Resident Advisors

Position Descriptions & Compensation

At USF, there’s not just one “flavor” of RA. We have a number of different kinds of RA positions, each with its own unique qualities. Please click on the files below to download or view RA position descriptions that interest you!

New Resident Advisor - for candidates who have never held an RA position at USF
Returning Resident Advisor - for candidates who have held or currently hold an RA position at USF
Academic Mentor Resident Advisor - one of three specialist RA positions in Gillson Hall

We also have four learning communities and the Saint Ignatius Institute for which we hire RAs with specialized responsibilities and, ideally, previous experience as members of these residential communities. Candidates who apply for these positions must complete the corresponding essay questions on the application, and attend an LC-specific interview in addition to the group and individual interviews.

Please view descriptions of our learning communities and SII, as well as each of our residence halls at USF.

During the employment period, all RAs are compensated with a single bedroom in their assigned residential community and a standard student meal plan.

Learning Community RAs also receive an annual stipend of
-$2,100.00 for Erasmus, Esther Madríz Diversity Scholars, and Martín Baró Scholars
-$525.00 for the Global Residential Community

Requirements & Expectations

The RA position period of employment is for one academic year. Reappointment for succeeding years is made only after a review of job performance.

First semester RAs may NOT student teach or hold internships.

RAs must obtain approval from their supervising Residence Director for outside employment and other time commitments. Employment outside of the RA job may not exceed 10 hours per week.

Candidates for the RA position must have completed one semester as full-time students at the University of San Francisco at the time of application and, if hired, maintain full-time enrollment throughout the employment period. RAs wishing to carry fewer than twelve academic credits in any semester must first receive written permission from the supervising Residence Director, in consultation with the Associate Director for Staff and Programs.

Candidates for the RA position must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 at the time of application and, if hired, maintain this minimum cumulative GPA throughout the employment period.

All RAs are held to the standards articulated in the Student Housing and Residential Education Staff Expectations document. Please download and review this document before completing your application for the RA position.

Due to the role modeling and policy enforcement aspects of the RA position, candidates’ student conduct records are taken into consideration when we evaluate applications. We reserve the right to disqualify candidates who have been found responsible for any violation of the Student Code of Conduct during their tenure as USF students. However, candidates who demonstrate genuine learning and growth as a result of their experience in the conduct process may still be considered. Candidates can provide this information via an essay question on the application, and are encouraged to address it during the interview process as well. Please note that RAs who are found responsible for violating University or SHaRE policies before or during the employment period will also face employment sanctions, which may include suspension or termination from the RA position.

RAs are required to attend all required training activities on the campus and hall level. These training activities include, but are not limited to: RA Class (6-week course during Fall 2013 Semester), RA Fall Training (August 2013), the Northern RAP Conference (Saturday in Fall 2013) and Spring Training (January 2014). Specific dates will be included in the employment agreement, which is generated after an offer of employment has been extended and accepted.

Overview of Application & Interview Process

Once you’ve decided to pursue the RA position, your first step is to complete an application using our online SHaRE employment portal. Take care to complete all aspects of the application, including required essay questions and those optional questions with relevance to your candidacy (i.e., learning community questions, student conduct question, etc.). You will also need to rank all buildings in order of preference for placement. Should we hire you, we will make every effort to honor your preferences, while also balancing the needs of our department and residents.

You will also be required to upload a PDF of your résumé along with your application. Please note that all new RA candidates are required to attend a résumé review appointment with the Career Services Center before submitting a résumé and application. We strongly encourage candidates to make and attend this appointment as soon as possible. RA candidates who wait until close to the application deadline are often unable to secure an appointment, and are therefore disqualified as candidates.

Both new and returning RA candidates must submit their application and résumé by no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013.


New RA candidates must also identify two references to provide emailed letters of recommendation. References can be former employers, internship supervisors, professors, or anyone who you believe will speak substantively to your knowledge, skills, and abilities relative to the RA position responsibilities. Please direct your references to this web site so that they can refer to the RA position description and other information about the recruitment process when crafting your letter. Letters should be sent via email to sharestudentjobs@usfca.edu by no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013.

Candidates for all student leadership positions in Student Housing and Residential Education are invited to attend one or both of our two optional socials on Tuesday, November 27 2012 and Tuesday, January 22, 2013 from 4:00-6:00 pm in Lone Mountain 100 (Handlery Room). This is an opportunity to meet and ask questions of current SHaRE professional and student staff members. We hope you’ll join us!

New RA candidates are required to attend both a group and an individual interview. After completing your application, you will use the SHaRE employment portal to sign up for these interviews.
- The group interview will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2013. Each candidate will sign up for either the morning session (9:00 am - noon) or the afternoon session (1:00 - 4:00 pm) on this date. The group interview consists of activities that are designed to help us evaluate your ability to work effectively and collaboratively in teams. Please come wearing comfortable clothing and ready to engage positively with other candidates.
- Individual interviews will be scheduled between February 4-7, 2013. Individual interviews are one hour in length and will talk place between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm each day. During your appointment, you will be interviewed for all SHaRE student leadership positions for which you have applied. Please arrive at your interview location 10 minutes early.
- Academic Mentor, Learning Community, and SII RA candidates will also be contacted to schedule an additional 30-minute individual interview.

Once interviews have concluded, Residence Directors and Assistant Residence Directors begin reviewing online candidate files to determine to whom they would like to offer positions on their respective staffs. All candidates will be notified of the outcome of hiring decisions via email on Friday, March 1, 2013. There are three possible outcomes:
1. You will receive an offer for an RA position for the 2013-2014 academic year.
2. You will receive an offer to be an alternate for the RA position for the 2013-2014 academic year. If you receive and accept such an offer, we will keep your candidate file on-hand and may offer you a position should one become available. We strongly encourage all who receive an alternate offer to accept it. Though it is impossible to predict any individual alternate’s likelihood of being eventually hired, we have always needed to draw at least some candidates from the alternate pool.
3. You will receive a letter explaining that we will not be offering you an RA position for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Candidates who receive an offer of either hire or alternate status will also receive a link to an online intent form. You must complete the intent form to formally notify us that you accept or decline the offer. Intent forms are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013. If you do not complete and submit the intent form by the deadline, you will have effectively declined the offer of employment or alternate status.

Regardless of hire status, all applicants for the RA position may schedule a feedback meeting to review their candidacy in this process. This is an exciting and educational opportunity to learn more about how you were perceived and evaluated in the selection process to further help you in your future job search endeavors. Instructions for scheduling these meetings will be included in your outcome letter.

RA Testimonials

Every year, candidates for the RA position tell us how valuable it is for them to hear the stories of current and past RAs as they consider whether or not the position is a good fit for them. We hope the videos below will provide helpful insights to you!

Important Dates & Checklist for Applicants

To help you keep track of important dates and tasks related to the RA application and interview process, we have created the checklist below. Refer to the sections above for more information about each item.