by Gabrielle Difabbio

Created on: November 24, 2009

Successful resident advisors have four major things in common: (1) they are mentors; (2) they are successful students committed to upholding university policies and standards; (3) they are students capable of walking the fine line between authority and friendship; and (4) they are students who are aware of and comfortable dealing with diversity and conflict issues amongst their peers. The most desirable resident advisor candidates are those who exemplify these four core tenets in their everyday lives as students and residents of their universities. They are students with exceptional academic records and achievements (demonstrating that they will likely be able to handle the additional pressures and responsibilities of being a resident advisor without the position interfering with their class load), those students who are comfortable dealing with a variety of personality types, those who are approachable, and those who are enthusiastic about the school itself and who have enjoyed their experiences as a student. In addition, they are students who are willing and able to assist their residents in connection with any issues or conflicts that may arise throughout the course of the year (whether it be dealing with academic issues, personal/family issues, roommate conflicts, etc.). Finally, they are students who are willing to make a significant time commitment to their university. Resident assistants undergo a significant amount of training, including but not limited to, team building, conflict resolution, crisis counseling, diversity training, community building and event planning. In addition, once hired, resident advisors are often required to hold meetings with their residents, attend regular staff meetings, sign up for rounds and to be on call several weekends a year.

Often, the resident advisor will be one of the first people a new student will encounter when they reach the university. Therefore, it is important that this this person is someone who represents the university in a positive light, facilitates a dialogue amongst new residents so that they can get to know each other and get a better sense of their new environment, and makes efforts to make new residents feel "at home" even if they are students who have left their families and friends for the first time.

The ability of a resident advisor to walk the fine line between being an authority figure and a friend is crucial, particularly when dealing with issues of alcohol or drug abuse. This is a common

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