RCA Job Description

 

Resident Career Advisor 2021-2022

Campus Living Guiding Philosophy

Campus Living co-creates a supportive, interdependent, and educationally purposeful residential community for Lewis & Clark. To this end, we sustain the following principles:

• Celebrate the wisdom of diversity and inclusion;
• Promote engagement and citizenship;
• Foster self-advocacy and personal responsibility;
• Champion holistic student development and the betterment of the collective.

Purpose of Role

In conjunction with other College staff, the Resident Career Advisor (RCA) promotes student learning and personal growth by fostering residential environments that are safe, well-maintained, educationally purposeful, and supportive of the mission of the College. The RCA achieves a positive residential experience for residents through community-builders, knowledge of campus policies, resource referral, and by role modeling behavior that is consistent with Campus Living values. As a liaison between Campus Living and the Career Center, the RCA develops and strengthens professional development skills for the purposes of supporting upper-division students through their transition after college. 

Work Performed

Administrative Duties & Departmental Support

• Attend regular staff meetings on Tuesdays (3:30-5:00 pm). Meet bi-weekly with other RCAs and the Graduate Assistant (GA) for the Apartments as needed.
• Meet bi-weekly with the Area Director (AD) and/or GA for one-on-one meetings.
• Assess and manage floor maintenance needs by sending work order requests to Facilities in a timely manner and informing your AD when issues are urgent or go unresolved.
• Check your mailbox in the Campus Living office once per day and hang up posters by the specific timeline.
• Work as a cooperative team member with your staff team and all of Campus Living.
• Respond to emails and other work-related communication in a timely manner.
• Participate in and support departmental processes, including Room Selection and RA Selection.
• Assist in hall opening and closing procedures as assigned by your AD.
• Other duties as assigned, i.e. assisting your AD/GA with area-specific tasks. 

Community Building

• Develop, implement, and evaluate regular Community Builders that are both social and educational in nature and that support the guiding philosophy of Campus Living.
• Support all-hall community builders implemented in your area.
• Complete at least 1 one-on-one meeting with each of your residents each semester. As appropriate, this interaction should include career plans and transition from the college.
• Develop and implement passive programming focused on the career needs of upper-division students.
• Know the majority of residents’ names in your assigned area by the end of the second week of each semester.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of all students and promote the values of diversity and inclusion with your residence community.
• Provide residents with information and assistance for personal, academic, and administrative concerns and make appropriate referrals.

Policy Support & Crisis Management

• Assume night and weekend duty responsibilities as directed. Weekday duty: Sunday-Thursday 7 pm - 7 am; Weekend duty: Friday 7 pm – Sunday 7 pm.
• Know and observe College and Campus Living policies and procedures, in addition to the Student Code of Conduct.
• Set an exemplary standard of behavior while in residence, on-campus, and in the company of other students at all times.
• Inform residents of Lewis & Clark policies and procedures and help interpret policies as necessary.
• Cooperate with College staff (i.e. Campus Safety, Facilities, Student Life on-call) through enforcement and reporting of College policy violations. Advocate for residents’ needs and concerns throughout policy infractions.
• Observe the FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) Policy when communicating with students, staff/faculty, parents, and other College stakeholders. Training will be provided on this subject during fall RA Training.
• Understand your role as a responsible College employee and be acquainted with reporting procedures. Training will be provided on this subject during fall RA Training.
• Act with discretion when managing residential conflicts or concerns.
• Be knowledgeable of emergency procedures and manage residential crises as necessary. Training will be provided during Fall RA Training (and throughout the year) on how to manage crisis situations in residence.

 Training & Ongoing Professional Development

• Complete online (Moodle) training modules throughout the summer leading up to the start of Fall RA Training
• Attend and participate in Fall RA Training in August, Winter RA Training in January, New RA Orientation in April, in-service session, and any additional training activities throughout the year.
• Receive ongoing feedback, including but not limited to a meeting with your AD for a mid-year performance evaluation in December.

Additional RCA Duties

• Hold 1 (2 hour) weekly office hour in the Career Center for resume review, cover letter preparation, internship search, graduate school search and other transitional coaching.
• Regularly document contact with students surrounding career development.
• Meet bi-weekly (fall) and monthly (spring) with Peer Career Advisors (PCAs) and a designee from the Career Center for training and support.
• Participate in the development and implementation of two career events per year.
• Support the development and implementation of an event during Fall Career Month. Each RCA will design a program relevant to their career development and implement it with a member of the Career Center staff.
• Support the development and implementation of an event during the spring which may be selected from a series of events including: Lewis & Clark on-campus Career Fair; Dress*Impress* Success; or another senior student event. The RCA will work with a designated Career Center staff member to see the program to fruition. The RCA will work to promote the event with Career Center Student Life Intern who is responsible for marketing.
• Additional duties as assigned by the Career Center.

 Requirements                   

• At least one academic year of service as a Resident Advisor.
• Taking 18 credits or less per semester during their term of service as an RCA.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (at time of hire).
• Must remain in good academic standing with the College.
• Demonstrated interest in supporting the guiding philosophy of Campus Living and in working with upper-division residential students to explore life after college and professional development.
• Must have completed and signed residence hall or apartment contract according to the procedure outlined by the Campus Living office.
• With the exception of academic studies, the RA job will be your top priority. RAs can participate in a maximum of 10 hours of co-curricular per week. All co-curricular involvement must be discussed with and approved by your Area Director.

Preferred Qualities

• Ability to give and receive feedback in a career advisor capacity.
• Strong skills in community-building, event planning, attention to detail, and time management.

Availability

RCAs must be available to participate in the following Campus Living activities:

• New RA Orientation: April 3-4, 2021
• Room Selection: April 18, 2021
• Fall RA Training: RCAs arrive back to campus on August 15, 2021 and training begins August 16, 2021
• Winter RA Training: RCAs arrive back to campus on January 12, 2022 and training occurs January 13-15, 2022

Should you be successfully hired as an RA and experience any time conflicts with these activities, you will need to let your AD know immediately.

Compensation

• Equivalent of an apartment room and 14-flex meal plan.
• Additional training with the Career Center in resume writing, interview skills, career development, and transitional coaching.

To Apply

• Please submit your RCA application online via the Campus Living website. Please note that the application includes a current resume, cover letter, at least one reference, and responses to supplemental questions.
• Interviews for the RCA position will include presentation of your Returning RA Portfolio. Please click here for the requirements of the Returning RA Portfolio and inquire with your current AD should you have any questions.
• RCA applications are due December 18, 2020 @ 4pm.