RA Selection Process

Recruitment & Selection

The Resident Assistant (RA) is a student employee of the Office of Residence Life. From planning social programming to directing residents to on and off campus resources, RAs are responsible for interacting and building connections with residents in an area of campus. They serve in an on-call duty rotation, return to campus early each semester to assist with opening, and informally counsel residents to share with them resources around our campus community.

More information about the 2025-2026 RA Selection Process will be posted during the 2024 Fall Semester.

RA Eligibility & Application

1. Maintain a semester and cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher.
2. Be in good conduct standing with the University.
3. Be a Wilkes Student for at least one semester by Fall 2025, when the position would start.
   • Transfer students who have experience at another institution would remain eligible to apply for the position provided they meet the other requirements.
4. Maintain full-time undergraduate student status for the entirety of the 2025-2026 academic year.
5. Not be involved in any academic experiences that would take candidates away from campus for an extended period of time.
   • For example, 4th Year Pharmacy (P4) students would not be eligible for the RA position.
   • Candidates that will be student teaching during the 2025-2026 academic year must be placed in the following school districts in order to remain eligible for the position: Wilkes-Barre Area, Wyoming Valley West, Hanover Area, Nanticoke, Wyoming Area, Pittston Area or Dallas.
   • Candidates concerned about an experience and its compatibility with the RA position, should consult Residence Life before applying.
6. Attend one RA Info Session scheduled during the Fall 2024/Spring 2025 semesters (schedule below).

All applicants must be present for RA Selection weekend commitments:

• Feb. 8 | Individual Interviews & Group Processing Activities

These days are essential to providing a fair and consistent process to all candidates. Candidates who have academic conflicts with these dates should contact the Office of Residence Life immediately.

Info Sessions

Every new RA Candidate is expected to attend one scheduled RA information session. In these sessions, we will discuss the position, review requirements, visit the job description, and answer any questions about the application process and RA job expectations. These sessions are listed below:

• Monday, Nov. 25, 2024 | 7 p.m., via ZOOM
• Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 | 11 a.m., location TBD
• Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 | 6 p.m., location TBD
  
  • 25-26 New RA Info Session Sign Ups external website

Applying for the Position

Candidates who are interested in applying for the RA position should access the online application below. It will direct you to a Google Form which will require you to login with your Wilkes username and password. It is recommended that users open an incognito window (Google Chrome) or a private window (Firefox), sign into your Wilkes email, and then access the application. Applications will be due by Wednesday, Jan. 22nd at 11:59 p.m.

New RA Application  external website

There are a few short answer questions in the application, which are included below. You may want to write those in a Word document and paste them into the application as the form will not allow you to save.

Application Questions

1. In your opinion, why is the RA position important to the residential community?
2. Reflect on a time you had to work as part of a team or group. What was your role and did you accomplish the task? What did you learn from this experience?
3. What has been a challenge for you since coming to Wilkes? What steps have you taken to overcome this challenge?
4. Tell us about a time that you or someone you know faced discrimination? How did you respond and how is this applicable to the RA role?
5. Use three adjectives to describe yourself!
6. List Two References - At least one must be a Wilkes community member (person with a Wilkes email address) as a reference.

RA Interview Process

Once you have submitted the application, you will want to begin preparing for the individual interview and group presentations. Attendance at interviews and group process is mandatory for candidates to be considered for the position.

Individual Interview & Group Processing Day

Once all applications have been received and basic eligibility has been verified, candidates will be contacted by Monday, Feb. 3 with an individual interview appointment. All individual interviews and Group Processing will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Each candidate will meet with at least one professional in Student Affairs and two RAs and should expect the interview to last approximately 30-45 minutes. Dress is business professional and candidates should expect to act in a professional manner throughout the experience.

Don't have business professional clothing? Contact carol.bosack@wilkes.edu to get access to the Colonel Career Clothes Closet for gently-used, fresh and in-style career clothing for college-aged students to wear for professional interviews or at an internship or new job.

To prepare, here are some questions candidates will want to use to reflect. These are not actual interview questions.

1. Why do I want to be an RA?
2. What makes an RA a good RA?
3. How might I develop a community in my area if I were given the position?
4. I am facing a homesick resident. How would I help them?
5. If a resident is feeling targeted based on their identity, to what campus resources can I direct them?
6. What kind of community might I work best in?

Group Process Information

For a candidate to be successful in the RA position, it is essential for them to work with others. Group Process Day gives us a chance to see, firsthand, how you work with a group. You will participate in at least four different activities with different objectives. Staff from the Office of Residence Life will be facilitating these activities and observing candidate behavior. While this is an "interview," we want to encourage all candidates to be themselves and have fun. We want to get you know you better in an informal setting.

You've Applied. You've Interviewed. Now What?

Time to wait patiently! The RA Selection crew will review all applications and make selections and placements based on putting together the best possible team we can to serve the Wilkes University residential population. That takes time.

Application Decisions

Candidates will be informed, via their official Wilkes University email accounts, of their status in our application process no later than Friday, March 14. At that time, candidates will be notified if they have received a position, will enter our alternate RA pool, or if we cannot offer them a position at that time. Folks offered an RA position or an Alternate position will then be instructed on how to accept that offer.

New RA Orientation

We will gather all new RAs to the position for an Orientation session to go over hiring paperwork, talk about Fall Training and meet the rest of the team that were hired. It will be expected for all new hires to attend this evening event. Orientation should not last more than two hours.