On Thursday afternoon, the Office of Residence Life offered Resident Assistant positions to 16 new individuals for the 2016-2017 academic year. The newly selected RAs will assist students living in on-campus and off-campus housing, and are the first group to be selected through the Office of Residence Life’s new selection process.
This year the Office of Residence Life reformatted their RA selection process to better evaluate how applicants think and interact with others. In previous years, applicants who had their written applications approved would engage in team building exercises with other applicants and have their teamwork skills assessed. This year, those who had their written applications approved were required to research a topic relevant to student life at Stevens and present in groups to current RAs.
Applicants who made it past group presentations were interviewed by Office of Residence Life Area Coordinators: Stevens Couras of Lower Campus, Becky Falto of Upper Campus, and Chad Jones of Stevens Leased Housing. According to Xavier Rosario, an Upper Campus RA and member of the RA Selection Committee, the new selection process was made in order to find new hires who are best able to serve the student body. “We look for RAs that are friendly, hardworking, policy-oriented, and supportive,” says Rosario.
Along with new RAs, there are new housing policies for the 2016-2017 academic year. The Office of Residence Life has made changes to the fees and processes associated with cancellations and financial holds. For example, the housing application and contract is a full year commitment. Students interested in living in Stevens housing for the 2016-2017 academic year are advised to visit stevens.edu/sit/residence-life for more information.
