with a wide variety of issues such as homesickness, roommate problems, and discipline.
You must attend an RA Information Night to obtain an application. Dates and times for these information nights can be found on this page.
Complete applications are due Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at the Residence Office (Rm 128 Saskatchewan Hall). Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Yes, we encourage you to apply again.
We accept applications from any student. We aim to create learning opportunities for students within Residence. If you are worried about your situation you are encouraged to talk to your Residence Life Coordinator and to take time to reflect on what you have learned from the situation so you can apply this in your application and/or interview.
Yes, the information nights are mandatory. Attending an RA Information Night demonstrates your interest in the position and also gives you an opportunity to ask questions.
Every year we get an incredible number of applications for a limited number of positions so, unfortunately, not everyone can get the job. Please do not be discouraged, some people need another year in Residence to gain some experience and we always encourage people to try again the next year.
For any commitments outside of school we ask that the RA job is your number two priority. While you may not always be "On Duty" the job does require a certain level of availability. Any second job or volunteer work should not exceed 10 hours per week and must be approved by your Residence Life Coordinator. This approval is not guaranteed.
Where possible we require RAs to live in a single-occupancy room due to the number of confidential issues you may be faced with. In Voyageur Place RAs live in single rooms and in College Quarter RAs live in one-bedroom apartments. In Seager Wheeler RAs live amongst other students in six-bedroom apartments. In Assiniboine and Wollaston Halls RAs are permitted to live in one- or two-bedroom apartments.
Absolutely! RAs are allowed, and even encouraged, to participate in activities outside of the RA position. It is important that the RA understands the time commitment involved and that, sometimes, they may be required to attend mandatory RA commitments. We do require that RAs who have other commitments provide their Residence Life Coordinator with a copy of their schedule. If an RA is not available to the students in their hall they may need to cut back on their commitments.
This varies from building to building. In Voyageur Place, College Quarter, and Seager Wheeler the RA on-duty will work from 6:30pm-11:00pm (10:30pm in SW) on weeknights and 6:30pm-3:30pm (4:00am in VP). During this time they will be required to go on "rounds" of the buildings - looking out for maintenance concerns, ensuring people are following the community standards, and casually checking in with students. When the RA is not on rounds they are required to sit in the RA Booth and be accessible to students. RA Duty in Assiniboine and Wollaston halls is changing for next year and more information about this will be available at the Information Nights.
RAs are required to stay in Residence for the first three weeks in September, the first three weeks in January, for the duration of the December and April exam periods, and one weekend of the February break. Outside of these times RAs are permitted to go home two weekends per semester and these weekends must be approved by their Residence Life Coordinator.
This varies from building to building and, even, from hall to hall. There are obviously the scheduled on-duty times (these commitments vary depending on which building you are in) but you will also have students coming to you when you are not on-duty. There are also weekly RA meetings, programming requirements, and Training requirements. The best way to get an idea of how much the RAs work is to talk to your RA about it.
In the application you will be given the option to mark which buildings you would like to work in. Different people have different experiences and skillsets and, as we get to know candidates through the interview process, we usually get a pretty good idea of where an RA would fit. If you are only interested in applying for a specific building please make sure you only check off that box.
If you have any further questions you are encouraged to talk to your RA, Residence Life Coordinator, or send an e-mail to residence@usask.ca .
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