Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 48, No. 2 - 74

Quality of Life
their college career in the form of on-campus living. The housing department can
include, but is not limited to, the on-campus residence, student conduct, on-campus
dining, facilities, student government, campus television, and on-campus initiatives.
Campus housing has a mission statement that provides a framework for what the
department seeks to accomplish with its student population. These statements incorporate
an institution's core values for their students which can include professionalism,
personal growth, education, development, and inclusivity. While higher education
institutions vary greatly in size, demographics, and funding, the role of housing often
remains similar from campus to campus. Housing seeks to create a community that
embraces diversity and inclusiveness, as well as promoting learning and engaging
with others. This combination of educational and social aspects is what creates an
ever-changing duty that housing must meet (Kevany & Macmichael, 2014).
The facilitators of the residential life experience are generally employed students
called resident hall assistants or resident assistants. Both terms are used in the literature,
and for purposes of this research the term resident assistants will be used.
ROLE OF RESIDENT ASSISTANTS
Resident assistants are live-in staff who oversee a community that lives within a residence
hall on a college or university campus. The name of the position varies from
one institution to another: house fellows, resident assistants, dorm assistants, resident
mentors, community assistants, and others. All titles allude to the important roles
that RAs play within residence halls under the department of housing. At the college
in focus in this study, the RA's role is to uphold housing's mission statement, have
knowledge of resources on campus, hold administrative responsibility, be able to communicate
on multiple levels, be well educated on emergency procedures, and serve as
a role model.
The RA position at the national level often requires a set number of hours to be
scheduled and worked weekly, a designated minimum cumulative GPA, and for the
student to be registered at full-time status. RAs are typically encouraged not to be in
more than one varsity sport as it is expected that the position is the highest campus
priority for the student besides their academics. In 2012, the national average ratio
of residents to RAs was 37:1 (Stoner & Zhang, 2017), which means that one RA was
tasked with upholding their expectations to create an environment for 37 people to
come together and develop a community.
The complications and stresses of emerging adulthood
are compounded when the individual is still entrenched in
a history of personal trauma.
74 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 48, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 48, No. 2