Resident Assistants have the unique opportunity to build communities and make lifelong connections with their peers. If you’re looking to develop professional skills, make a positive impact on others, and be part of an amazing team, then consider applying to work with us. We’d love to have you on our team!
See Population Specific RA Search Process Information on Undergraduate Candidates, Graduate Candidates, and Family Student Housing Candidates.
What We're Looking For
RAs take on a lot of responsibility, so we’re looking for candidates who are ready for a challenge! We are looking for folks who can:
- Build strong communities and make human connections.
- Help foster a safe and welcoming environment for all.
- Promote academic success, learning, and wellness.
- Provide support and services to residents.
- Be present and engaged in the community.
- Be open-minded and willing to learn all of the above.
Residential & Community Living Vision Statements
Human connection is the heart of our work.
We exemplify diversity and inclusivity.
We are a catalyst for collaboration and co-creation.
We recognize opportunities for growth when mistakes occur.
We keep it fresh, vibrant and innovative.
See below for more information.
The RA position is time-intensive, requiring around 10-18 hours of work per week, averaging about 12 hours per week. Below are some of the time commitments you can expect as an RA:
- Weekly in-person staff meetings on Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
- Weekly one-on-one meetings with your supervisor.
- Hosting programs and other community-building initiatives.
- Serving on an after-hours on-call rotation with your staff, including holidays and breaks.
- Attending Student Leadership Development (SLD) training in September.
- Providing support during residence hall/apartment openings and closings, as well as special campus events (Halloween, Deltopia, Spring Open House, etc).
Beyond these requirements, we also ask our RAs to be flexible with other commitments so that they can be present in their community and available to residents.
Although our staff members are unique and diverse, we do have a set of standards that all RAs have to meet. To be eligible for the position, you must meet all the following requirements:
- Maintain full-time student status.
- Maintain an overall 2.3 GPA and a minimum 2.0 quarterly.
- Maintain eligibility to live within the community in which you work.*
- Maintain good academic and judicial standing with the University.
- Successfully pass a background check.
- Be eligible to work in the United States.
- Abide by all University, federal, state and local laws, policies, and procedures.
If hired, the appointment for the position is for one academic year. Candidates who are eligible have the option to apply for a second year, but are not guaranteed a position. Undocumented students are welcomed and encouraged to apply, but must be able to provide proof of employment authorization.
If you are an international student, you must have a visa, F1 or J1. The RA position counts toward the 75% employment maximum for graduate students. RAs who are grad students will need to limit their total employment (RA 24% and any other UCSB positions) to 75% per the grad division.
*For Family Student Housing Candidates: All applicants must currently be living at Family Student Housing. Partners who are not UCSB students are not eligible to apply. Candidate eligibility is limited to a maximum of two years per household.
We want to make sure our staff are well-compensated for the hard work they do. Compensation includes:
- Housing accommodations in your assigned community rent-free. (Gas, electricity, internet and water are included. RAs are not eligible for California Renter's Credit.)
- Single-occupancy room for Residence Hall RAs.
- Studio or one-bedroom unit for Undergraduate and Graduate Apartment RAs.
- One- or two-bedroom unit for Family Student Housing Apartment RAs.
- Weekly meal plan amount varies per community type. Residence Halls RAs receive 17 and Apartment RAs receive 5.
- A biweekly stipend of $103.50 for Residence Hall RAs / $138 for Apartment RAs, Graduate RAs and Family Student Housing RAs.
- Professional development in skills such as customer service, event planning, conflict management, emergency response, and more.
- Learn more about campus resources and work with UCSB staff and faculty.
- Make lifelong connections with some of your fellow staff members and residents!
Questions?
Review the tabs above for information about being an RA in specific communities, take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions or email us directly!
Follow us on Instagram [@ucsbraselection] for daily posts, RA Takeovers, important updates, and more information about the RA position!
The Annual RA Selection Hiring Cycle runs late Fall quarter - Winter quarter for the following academic year.
If you need any accommodations or have accessibility questions throughout the process, please send us an email at housing-raselection@ucsb.edu
Lead Staff will not be taking meetings to discuss their communities/buildings during this process to ensure that the process remains fair and equitable for all candidates. Please email us any questions at housing-raselection@ucsb.edu or visit the Housing Option page to learn more about each community.
Becoming an RA taught me how to communicate, lead, and be kind better than any class could. The skills that I've gained from this position are highly transferable to almost every workplace. Also, you get so close with your team -- it's such a blessing to have close friends in the place you live! Take the leap of faith, be an RA!
Krish Pandey (He/Him)
San Miguel RA
Being an RA creates a close community like no other, and I will be forever grateful for that. The role helps you learn so much about yourself, and allows you to develop skills that are incredibly important for a career, like communication, collaboration, and leadership. Being an RA has helped me to challenge myself and to grow so much more than I could have ever imagined.
Sally Lynch (She/Her)
Manzanita Village RA
Being a Resident Assistant has taught me that leadership is not simply about holding a position, but about the impact you have on the people around you. The lessons I’ve learned as an RA will continue to shape not only the kind of leader I aspire to be, but also the kind of person I want to become.
Michiah Woods (She/Her)
San Joaquin Apartments RA
