Returning & Lead Resident Assistant

The RA Job Descriptions are updated each year. Returning RAs receive the same descriptions as New RAs, with the additional expectation that they assist with answering questions and sharing their experiences with New RAs on their assigned staff. View the 2025-2026 RA Job Description.

Please note: specific responsibilities and requirements may change.

The RA Job Descriptions are updated each year. Lead RAs are expected to fulfill the same duties as any RA in addition to responsibilities that serve the assigned building and staff team as a whole. View the 2025-2026 Lead RA Job Description.

Please note: specific responsibilities and requirements may change.

To be eligible for a Returning RA role, you must be currently employed as an RA or Lead RA at the University of Arizona. To be eligible for a Lead RA role, you must have completed at least one academic year as an RA by August 2025.

Returning RAs may hold another on-campus job and work up to 15 hours a week with supervisor approval. Lead RAs may hold another on-campus job and work up to 10 hours a week with supervisor approval.

To be eligible for any Resident Assistant position, you must meet all the following requirements:

• You must currently be in good conduct standing with Housing & Residential Life and the Dean of Students
• You must maintain full-time student status (e.g. 12 credits) while on staff
• You must be able to arrive on campus and attend, and fully participate, in Fall RA training and hall opening
• Resident Assistants are required to work through hall closing at the end of each semester
• For academic eligibility requirements to continue in the RA role, please see the RA Job Expectations you were given at the beginning of this academic year—ask your supervisor or email HSG-raselection@arizona.edu if you have any questions about academic eligibility for returning as an RA
• Through the selection process, a successful candidate will demonstrate:
  • Positive attitude
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Commitment to helping others
  • High level of maturity and responsibility
  • Time management and organizational skills
  • Supports the Wildcat Curriculum – the foundation of how we serve our residents is reflected through the following 4 pillars:
    • Connection
    • Responsibility
    • Cultural Understanding
    • Personal Growth

Applying

Between November 1, 2024 at 12 am and January 3, 2025 at 11:59pm, complete the online application form located on this website. If you are applying for a Lead RA position, you will do so in the same Returning RA application and answer the additional questions. The essay questions that will be asked are listed below and all candidates are encouraged to answer these questions prior to starting an application, and then cut and paste their answers into the application in the appropriate space.

The Resident Assistant application is authenticated through UAccess. It is assumed that the individual completing this application is the student who is applying for the Resident Assistant position. Given this, the student applicant will be held responsible for the accuracy and truthfulness of the information submitted on and/or related to this application for housing. For this reason, some of these fields within the application will be pre-filled with student information on file.

Returner Application Essay Questions (subject to change)

1. How many semesters have you been a Resident Assistant?
2. Describe one piece of constructive feedback you have received in the RA position. How have you continued to develop in that area? (min. 250 words, max. 500 words)
3. Placements are done departmentally to ensure the needs of all dorms are met; this means you could be placed in any one of our communities. What are some things you think we should consider in your placement (e.g. skills, strengths, interest areas for development)? (min. 250 words, max. 500 words)

Lead RA Application Essay Questions (subject to change)

1. Please review the Lead Resident Assistant position description. How do you see the LRA role contributing to the overall success of the hall staff and residential community? What skills and experiences do you bring to the role? (min. 250 words, max. 750 words)
2. Describe your approach to building a positive and inclusive community. As the lead of your staff, how do you plan to foster a sense of belonging, encourage open communication, and address conflicts or challenges that may arise? (min. 250 words, max. 750 word

Interviewing (Lead RA)

There is no interview for Returning RA applicants, but there is an interview process for Lead RA applicants. As part of the Lead RA selection process, after applications are reviewed the chosen candidates will be invited to attend a 60-minute interview with current Housing & Residential Life staff members. The interview experience will comprise several short interviews, which will focus on the candidates’ RA and other work and leadership experiences, ideas for community and staff development, and visions for themselves in the Lead RA role. 

You must be available for one of the interview times to interview for the Lead RA position. You will select this time if you are invited to interview. 

• All interviews will occur on January 21-25, 2025
• Please plan on arriving 15 minutes early to virtual interview 

Applying

Should I go through the 2025-2026 return housing application process if I’m applying to be a Resident Assistant? 

You should plan for fall housing without considering the Resident Assistant position in your plans. If you would like to live on campus next year even if you are not selected for an RA position, please go through the 2025-2026 return housing application process. If you are offered and accept an RA position, any payments you made in conjunction with your fall housing application (e.g., Application Fee and/or Confirmation Rent Payment) will be refunded to you. If you plan to live on campus only if you're a Resident Assistant, it is not necessary to complete the 2025-2026 return housing application process. If you are not selected for an RA position, and you did not go through and complete the return housing application process, you will be ineligible to return to campus housing next year. Resident Assistant selection will be completed in late March, giving candidates time to plan for fall housing accordingly. 

If I’m accepted can I get an extension on my decision timeline or defer my acceptance to another semester/year? 

No. Due to our staffing needs and out of respect to other candidates also in the process, we do not allow candidates to receive an extension on their decision timeline or to defer their acceptance to another semester/year. If you choose to decline your position, we encourage you to consider applying again next year. 

Eligibility

Can I hold another position on/off-campus if I am a Resident Assistant? 

The Resident Assistant position is designed to be a 10-15 hour per week, live-in leadership position and is expected to be your number one priority after academics. We understand that our RAs are student leaders who are already very involved within the community and it is possible for you to hold additional commitments while being an RA. However, if selected, it is important for you to speak with your Community Director about any other responsibilities you have beyond the RA position as soon as possible. Returning RAs cannot work, under any circumstance, over 15 hours a week at any other combination of on-campus jobs per university policy; for Lead RAs, this limit is 10 hours per week at other on-campus jobs. Overall, you are not allowed to hold additional positions that require more than 20 hours of your time per week, whether one job or a combination of leadership positions. 

