Senior Administrative Resident Assistant

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The Senior Administrative Resident Assistant (SARA) is a unique, live-in, student leadership position in the Department of Housing and Residence Life and is an important member of the Residence Life team.  The primary responsibility of the SARA is to help residents have a positive residence hall experience at Western Kentucky University.  

The SARA reports to and works in conjunction with the Residence Hall Director to carry out objectives, policies and procedures of Western Kentucky University, the Division of Student Affairs, and the Department of Housing and Residence Life.  

 

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1. SARAs must be at least a second year student at the time of employment.

2. SARAs must have had at least two semesters participating in residence hall living as a Resident Assistant.

3. SARAs must be a currently enrolled, full-time student. 

4. SARAs must possess a desire to work with individuals and groups in a residential setting.

5. SARAs must be in good academic and financial standing with the University and the Department.

6. SARAs must be in good disciplinary standing with the University and the Department

7. Under extremely rare circumstances, the Assistant Director of Residence Life may approve exceptions to the above qualifications.

 

Students must have a current FAFSA on file before beginning work for Housing & Residence Life.

Complete the FAFSA

 

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Performing Administrative Duties

1. Assist with the coordination and operation of a 24 hour customer service desk

2. Assist with the administrative operations of the residence hall related to occupancy, and the room change process

3. Administer desk operations including but not limited to payroll, scheduling, emergency coverage, key audits and necessary paperwork

4. Facilitate front desk and staff into creating a welcoming environment for all constituents entering the residence hall.

5. Other administrative responsibilities within the hall as assigned

6. Participate with the selection, training, co-supervision of desk staff in consultation with the Professional Staff.

7. Cultivate a positive attitude while performing administrative functions.

8. Practice customer service skills that will enhance the residential experience of residents.

9. Adopt a spirit of helpfulness while working the customer service desk with residents, visitors, faculty, staff, parents, and visitors.

10. Adopt effective time management skills to balance responsibilities associated with being a student and staff member.

11. Collect and submit required paperwork accurately and promptly to supervisors and Central Office staff when instructed to do so.

12. Meet all deadlines and fulfill all administrative duties.

13. Assist with room check-in and checkout procedures throughout the year.

14. Be accurate in recordkeeping, filing, etc.

15. Assist residents in submitting maintenance requests.

16. Communicate to residents the procedures for hall operations, visitation, ID policy, discipline, referrals, maintenance requests, etc.

17. Create and maintain attractive, informative, relevant, and up-to-date bulletin boards within common spaces

18. Assist the housekeeping staff with housekeeping issues by communicating with them and working collaboratively to keep the community clean.

19. Practice appropriate ethical behavior in accounting for, distributing, and using the Master key and residents’ room keys. 

 

Oversee the General Environment of the Building

1. Display a positive attitude and serve as a constructive role model for hall residents and staff.

2. Be in the hall and available during evening hours and weekends.

3. Be cognizant of happenings in the building and communicate them to the professional staff and other staff members.

4. Be aware of the physical condition of the floor and hall facilities, reporting concerns, damages, or problems to the hall professional staff.

5. Be familiar with emergency procedures in order to deal with situations in a timely, efficient, and effective manner.

6. Be a communication link between residents and the Department of Housing and Residence Life.

 

Upholding and Enforcing University and Residence Life’s Policies and Procedures

1. Maintain a positive attitude concerning the Department’s policies and procedures

2. Uphold the Department’s policies and procedures.

3. Develop awareness about policy rationale and communicate this knowledge to residents.

4. Practice consistency in policy enforcement.

5. Confront policy violations on the floor, in the hall, around the hall, and during residence hall events.

6. Consult with the professional staff concerning policy violations and to resolve issues associated with policy violations.

7. Maintain accurate records (i.e., incident reports) regarding policy violations and work closely with the hall’s professional staff to communicate actions taken.

8. Maintain confidentiality concerning policy violation resolution.

9. Serve as a resource for residents providing rationale for hall and department policy rationale.

 

Training, Meetings, and Duty Responsibilities

1. Attend weekly staff meetings, training sessions, monthly in-service sessions, and 1-on-1 meetings with supervisors.

2. Share responsibility for being on-call on a rotating basis during the appropriate weekday and on-call weekend. 

3. Serve as the on-call person and complete rounds during fall, spring, and winter breaks (if scheduled). 

4. Assist the professional staff with hall openings and closings and during officially scheduled breaks.

5. Respond to crises and emergencies as directed in established protocols or as directed by supervisors or the Central office staff

 

Communication with Professional Staff and Other Student Staff Members

1. Create a positive, effective working relationship with supervisors and other student staff members both in and outside of the working environment.

2. When appropriate, communicate information with other staff members about the floor/wing related to the environment, programmatic initiatives, student leadership, and behavioral issues.

3. When appropriate, share formation with other University officials about the floor/wing related to the environment, programmatic initiatives, student leadership, and behavioral issues.

4. Actively participate in regularly scheduled meetings outlined previously.

5. Perform other duties as necessary or assigned by supervisors or the Central Office staff.