As visible student-leaders on campus, Resident Assistants (RA) have the opportunity to build valuable leadership and life skills while having an impact on the campus experience of their fellow students.
Applications for 2025-2026 RA opportunities are now closed. Applications for 2026-2027 RA positions will be available during the Spring 2026 semester. Scroll down this page for more information about the application and interviewing process.
A Resident Assistant, or RA, is a full-time undergraduate student living in an assigned Goucher College residence hall and supporting students living there. As a live-in staff member, the primary role of an RA is to build a welcoming and inclusive community within the residence halls, while encouraging cooperation and consideration within group-living environments. An RA responds to and assists in managing emergency, crisis, and conflict situations, including those between individuals and with college policies and procedures. In addition, the RA serves as a member of the Office of Residential Life team that includes Resident Assistants and Residential Life professional staff, to create and maintain a positive campus community environment.
The full position description will be available on Handshake, and essential roles of the RA position include:
Resident Assistants receive training in the many skill areas that will help them be successful as a student-leader in the residence halls, including relationship building, event management, conflict management and resolution, emergency response and management, team and community building, time management, and administrative skills. Attendance and participation for the entirety of pre-semester training, including residence hall opening, prior to the start of each semester and in-service sessions during the semester are required of all Resident Assistants.
Attendance and participation for the entirety of pre-semester training, including residence hall opening, prior to the start of each semester, and in-service sessions during the semester are required of all Resident Assistants. Resident Assistants are required to return to campus for pre-semester training two weeks prior to the start of classes for the fall semester and one week prior to the start of classes for the spring semester. Resident Assistants are responsible for semester-ending closing procedures through the weekend following the last day of semester final examinations.
All newly hired Resident Assistants and Alternate Candidates will be required to attend an Orientation session on Saturday, April 19, 2025, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
The RA is a 20-hour-per-week commitment, which includes weekly staff meetings, bi-weekly meetings with the Resident Assistant’s supervisor, on-call responsibilities, maintaining regular visibility in the Resident Assistant’s assigned residential community, regular engagement with students in and around the Resident Assistant’s assigned residential community, and additional department/administrative assignments and responsibilities. The RA position is viewed as the primary “out-of-classroom” commitment. It is, therefore, expected that the scheduling of and attendance at staff meetings, training sessions, on-call responsibilities, and other commitments related to the position supersede all other extracurricular commitments.
Due to the RA position being a 20-hour-per-week commitment, college student employment policies prohibit the RA from holding any additional paid positions on campus.
Unless otherwise designated, an academic year RA does not have position responsibilities during the designated Winter Break and January J-Term.
Tentative 2025-2026 academic year start and dates:
Students are eligible to hold a Resident Advisor position if they
Please note: Students who are selected to be Resident Assistants may not concurrently hold a Goucher Guide position. Read more about Goucher Guide positions.
In exchange for their service to the Goucher community, Resident Assistants receive
Amounts indicated above are for students employed as Resident Assistants for a full academic semester, and amounts may be reduced/prorated if a student is hired after the start of an academic semester to match appropriate billing time commitments.
Information sessions provide interested students the opportunity to hear more about the Resident Assistant position and ask questions of people with the answers. While attendance at an information session is not required, it does provide interested students with the opportunity to engage with the Office of Residential Life staff and clarify any lingering thoughts or questions.
The Office of Residential Life will sponsor Interest Sessions at the following dates and times to answer questions:
In addition, students can stop by the Information Tables in the lobby outside Mary Fisher Dining Hall to ask questions or receive additional information:
Residential Life representatives will also be present at the Student Involvement Fair on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, in the Athenaeum between 12:00 pm & 2:00 pm.
Students interested in a 2025-2026 RA position should first apply for the Resident Assistant position through Handshake. The deadline to apply for a 2025-2026 academic year position via Handshake is Friday, February 21, 2025. When applying for the RA position through Handshake, students should include the following:
If you need assistance with developing a cover letter and resume, the Career Education Office (CEO) has some great resources available for students.
Within two business days after submitting the 2025-2026 RA application through Handshake, applicants will receive a confirmation email with information and a link to complete their application. Additional application materials must be submitted no later than Wednesday, February 26, 2025.
As part of the additional application materials, candidates will need to submit responses to the following questions:
Eligible candidates will be invited to participate in a group interview with the Office of Residential Life staff. Group interviews are scheduled to take place between Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and Friday, March 7, 2025, and are required for candidates to be considered for a Resident Assistant position. Group interviews are sessions that involve multiple candidates interacting with one another and provide Office of Residential Life to see observable essential skills for the RA position. Group interview sessions will be scheduled for approx. two-hours.
Eligible candidates will also be invited to participate in an individual interview with the Office of Residential Life staff. Individual interviews are scheduled to take place between Monday, March 10, 2025, and Thursday, March 13, 2025, and are required for candidates to be considered for a Resident Assistant position. Each candidate selected for an individual interview will be scheduled for a 30-45 minute interview conversation with the Office of Residential Life staff on one of those days.
After all the interviews have been completed, the Office of Residential Life staff will review all candidates’ applications and interview materials, and will make offers for confirmed 2025-2026 academic year vacancies. Offers will be communicated to candidates via their Goucher e-mail beginning Monday, March 24, 2025.
All newly hired Resident Assistants and all Alternate Candidates will be required to attend an orientation session on Saturday, April 19, 2025 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. More information about the orientation session will be sent to selected candidates.
Following individual interviews and a review of all candidates’ applications and interview materials, the Office of Residential Life will make offers to candidates via their Goucher e-mail. Candidates can receive one of the following offers:
If my GPA is currently below 2.50, can I still apply now to be an RA for the upcoming
academic year?
Yes. If a student's GPA is currently below 2.50, they can still be interviewed for
an RA position. Following all the interviews, if that student is deemed to have the
potential to be a successful RA, they will be offered an opportunity to remain as
an Alternate Candidate. Immediately following the semester, the Office of Residential
Life will conduct an eligibility verification, including GPA, for all incoming and
Alternate Resident Assistant Candidates. If an Alternate Candidate raises their GPA
above the minimum required 2.50 GPA, they will be retained as an Alternate Candidate
and can be offered an RA position when a position becomes available.
If I am unable to attend all of the pre-semester training, can I still be an RA?
No. Especially for new Resident Assistants, the pre-semester training is essential
for gaining important knowledge and skills, building a positive and effective team
dynamic with other Resident Assistants, and having the time to prepare your residence
hall community for incoming students. When offered an RA position, students will be
made aware of all training dates and should take care to plan accordingly.
If I am currently studying abroad this semester, should I still apply now to be an RA for the upcoming academic year?
Yes. Any students currently studying abroad who are interested in an RA position for
the upcoming academic year should apply now. Eligible students who are studying abroad
would still need to participate in an interview, and the Office of Residential Life
would coordinate accommodations to conduct those interviews virtually.
If I am planning on studying abroad in the Fall semester, should I still apply now
for an RA position for the upcoming academic year?
Yes. Applications are being accepted for RA opportunities that will start anytime
during the upcoming academic year, including the Spring semester. Even if a student
will not be on-campus for the Fall semester, they can be offered a position that will
start for the following Spring semester or offered Alternate Candidate status.
Any questions about Resident Assistant positions, the selection process, and/or the Office of Residential Life can be directed residentiallife@shushijia.net.