Attending college is a new and exciting experience for students as they develop new friendships, learn both inside and outside the classroom, gain skills and find their passions. Housing & Residence Life (HRL) student staff help support students in their transition to and through college, gain important leadership and career development skills, and lead the residential student experience. The Housing & Residence Life student staff application for the 2021-2022 academic year closes on November 20. Students interested in being a part of the HRL team should visit the Housing Portal and submit the short application before the deadline.
What opportunities are available for my student?
There are three different opportunities available for students who wish to join the HRL team.
Community Assistants: A Community Assistant (CA) is an academic-year student employee within HRL that helps build, guide, and support a community of residents residing in the residence halls at Mason. Community Assistants dedicate their time and energy to residents by ensuring that residents have a healthy, safe, and supportive environment in which to learn and develop. CAs are expected to assist with overall residential health and safety and provide operational support for the residence halls through on-call responsibilities, evening rounds, and community desk shifts as well as other operational efforts.
Resident Assistants (RA) and Learning Community Resident Assistants (LC RA): RAs and LC RAs are academic-year student employees within HRL who develop community among the students in the residence halls at Mason. RAs and LC RAs dedicate their time and energy to the residents of their community by connecting with students both in groups and individually to provide support, connect students to resources, and help students get involved at Mason. LC RAs serve a special population of students who live in a learning community and collaborate with the LC partner on the development of the LC. Both positions are expected to be visible in their communities and serve as available resources within their residence hall through peer-to-peer communication, residential curriculum initiatives and programming.
Why should your student consider applying?
Housing & Residence Life student staff:
- Gain extensive leadership, mediation, problem solving, and communication skills that can be applied to any future career
- Lead and educate their peers on important topics such as mutual respect, life skills, and well-being through the educational initiatives in the residence halls
- Gain valuable experience in time management, public speaking, and technology skills
- Receive a compensation package that includes a single bedroom within their assigned residence hall community, a prorated meal plan, and a stipend.
To learn more about these opportunities including the position descriptions, please visit Mason’s Handshake website and encourage your student to apply by November 20. For further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at ResStaff@gmu.edu.
Aysha Puhl
Associate Director
Housing and Residence Life
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