Community Assistant

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Job Description

The Community Assistant (CA) is an undergraduate member of the Residence Life Team. The Community Assistant is supervised by the Resident Director. They are responsible for the development of responsible community membership among individuals of a residence hall wing, community, or series of suites within their hall.

The Community Assistant is responsible for overseeing the residents in areas related to community development, responsible community membership, programming, communication, intervention, and mediation, as well as, providing leadership to the entire hall when active in the duty rotation. The Community Assistant is a live-in, student employment position within the Residence Life Office.

The Community Assistant establishes a rapport with resident students and assists these students in the adjustment to community living and university life. They clearly communicate, implement and/or enforce University policies, and Residence Life and Housing & Dining Services procedures and are available to counsel, advise, and refer students as appropriate. They keep the Resident Director informed of individual, wing, and hall happenings.

The Community Assistant participates in appropriate recruitment, selection, training, evaluation, and housing processes.

The Community Assistant, under the direction of the Resident Director, develops and implements community-based programming which supports the academic mission and community development within the wing and hall.

The Community Assistant intervenes with students whose behaviors are not appropriate for the residential community. They report violations of federal, state, and/or local laws and infractions of the University Conduct Guidelines.

The Community Assistant is available to serve the residents. The Community Assistant participates in regular duty rotation from 7 pm until 7 am including weekday nights, weekend nights, openings, and closings. They are not to be gone from the hall for more than three days and/or evenings each week. A day is five or more hours and an evening is three or more hours. The Community Assistant is available to assume responsibilities in the event of emergencies. Fifty percent of the Community Assistant Staff will be available each weekend.

The Community Assistant is responsible to serve as a liaison with students, student staff and professional staff within the Residence Life Office. They are responsible for communicating Residence Life and Housing & Dining Services processes, procedures, activities, programs, issues, and concerns between the Residence Life and Housing & Dining Services Office and students through regularly scheduled wing/suite meetings. They assist Hall Council in identifying and supporting wing representatives.

The Community Assistant pursues position development through attendance and participation in on-going orientation and training and weekly staff meetings.

The Community Assistant serves as a role model for students by managing a full academic schedule, personal development, and successful performance within the Community Assistant job.

The Community Assistant performs other duties as assigned.

CA Responsibilities

  • Academic and Staff Conduct
    • Maintain a cumulative GPA each semester of a 2.25.
    • Engage in behavior that is in line with the department's Mission, Vision, and Core Values and meets the expectations of the position.
    • Remain in good judicial standing with the University.
    • Refrain from making statements to the media that would reflect negatively on the department. Additionally, CAs will refrain from creating posts on the various social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Snap Chat, Instagram, etc) that would reflect negatively on the department or depict behaviors what would be unbecoming of a Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services Staff member.
    • Be enrolled full-time, maintaining academic progress (24 credits per academic year).
    • Should a staff member be released from their position or should they resign, they will be reassigned to a room in a different hall.
  • Training and Staff Development

    Fall

    • Be present for Fall Student Staff Training starting August
    • Attend all sessions
    • Complete all assigned tasks for opening

    Online Training

    • Complete Protection of Minors and Clery Training on D2L annually

    Staff Selection

    • Assist with staff recruitment efforts

    Spring

    • Be present for Student Staff Training starting in January
    • Attend all sessions
    • Complete assigned tasks for Opening
  • Administrative

    Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

    • Instances are to be reported up and not out.
    • All Residence Life Staff Members are to refer members of the press to University Relations and refrain from making statements.
    • No member of the Residence Life Staff is to use their title to endorse their personal opinions or beliefs.
    • All members of the Residence Life are Mandatory Reports and are required to bring forth any information pertaining to potential violations of law, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, domestic violence etc.
    • Meet all set deadlines

     

    Documentation:

    • Following the appropriate protocol for documenting situations.
    • Complete Nightly Duty Log while on duty
    • Utilize Information Reports when warranted
    • Document situations on Housing Violations

     

    Follow the Appropriate Protocol for:

    • No Show Lists
    • Fire Safety Inspections
    • Check-In and Check-Out Procedures
    • Openings and Closing of the Residence Halls
    • Roommate Mediation
    • Nightly Duty
    • Policy Enforcement

     

    Serve as a Resource for Residents:

    • Answer questions
    • Ensure the resident's understanding of the university's policies and procedures
    • Be familiar with campus resources
    • Serve as a liaison between the students and the Resident Director
    • Keep RD aware of any issues

     

    Time Cards:

    • Ensure the accurate and timely completion of time card each pay period
    • Correct errors
    • Turn in accurate time card to ARD

     

    Meetings:

    • Attend and play an active role in the staff meeting each week
    • Hold one posted office hour each week
    • Meet bi-weekly with the Resident Director
    • Meet with residents- Each CA should be interacting with their residents regularly. However, they must hold a minimum of one scheduled 1:1 with each room, apartment, or suite a semester.

