Today's Residence Life Student Staff Positions – On-Demand Training

Redesign Roles, Recruitment & Selection to Create a Thriving Program

Colleges and universities rely heavily on residence life student staff to create safe, welcoming, and connected communities on campus. Yet many institutions face significant challenges in recruiting and selecting strong candidates. The applicant pool can be narrow. At the same time, the RA role is often perceived as overly demanding, emotionally draining, or disconnected from the institution’s mission, discouraging students from applying. Limited funding compounds these issues by restricting competitive compensation and reducing the ability to run effective recruitment campaigns. The emotional weight of the RA position further complicates recruitment and retention efforts. These factors create frustration for administrators who want to build a motivated, resilient team but lack the resources and applicant interest to do so. As a result, both students and staff are left feeling overwhelmed and under-supported, making it increasingly difficult to sustain a healthy and thriving Residence Life program.

Our expert presenters will emphasize creativity, flexibility, and mental health as core components of building a successful Residence Life team. Rather than focusing solely on policies or standard hiring practices, they will highlight innovative ways to redesign roles, develop contingency plans, and empower student staff with autonomy and problem-solving opportunities. You will gain actionable strategies that prioritize both the well-being and professional growth of student staff, fostering a stronger sense of ownership and engagement that will directly benefit your campus community.

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you: 

• Redesign Roles to Match Institutional Goals – learn how to update and structure the RA position so it aligns more closely with institutional needs and best practices, making the role more attractive and meaningful to students.
• Build a Mental Health Support Framework – discover strategies to better support the emotional and mental well-being of student staff, including implementing regular wellness check-ins and connecting RAs with campus mental health resources.
• Develop Contingency Plans for Staffing Challenges – leave with practical ideas for creating backup systems and cross-training approaches to minimize burnout and ensure smooth operations during staff shortages.
• Innovate Recruitment and Engagement Approaches – gain creative, student-centered recruitment strategies and innovative ways to make the RA role appealing, relevant, and engaging to a broader pool of applicants.
• Foster a Culture of Flexibility and Creativity – explore how to encourage student staff to approach programming, problem-solving, and daily tasks with creativity and autonomy, boosting morale and ownership of the role.
  

Presenters

Dr. Sara Weinstein currently serves as Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life at Randolph-Macon College located in Ashland Virginia.
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Jackie Mayfield currently serves at the Assistant Director for Recruitment & Development for Residential Education at the University of Denver Housing.
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