Residence Life Graduate Assistantship
(in partnership with Whitworth University)
Department: Residence Life, Student Life
Volunteer period: 2-3 years, 10 months/year, starting August 2025 (includes Jan Term)
Compensation: $5,500 stipend, full tuition, room and meal plan
Hours: Not to exceed 20 hours per week
How to apply: Submit application materials to ehumphreys@whitworth.edu. Details below.
The Position:
The graduate assistant (GA) assists students in building a living-learning environment that contributes to their intellectual, interpersonal, physical and spiritual development. The GA has primary responsibility for building community, providing leadership and administration for Ballard and McMillan Hall. In addition, the GA will work with the residence life team to coordinate annual events (e.g., hiring resident assistants). The GA will be supervised by the associate dean of student life and serve as a member of the residence life team.
This is an unpaid volunteer position designed to offer valuable training and experience. GA volunteers will receive room and board, including utilities, a meal plan and a stipend of $5,500 (annual) to cover other living expenses. The stipend will be subject to FICA, Medicare and tax withholding. This position does not offer insurance coverage. It would be the responsibility of the GA to acquire their own insurance.
- Serve as a positive role model for resident assistants (RAs) and residents.
- Affirm the centrality and applicability of your Christian faith through behavior and expression of values and ideals, which are projections of that faith.
- Affirm the mission, goals and Christian heritage of Whitworth University.
- Demonstrate support for the philosophy of student life, the programs of residence life, and the regulations and ordinances directing community behavior and personal lifestyle.
- Demonstrate an able willingness to become personally involved with RAs, residents and their developmental tasks.
- Become involved in the student life program, Whitworth University, and the local Christian community through participation in task forces, social events, all-campus events and the local church.
- Serve as a leader to RAs and residents.
- Present experiences, training and information to RAs, which will promote their leadership skills, development and interpersonal competencies.
- Review RAs’ progress toward goals; provide support, guidance and redefinition of those goals.
- Meet with RAs individually and as a group each week. Disseminate information, provide training experiences, foster personal and professional growth, and develop a sense of team cohesiveness and vision. If applicable, meet regularly with members of the leadership working group.
- Provide guidance, support and information for RAs to fulfill their responsibilities.
- Maintain a visible presence in the living area.
- Serve as a member of the residence life team.
- Attend and participate in weekly residence life orientations, training sessions and meetings as convened by the associate dean of student life.
- Utilize RAs in the development and execution of programs.
- Raise awareness of university services and resources so that RAs can make referrals.
- Ensure that RAs and residents are aware of university and residence policies and that RAs are adequately informed and trained in the enforcement of these policies.
- Ensure that RAs are trained to respond to crisis situations.
- Develop, in cooperation with the associate dean of student life, specific goals and objectives to be achieved as part of the GA responsibilities.
- Serve as an administrator.
- Oversee the check-in/check-out procedures, including key handout and collection; assume ultimate responsibility for its accuracy and completion.
- Coordinate with the housing office room changes, occupancy and room assignments.
- Conduct routine inspections of the housing units under their care and promptly report damages and/or vandalism using work orders.
- Schedule, administrate and supervise evening program coverage and activities.
- Maintain knowledge of residence security systems (fire equipment, alarms, doors and locks) and verify their working condition through scheduled fire safety checks and inspection of doors, locks and fire extinguishers.
- Promptly report all maintenance needs.
- Participate in residence life staff and residence life program evaluations; complete evaluations, reports and forms as requested by the assistant dean for student life.
- Maintain records of staff performance.
- Observe all university policies related to conduct and confidentiality (i.e., Code of Ethics, FERPA, etc.)
To succeed in this role the candidate will need:
- Bachelor’s degree required. Undergraduate experience in residence life leadership preferred.
- Experience working with students from traditionally underrepresented identities.
- Some understanding of basic human development theory and its application to a residential setting.
- Competence in relational, interactive and confrontational skills.
- Ability to develop and/or utilize schedules, records, reports and forms to organize time, supervise staff and manage a residence facility.
- A significant amount of walking and climbing stairs is required for this position.
- A personal commitment to the Christian faith.
- Demonstrated awareness of and commitment to effectively addressing the unique needs and concerns of others from a variety of diverse backgrounds including those from underrepresented racial/ethnic populations.
- Demonstrated awareness and commitment to effectively establishing relationships and positive communications across multiple dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to race, gender, physical limitations, class or religious perspectives.
- A commitment to the educational mission of Whitworth as a Christian liberal-arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).
- Background check required.
- The offer is not complete until acceptance into a Whitworth University graduate program. Tuition will be covered for the program.
- Approved Whitworth graduate programs:
- Master of Arts in Teaching, Gifted Education & Equitable Instruction
- Master of Arts in Teaching, Special Education
- Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis
- Master of Arts in Administrative & Nonprofit Leadership
- Master of Education in Social Emotional Learning
- Master of Education in Teaching & Learning
- Master of Education in Montessori
- Master of Education in School Counseling
- Master of Education in Educational Administration
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Business Leadership (MBL)
- Master of Science in Financial Planning (MSFP)
If this sounds like the volunteer opportunity for you, please submit the following to ehumphreys@whitworth.edu:
- A letter of interest that relates your education and experience to the qualifications of the position
- Résumé
- The names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of three academic/professional references
- A one-page document describing your personal commitment to the Christian faith
- Responses to the application supplemental questions (below)
Whitworth complies with all federal, state and local nondiscrimination laws that are applicable to religious nonprofit institutions and does not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation or disability. With our commitment to building a diverse community, the university encourages applications from populations underrepresented at Whitworth including members of racial/ethnic communities, women and persons with disabilities.
Application supplemental questions:
Please answer and submit the following questions as a part of the GA application process. Use no more than 500 words per question.
- How has your prior experience with students who struggle academically and/or socially informed how you actively support those specific students? Please describe three examples.
- Please explain your personal philosophy of student development within a higher education setting. How do you believe personal growth happens for students while at university?