Job Description

Location:

North Adams, MA Category: Student Employment Posted On: Thu Nov 20 2025 :



A Resident Advisor (RA) at MCLA is offered through Residence Life & Housing. It is one of many leadership opportunities within the Division of Student Affairs. As a member of Residence Life & Housing, the RA is directly supervised by, and responsible to the Residence Director/Area Coordinator of their Residence Area. The RA lives in a residence area and serves as a leader, helper, and resource person for students. The RA serves as a critical link between the students on their floor/section and the Residence Life & Housing Office. This leadership opportunity requires being a representative of the college and a representative of student issues in the residence areas and across campus.



Responsibilities



Student Contact & Visibility



Have a presence in your section/floor and within the building.

Build rapport with all residents assigned to your Residence Area.

Conduct and hold floor/section meetings as deemed necessary by the Department.

Convey openness and receptivity to all residents in the hall, including, but not limited to persons of a different value system, race and/or orientation.



Community Engagement & Development



Plan and execute Community Development Activities conducive to a safe, academic environment that builds community within the Residence Area(s).

Create passive programing such as door decorations and bulletin boards.

Serve as a liaison between students and professional staff on campus.

Form connections between Residence Life & Housing and other offices on campus.

Create and sustain professional and healthy relationships with resident students.



Duty



Serve on duty rotation for selected dates/evenings.

Submit reports for any situations/interactions that require one.



Policy Enforcement



Uphold and enforce all College and Residence Life Policies as stated in the Community Standards and Residence Area Community Guidelines, as well as any other established policies, local, state, and federal laws.



Administrative Tasks



Assist with all openings and closings of the residence areas, including arriving early and staying past the official close of the residence areas.

Assist with all required paperwork, Room Condition Forms, key distribution & collection, building inventories, and any other departmental specific paperwork.

Conduct Health & Safety Inspections of all resident rooms as needed.

Assist in desk coverage as needed throughout the academic year.

Assist with projects or Residence Life Committees as needed.

General administrative tasks will include, but are not limited to sign making, emailing, and filing paperwork.

Additional responsibilities can be determined on an as needed basis.



Referral Agent



Provide residents with information and instructions regarding emergency situation protocols, such as fire alarms, and fire safety equipment, and building evacuations.

Report any situations that could jeopardize the health and safety of residents or threaten the security of individuals or College property.



Staff Meetings & Additional Meetings



Attend all required staff meetings.

Attend all one-one meetings with supervisor. These meetings will include performance evaluations and any concerns regarding performance will be addressed.

Attend all trainings both prior to the start of each academic semester and throughout the semester.



Additional responsibilities will be reviewed in full detail during training after being appointed to the position.

Job Requirements:

Be a matriculated undergraduate, full-time student and have a semesterly & cumulative GPA of 2.3 at time of application.

Must have completed 24 credit hours at the time of employment.

Be in good standing with the Dean of Students Office.

Show a strong skill set in Leadership, Communication, Interpersonal, Organization, Time Management, Writing, Critical Thinking & Decision Making, and Confrontation.

Show commitment to diversity and support of all students.

Be willing to work both nights and weekends being a part of a monthly duty schedule.

Serve in the position for the academic year in which they are hired.

Participate in all staff trainings and required meetings.

Available Fridays from 3:00pm-5:00pm for monthly community meeting.

Participate in training prior to the opening of each semester.

Be available for the designated days and times of when the opening and closing of the Residence Areas occur.

Additional Information:

Terms of Appointment & Placement



Staff Appointment and placement is determined by Residence Life & Housing.

Appointment is given on an academic year basis.

Reappointment to the position is determined based off of your re-application, interview, and performance evaluations.

Residence Life & Housing reserves the right to change residence area assignment at any time during a staff members employment.

All staff members are evaluated on a semester basis.



This position is open only to students currently enrolled at MCLA.



Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. Should you need to request a reasonable accommodation for the application process, please email Brenda Stokes, Executive Director Human Resources.



Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is deeply committed to fostering a community of excellence, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We provide equal access to educational, co-curricular and employment opportunities for all applicants, students, and employees regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital or parental status, veteran status, or membership in any other legally protected class. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity that they operate, which extends to admission and employment.



Inquiries about Title IX, Equal Opportunity, or ADA/504 and other non-discrimination policies may be directed to MCLA's Title IX Coordinator and Equal Opportunity Officer, to the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, or both.



Lucas Morrill



Interim Title IX Coordinator and Equal Opportunity Officer



375 Church Street, North Adams, MA 01247



(413)-6625103



Titleix@mcla.edu



U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights



33 Arch Street, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02119-1424

Telephone:

(617) 289-0111; FAX: (617) 289-0150; TDD (877) 521-2172



OCR.Boston@ed.gov