The Department of Housing and Residence Life will hold an interest session Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Simrall Auditorium for students interested in working as resident assistants in residence halls next year.
Marketing coordinator for the department Shelley Thomas said students must attend the meeting to apply, but those who are unable to attend because of a conflicting class may call the Housing and Residence Life office at 325-3557.
At the meeting the housing department will explain the benefits and the requirements of being an RA, Thomas said.
“We will go over what it is to
be an RA and the skills we look for in our RAs,” Thomas said.
To be considered for the position, a student must be classified as a junior by the fall semester, have a GPA of at least 2.25, have one semester of residence hall living experience and show previous student involvement, Thomas said.
Selected students will receive single occupancy room fees and a $100 weekly stipend for the upcoming school year.
Thomas said the department will choose students who can be team players, and those with counseling experience are encouraged, because RAs need to be crisis managers, administrators, community builders and educators.
The newly chosen RAs will attend a training session before the school year begins to help them with team-building exercises, safety issues and programs they can implement for their halls.
In the past few years, RA training at MSU has become more extensive to help them relate to students on their hall and become resources for the residents, Thomas said.
“We are taking it up a step from the past,” Thomas said. “We want the RAs to educate students in a way so that they have a good experience outside of class.”
Thomas said the housing department is trying to promote on-campus living as a great way to live at college.
“Students that live on campus have a higher GPA and are more likely to graduate in four years,” Thomas said.
Those who live on campus say they like it for other reasons.
“Living on campus is a great experience. It is the only way to live in this kind of atmosphere with that many people of the same age,” said junior Charlie Wilder, an RA in Cresswell Hall.
Wilder added that he applied for the position to help people.
“I like to work with people,” Wilder said. “I like being in a position where I can be a direct help to others.”
Senior Ce Ce Cook, an RA in McKee Hall, said that interacting with the residents in her hall has given her an opportunity to be part of a family.
“We are like a big family. I have younger students, so I feel like a big sister,” Cook said.