Have you ever wondered what your residential assistant does, aside from hanging up crafty bulletin boards and crashing everyone’s fun on rounds? Being an RA at Loyola is a pretty big commitment, complete with two weeks of training before the semester begins and a week during winter break, various meetings with staff, conducting room inspections, and completing rounds about once a week. From my experience, students don’t utilize the resources RA’s can offer them, often skipping programs and avoiding voicing an opinion on what the RA can do to better serve the floor. Students should know that RA’s are here to help make their experience as great as possible, and they can be part of that process! If you want to know what your RA is equipped with handling and how we can make your experience at Loyola even better, here is what your RA can do:

We are trained for emergencies and any crises you may experience.

During summer and winter training, we go over protocol for handling emergencies and crises, like a student who needs mental health assistance or a sexual assault. Often protocol involves handing the reins over to our supervisors, but we can offer to check in on the student if they need some long-term assistance. We are private resources, so we can offer privacy with these issues, but we are not confidential since we may need to report these instances to our supervisors. Regardless, in any emergency, your RA is a capable resource to call!

We can also help you deal with other problems.

If your grades are starting to slip or you and your roommates can’t see eye to eye on how often to take out the trash, your RA is there to help! We have various resources at our disposal and can point you in the direction of services on campus. When I’ve had residents who can’t stop arguing, I’ve found that sitting with them as a mediator and trying to create a concrete plan for making their living situation most comfortable was really helpful. So if you’re struggling with something and you’re not sure where to turn, asking your RA for some direction can be a great step to solving your issue.

We are here to make your residence hall experience the most rewarding possible.

RAs are here for YOU! Want a specific program, like going to Skyzone or a certain movie night? Ask your RA! Have a big event coming up for your club and want to incite more people to attend? Your RA can share it with your residence hall! Are you really passionate about something, like volunteering for the York Road Initiative or serving at animal shelters? That’s another thing we can share with residents. That’s what your RA is here for—to incorporate your interests into our programs and events to maximize your experience in the resident halls and allow your community to foster a sense of belonging and connection. Please let them know what would best serve you, and we’re always happy to be a resource for our residents—after all, that is our job.