     

    Assist with the Openings and Closing of Building:

    • Complete Opening and Closing tasks
    • Return early and stay late

     

    Other Duties as Assigned

  • Community Development

    Role Model

    • Be in good academic standing
    • Abide by University policies and remain in good judicial standing
    • Develop and maintain relationships with residents and University personnel
    • Be familiar with campus resources and services
    • Assist the residents in their understanding of campus policies and procedures

     

    Build Relationships

    • Provide opportunities for residents to interact
    • Assist in the development of healthy relationships.
    • Engage residents in activities that help them to feel part of the community

    Promote Academic Success

    • Provide opportunities for the academic enrichment of resident students
    • Make residents aware of the academic resources on campus
    • Celebrate academic achievements

    Programming

    • Evaluate the needs and interests of your residents in the area of programming
    • Meet the requirements outlined in the programming model
    • Support, promote, and attend other CA Programs, hall council, and campus events.

     

    Crisis Management

    • Serve in an in a hall duty rotation
    • Enforce University Policy
    • Confront inappropriate behavior
    • Assistant on call GSE and Public Safety with emergency situations when necessary.
    • Serve as a mandatory reporter
    • Follow the appropriate protocol for documenting situations and behaviors.

    Hall Council

    • Assist in hall council recruitment
    • Make your residents aware of hall council and its initiatives
    • Promote hall council meetings and events
    • Attend hall council meetings and events when you can

     

    Wing Meetings

    • One wing is to be held a month
    • The provided topic points are to be covered each month
    • There should be a community-building component to each meeting

     

    Resident Meetings

    • Meet with residents- Each CA should be interacting with their residents regularly. However, they must hold a minimum of one scheduled 1:1 with each room, apartment, or suite a semester.

     

    Roommate Mediation

    • Work with the residents to understand and complete the roommate agreement
    • Ensure that the students are aware of the protocol for mediations
    • Follow the appropriate procedure for mediation when it is warranted
    • Keep your RD aware of conflicts

     

    Community Development Model

    • Meet the requirements outlined in the Community Development Model

Application Information

  • Minimum Position Requirements
    • Be at least a second semester freshman at the start of the Fall semester
    • Minimum Cumulative GPA of a 2.25

    • Paid Housing Application Fee for the application year

    • Be in good judicial standing with KU

  • Application Types

    New Applicants:

    • Complete a Community Assistant Application

    Returning Applicants:

    • Complete a Community Assistant Re-Application
  • Candidate/Applicant Definitions

    A New Community Assistant Candidate is: Any first-time applicants, a Community Assistant that does not have a completed Community Assistant Evaluation from the Fall semester.

    A Returning Community Assistant Candidate is: All applicants that served in the role of Community Assistant during the Fall semester and have a completed Community Assistant evaluation from that semester will fill out the Community Assistant Re-Application form.

  • Interview Information

    All eligible candidates will be contacted by Residence Life with a scheduled 45 minute interview time, the location, and the name of the Resident Director who will be conducting their interview. Interviews will take place on CA Interview Day (Date can be found in the Employment Calendar).

  • Offer Letters

    Offer letters will be emailed to applicants. Community Assistant Acceptance Letters need to be turned in by the designated date and time to 106 Old Main. Dates for the primary Fall hiring process can be found in the Employment Calendar.

Position Compensation

The Community Assistant compensation package includes:

  • A room assignment in one of our residence halls (suite or traditional style at the cost of the lowest traditional hall double occupancy room rate [current rates can be found here])
  • A $6000 stipend for the length of the academic year (Stipend is divided and distributed on the Kutztown University student payroll schedule every two weeks during the days in which the student is contracted in the position)
  • $100 off a meal plan per semester ($100 in Flex per semester if the CA does not have a meal plan)
  • $100 retention bonus (must be hired by October 15, 2023 and finish contract through May 18, 2024)
  • Free Student Parking Pass
  • Early Class Registration
  • Contract length: one academic year (the Community Assistant contract begins in August and terminates at the close of finals in the Spring semester)

Any questions you have regarding Community Assistant Selection may be directed to any Building Director or the Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services Office in 106 Old Main, 610-683-4027.