Student Jobs in Housing & Residence Life
The Housing & Residence Life Office is one of the largest employers of students on campus.
Students can gain leadership skills and professional development through positions as:
- Alumni House Assistant
- Assistant Hall Director
- Desk Assistant
- Resident Assistant
- Summer Assistant
All student staff positions within the department are student-help positions, not work-study. To be eligible for an open position, students must:
- Have at least a 2.5 GPA
- Live on campus
- Be in good conduct standing
If you apply for an open position, you will need to have a resume, cover letter, an interview process. WSU Career Services offers many resources to help you prepare, such as:
- Resume Writing Do’s and Don’ts
- Preparing a Cover Letter
- Cover Letter Tips (PDF)
- Action Verbs & Transferable Skills Resources (PDF)
- How to Ace Your Face to Face!
- In-Person Interviewing
Group Interviews
Many positions require a group interview. You will likely be grouped with individuals you have never met before.
As a group, you’ll participate in some activities so that our staff can see your skills, abilities, and tendencies when immersed in a collaborative atmosphere in a virtual setting.
Here are some things that will help you be successful in group process:
- Group Process is not a competition. We are evaluating you based on your participation in the group. We are not picking a winner at the end.
- Some of the activities require group discussion, and/or opportunities for leadership. As you prepare for your group process day, be mindful of your own personality and/or leadership style and remember that you are being evaluated on your role/participation in the activities.
- Most importantly, be yourself. We want to hire the authentic “you” because, ultimately, that is the person we are going to work with for the year.
- Have fun! Being relaxed will allow you to stay focused.
Resident Assistant
Housing and Residence Life promotes a welcoming, inclusive, safe and engaging living and learning environment that contributes to student success.
RAs serve as peer advisors to students and assist the Hall Director (HD)/Area Coordinator (AC) with administrative duties. View the RA Position Description (PDF).
Our ideal Resident Assistant staff is made up of people with a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and academic majors. Successful RAs have these characteristics:
- Are open-minded
- Enjoy working with diverse groups of people
- Are organized
- Are ethical decision makers
- Demonstrates leadership
- Have interpersonal skills
- Are committed to diversity
- Have good communication skills
- Are good students
Skills Gained as an RA
RAs are responsible for providing leadership to a floor of peers and directing them toward behaviors that contribute to their success.
They also display leadership and teamwork working in their staff groups.
RAs are trained to respond to any emergency that happens in the halls. They uphold all University policies and procedures as well as coach students with personal and life issues.
RAs meet and collaborate with student organizations, faculty, university administration officials, and organizations in the Winona community.
RAs are responsible for sharing lots of information.
They manage many resident inquiries and act as a representative for Housing and Residence Life.
The teamwork nature of this position requires good communication skills.
RAs undergo comprehensive training, help to organize departmental processes, respond to crisis situations.
They receive direct supervision and feedback from a professional Hall Director who is committed to their development and success.
RAs are faced with a variety of tasks, challenges, and obstacles throughout the year.
This could range from a difficult situation with a resident, staff conflict, time management, or other personal issues.
Being a part of their RA team and working through those situations will help them build skills and confidence in their abilities.
RA Time Commitments
It’s important to be prepared for the time commitment required to be an RA. The RA position requires an average of 15-20 hours per week, with duties that vary on a weekly to monthly to semester basis.
Many commitments occur on nights, weekends, some holidays. RAs are expected to always uphold the duties of their positions, whether they are “on call” or not.
Weekly
- Interacting with your residents
- Open Door Hours (10 Hours)
- Hall Staff Meeting (1-1.5 Hours)
- Hall Council Meeting (.5 Hours)
Bi-Weekly
- One-to-One Meeting with Hall Director (.5-1 Hours)
- Duty (varies by building)
Monthly
- Planning & implementing hall programming (5-10 hours)
- Health and Safety Checks
Semester
- Break on call responsibilities (varies by building)
- Hall staff retreat/development activities
- Weekend on Call (varies by building)
- Bulletin Boards (3 sets per semester)
- Door Decorations (2 sets per semester)
- Training (Fall, Spring and In-services)
Application Process
Applications are open until 12pm on Feb. 16.
New RA Information sessions will be held Jan. 17 and Jan. 25 at 7pm in the Purple Rooms, Kryzsko Commons.
The process consists of the application—including resume, cover letter, and 2 references—followed by an individual interview and group interview process.
Submit your application via your housing portal.
Individual and group interviews will be held in February.
2023-2024 Timeline
- Jan. 17, 2024 at 7pm: New Applicant Information Session – Kryzsko Purple Rooms
- Jan. 25, 2024 at 7pm: New Applicant Information Session – Kryzsko Purple Rooms
- Jan. 29, 2024: Application Opens
- Feb. 16, 2024 at 12pm: Applications Due
- Feb. 22 or 23, 2024: Individual Interviews
- Feb. 24, 2024: Group Interview process
- March 1, 2024: Decision Letters Out by email
Alumni House Assistant
The Alumni House Assistants oversee the daily operations and maintenance of the Alumni House and report to the Assistant Director of Housing & Residence Life (ADRL). View the Alumni House Position Description (PDF).
Application Process
To apply, you need to submit an application, resume, and cover letter via your housing portal. This will be followed by an individual interview and group interview process. This will be followed by an individual interview and group interview process.
2023-2024 Timeline
- Jan. 17, 2024 at 7pm: New Applicant Information Session – Kryzsko Purple Rooms
- Jan. 25, 2024 at 7pm: New Applicant Information Session – Kryzsko Purple Rooms
- Jan. 29, 2024: Application Opens
- Feb. 19, 2024: Applications Due
- Feb. 22 or 23, 2024: Individual Interviews
- Feb. 24, 2024: Group Interview process
- March 1, 2024: Decision Letters Out by email
Desk Assistant
Desk Assistants (DA) serve as customer service specialists to students and visitors in the halls/apartments and assist with administrative duties.
View the Desk Assistant Position Description (PDF).
Application Process
Apply online in your Housing Portal under Student Leadership & Hiring.
Make sure to include a cover letter and your resume with your application.
2023-2024 Application Timeline
- Applications Open: June 1
- Application Deadline: July 26
- Interviews: July 28-30
- Offers Sent via Email: Aug. 2
- Desk Assistant Move-In: Aug. 15
- Training: Aug. 16 (1-6pm) & Aug. 18 (8am-12pm)
Summer Assistant
Summer Assistants provide quality front-line customer service to WSU summer students and Camp & Conference Services guests. They assist the department with student housing in East Lake and Kirkland/Haake Hall and work with youth camps, conference guests, and special events.
View the Summer Assistant Position Description (PDF).
Summer employment is from May 5-Aug. 16, 2024. Compensation includes:
- A single room in either East Lake or Kirkland/Haake
- A stipend to be paid on a bi-weekly rotation in conjunction with the student payroll system
2024 Application Timeline
- Apply on Handshake by Feb. 22 at 4:30pm
- Emails requesting an interview will be sent Feb. 26
- Interviews will take place Feb. 27-29
- Offers will be sent via email on March 1 after 12pm
Questions? Email camps@winona.edu or call 507.457.5309.