Resident assistants, commonly known as RAs, are student leaders who work for colleges and universities to provide support and community development in residence halls. RAs play an important role in campus housing, but many wonder if they actually get paid or receive other benefits for their work.
Do RAs get paid?
Yes, RAs at most colleges and universities do get paid for their work, but the compensation varies between schools. Here are some key points about RA pay:
- RAs typically receive free room and board as part of their compensation package. This is usually considered the base level of pay for the job.
- Some schools provide RAs with a stipend in addition to room and board. Stipends can range from $100 to $500+ per semester depending on the school.
- RAs may receive discounted or free meal plans for their dining halls. This can save them hundreds of dollars per semester on food costs.
- Benefits like free laundry services, printing credits, and parking passes are sometimes included as added perks of the job.
- Pay rates and benefits are usually fixed by colleges based on budgeting and precedent. RAs at public schools tend to get higher stipends than private schools.
- Head RAs or RAs with more experience may get paid more than new hires. Pay may increase yearly.
So in summary, RAs are considered paid student employees, but their compensation is weighted towards free housing as opposed to high hourly wages or stipends. The total value of their room, board, and other benefits is often equivalent to thousands of dollars per year in savings.
Are RAs volunteers?
No, RAs are not volunteers. They are hired and trained by residential life departments to perform specific job duties in exchange for compensation and benefits as outlined in their contracts. Some key points on why RAs are not volunteers:
- RAs must fulfill job responsibilities like staffing the front desk, conducting hall rounds, enforcing policies, and reporting maintenance issues. Volunteers can come and go freely.
- RAs commit to being available nights and weekends to respond to incidents and crises. True volunteers can decline duties without repercussion.
- RAs receive employment benefits not provided to volunteers like free housing, meal plans, and stipends based on their contractual work.
- RAs are overseen by professional housing staff and can be terminated for poor performance. Volunteers have more flexibility in their roles.
- Being an RA fulfills a job function for the college. It is not simply a volunteer activity students take on for charity.
While RAs may volunteer for additional activities, their core duties as assigned by their housing contracts classify them as paid employees rather than volunteers.
Can RAs have other jobs?
Whether RAs can have another job depends on the policies of their specific college or university. Here are some general guidelines on RAs working other jobs:
- Many schools allow RAs to have a second job, but it cannot conflict with RA duties.
- RAs must get approval from their supervisor before taking on outside employment.
- RAs must prioritize their RA job over other work and be ready to come back to the residence halls when needed.
- Having a flexible schedule or only working weekends makes getting approval for a second job easier.
- Some colleges prohibit RAs from working more than 10-15 hours per week at another job.
- Off-campus jobs may not be allowed due to being far away or working odd night hours.
The main priority for colleges is ensuring RAs can respond to all call duties and emergencies at their assigned hall. Outside jobs cannot interfere with those on-call responsibilities. RAs should thoroughly check policies and consult their supervisor before seeking additional employment.
How many hours do RAs work?
RAs do not have a set number of work hours per week. Instead, they fulfill on-call duty shifts that require being available nights and weekends as needed by residents. Here is an overview of the time commitment:
- RAs sign up for on-call shifts in cycles, usually around 5-8 shifts per month.
- Each shift spans around 8 hours overnight or 12 hours on weekends.
- Shifts require staying in the residence halls in case issues arise at any hour.
- RAs respond to lockouts, noise complaints, policy violations and emergencies during shifts.
- Duty rounds, meetings, training, reports and other tasks fill hours between shifts.
- Most RAs work 20-30 hours per week spread across call shifts, meetings, and administrative tasks.
- The time commitment rises at the start of semesters and drops during breaks when fewer residents are on campus.
RAs agree to be available for a certain number of call shifts when they accept the job. This on-call schedule determines their main time commitment rather than tracking hourly wages. Their scheduled shifts can vary from week to week over the course of a semester.
Conclusion
Resident assistants are classified as paid student employees at colleges and universities. Their compensation is focused on free room and board, with additional benefits or stipends provided at some schools. RAs work scheduled on-call shifts instead of logging hourly wages at a typical job. They commit extensive nights and weekends to be available to help residents as part of their position. With approval, RAs can pursue additional jobs outside of their housing duties if they do not conflict with their on-call responsibilities.