Living On Campus

Resident Assistants (RAs) are upper-class students who support the community they live in. Reporting directly to a full time professional staff Residence Coordinator, they are a great resource for students in the halls if they have a concern that needs addressing. RAs are trained about the resources on campus, are knowledgeable about campus policies, and are responsible for hosting educational and social events to build community in the residential areas on campus.

• 1 bed waiver* (i.e., RAs are not charged for the room in which they are assigned)
• Single bedroom (i.e., RAs live in their own bedroom)
• Priority Class Registration 
• Provides an opportunity to add excellent leadership experience to your resume
• $300 stipend per semester

*RAs can save up to $12,116 in housing costs per academic year

You must meet the following requirements to qualify for the RA position:

• Must have and maintain at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA
• Must maintain a minimum academic credit load of 12 as an undergraduate, or 9 as either 2nd semester senior or graduate student
• You cannot be on any form of probation (academic, residential, or disciplinary) at the time of application or employment. (Any previous probationary or more severe offense with the Office of Community Standards will be evaluated on a case by case basis.)

• There are evening obligations that are expected of RAs. Because of this, RAs should not take more than four night classes that go past 5PM. Out of the four night classes, no RA should take more than three night classes on “weekday duty nights” (Sunday-Thursday nights). No RA should take more than one night/day class on a “weekend duty night/day” (Friday night/Saturday until 5pm and Saturday night/Sunday until 5pm) This also includes all related academic commitments. This is to accommodate for scheduling duty shifts, Community Development, and overall presence in the community. RAs get priority registration to accommodate for these needs.

  If an RA must take more than four night classes (includes more than four night classes, more than three weekday night classes, or more than one weekend night/day class) they need to meet with the Associate Director for Residential Life in the beginning of Fall/Spring Registration to discuss their schedule and receive approval.

  If a student is in a Conservatory program, where the schedule is made for them, the Office of Residential & Student Life and the academic program will work with you on how to properly balance both your academic commitments, as well as the RA position. This includes, but is not limited to, open communication between you, the academic program, and your Residence Coordinator.

• RAs may work up to 10 additional hours per week at another on or off-campus position beyond the RA position
• RAs cannot also serve as Summer Orientation Coordinators (SOCs) or on the Purchase Programming Board (PAB). RAs serving on the Executive Board of PSGA must receive approval from the Associate Director of Residential Life. You are free to apply for multiple roles within the office.
• It is preferred that New RAs not become New SOLs (Student Orientation Leaders) in the same year, but if an RA would like to become a SOL, this will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
• Experience living in a college residence hall setting is preferred but not required.

Some of the responsibilities of the Resident Assistant include (but are not limited to):

• Attend weekly staff meetings on Wednesday during the common time between 1:30pm and 3:00pm
• Attend one-on-one meetings with your Residence Coordinator 
• Attend all fall, winter, and spring trainings
• Work residence hall/apartment area opening and closings for breaks and at the end of each semester
• Be a visible presence for your residents on your wing/floor/apartment area
• Serve on an on-call emergency response duty rotation with evening, overnight, and weekend responsibilities
• Enforce and uphold campus and Residential and Student Life policies
• Conduct health and safety inspections of residential spaces on campus
• Be present for, and insist in coordinating, fire drills for the residential communities
• Host programs for the residential community each month
• Create and maintain bulletin board(s)

The RA hiring process is held each spring semester and staff are hired for the following academic year. Here is a brief outline of the selection process for the 2026-2027 RA staff:

• Step 1:  We recommend students interested in applying for an RA position to attend one of the RA info. sessions (see dates, times, and locations below)
• Step 2: Fill out the RA Application Form (available November 3, 2025). 
• Step 3: Successful applicants will be invited to RA Application Group Process on Saturday February 7th, 2026 from 12pm-5pm. All interviews will take place between Monday January 26th- Friday January 31st, 2026 (Details TBA).  Attendance at both the individual interview and Group Process is mandatory to successfully complete the application process. Please monitor your Purchase College email address for updates from our staff on the status of your application. 

Click Here to Apply!

Q: I currently live off campus. Am I eligible to be an RA?

Experience living in a college residence hall setting is preferred but is not required.

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

When you apply to be an RA you are applying to work for the Office of Residential and Student Life, not for a particular residence hall. Residential and Student Life professional staff determine which halls RAs are placed in. These placements are determined by the needs of the building and the skills of each particular RA.

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

No. Attending RA training in its entirety and fully participating in opening the residential areas is required. Training lasts approximately two weeks in August and about 4-5 days in January before the start of the spring semester. Training time is critical to prepare RAs on department protocol and how best to serve as a resource for residents.

Q: Will my profile on an online community (i.e., social media) affect whether or not I will be hired as an RA?

Not necessarily, but if you feel that something posted online might reflect badly on you or hurt your chances of becoming an RA, you should remove it.

Q: I’m not really sure what the RA position fully entails. Can you explain it to me?

The RA position encompasses many different responsibilities. The best way to learn about the position is to talk to current RAs. Stop by the RA office during duty hours and the current RAs will be happy to explain the position and their experiences in the role. Also speak with your Residence Coordinator for information about what they look for in an ideal RA candidate. 

Q: I have a housing accommodation or I need one. Does that impact me?

If you are a student who requires a housing accommodation, we encourage all requests for housing accommodations to be submitted before January 24, 2026 through the Office of Disability Resources. This date has been established to ensure that we have ample time to review and make necessary arrangements to meet your accommodation needs before selection takes place. Please note, ODR has a two week review period after accommodation requests are submitted.

Please be aware that Purchase College cannot guarantee the ability to meet accommodation requests made after the January 24 deadline.

If you require housing accommodations due to a diagnosis or disability related need, we kindly ask that you visit the Office of Disability Resources Accessible Campus Housing Website for steps to complete the housing accommodation request process. Please note that students previously approved for accommodations should go through the renewal process as housing accommodations are reassessed each year and do not automatically carry over from year to year.

Q: I have more questions. Who can I contact?

You can contact a member of the Residential and Student Life staff at RASelection@purchase.edu.