Will my profile in an online community or social networking site affect whether or not I will be hired? 

If you are hired for the RA position you are expected to be a positive role model for all communities that you’re involved in. It is up to you to look at your profile pictures, comments, groups, etc., and decide if that is the best reflection of yourself. Understand that these images and associations may influence your Community Director and your future resident’s opinions of you before they even meet you in person. 

I will be a graduate student next year, can I still apply? 

Yes. While the RA position is staffed in undergraduate residence halls, full-time graduate students are still eligible to apply. Please note, if you are interested in the Graduate Resident Assistant position for La Aldea Graduate Housing that the position is hired through another process; please contact La Aldea staff at laaldea@arizona.edu. 

Benefits and Compensation

The compensation package for the 2024-2025 academic year is below. Compensation packages are evaluated each year and are subject to change. All changes to the compensation package will be communicated once they are finalized. While packages may change, the value of the package should remain the same or increase from year to year.

Will being an RA affect my financial aid? 

The Resident Assistant position can affect your financial aid or scholarship award. To determine how that will affect your situation specifically, please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (520) 621-1858. 

What is the compensation for being an RA? 

You will be provided a single room in your assigned residence hall (valued at $9,990). 

• RAs in double rooms may have roommates at the time of Fall Opening as space is needed.  
• The department assigns RAs to a residence hall based on departmental needs. In rare cases, reassignment may be necessary.   

You receive a partial meal plan as another part of your compensation. 

• You receive $1,575 in Meal Plan/CatCa$h at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters. For Honors Village RAs, this distribution may include Swipes. Lead RAs receive an additional $150 in CatCa$h per semester. 
• Additionally, $150 CatCa$h is given for use during Fall Training.  
• The RA role is a 10-month commitment from Early August 2025 - Mid May 2026 (refer to the Job Description for more details). Staff who are hired, leave or are removed from the position at any time during a semester will receive prorated compensation packages for the time worked. Prorated means that the total amount of the meal plan compensation is divided by the number of working days a semester to calculate a daily rate. The daily rate is multiplied by the number of days worked to identify the amount of meal plan money that should have been spent by that time. You must pay back to Housing any amount of your meal plan that you have spent beyond this amount.
• If you do not spend all your Meal Plan/CatCa$h/Swipes prior to ending your RA role that amount leftover will roll over into the next academic year. If there’s any Meal Plan/CatCa$h left at the time you are no longer a student at UA, that meal plan money will be lost. 
• Meal Plan/CatCa$h/Swipes cannot be reimbursed as a monetary value. 

Assignments and Placement

Can I choose the building I want to be Resident Assistant in? 

If you are hired for the Resident Assistant position you are hired for the department, not for a specific building. While it is possible for you to voice your areas of interest in the application, those preferences are not guaranteed to be met. Resident Assistants are placed in buildings due to qualities that would make them successful in that environment 

As a Resident Assistant, will I have a roommate, and if so, for how long? 

The University attempts to provide housing for as many students as possible, requiring the use of all available spaces. Resident Assistants in single occupancy rooms will not have a roommate, but may still have a suitemate depending on building placement. Resident Assistants assigned to established double occupancy rooms will, most likely, have a temporary roommate. Half of the Resident Assistant’s double room will be used to house students until permanent accommodations become available for the temporary roommate. The Resident Assistant will be provided single occupancy of that room only after all other students have been accommodated. The length of time this process takes varies from year to year but all steps are taken to minimize the overall impact of the temporary housing process on our Resident Assistants. 

What is the process to be a Resident Assistant in La Aldea, the 12-month graduate housing complex? 

La Aldea has seven Graduate Resident Assistants (CRAs), who work 12 months of the year, primarily with graduate students. The selection process to be a GRA in La Aldea is completely separate from the RA selection process. If you are interested in applying for a GRA position, please look for postings or contact the La Aldea office: laaldea@arizona.edu

When will I know my actual building placement? 

When you are offered a position, your offer letter will include what building you will be placed in. You are unable to change what building you will be placed into. If you choose to decline the placement, you will be removed from this year's process. 

Training and Support

When do I need to be back at the UA for Resident Assistant training?

Resident Assistant training for the academic school year begins in Late July/Early August. Dates are listed in the job description; any changes will be sent out as they are made. Please look for an update in February. You are expected to be present on campus, and fully participate in the entirety of training & Move-In. The RA position will require a great deal of time from Late July/Early August through the first week of classes. Please email HSG-raselection@arizona.edu if you have more specific questions.

If I have a conflict, can I miss training or be late for it?

No. Resident Assistant training is an essential component of your being a successful RA. During training, all RAs and individual staffs will be talking about crisis management, emergency protocols, hall operations, etc. RA training is also an essential time to bond with your staff and start to build strong working relationships that will aid you throughout the year. Please keep in mind that Summer Session II typically conflicts with the first portion of Fall RA Training and class conflict is not an excusable reason to miss Fall RA Training.

Do I have to stay until the residence hall closes for break or return before the residence halls open from break?

As stated in our Resident Assistant Job Description above, staff members are required to stay until the halls close for the break and return before the halls open from break. Details of dates and times, which are specific to each school year, are listed on that year’s current Resident Assistant Job Description. It is necessary for some Resident Assistants to be on duty for Thanksgiving break and Spring break.

View the 2024 Summer RA Job Description. The 2025 Summer RA Job Description is still being finalized.