Community Assistant

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Job Description

The Community Assistant (CA) is an undergraduate member of the Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services Team. The Community Assistant is supervised by the Building Director. They are responsible for the development of responsible community membership among individuals of a residence hall wing, community, or series of suites within their hall.

The Community Assistant is responsible for overseeing the residents in areas related to community development, responsible community membership, programming, communication, intervention, and mediation, as well as, providing leadership to the entire hall when active in the duty rotation. The Community Assistant is a live-in, student employment position within the Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services Office.

The Community Assistant establishes a rapport with resident students and assists these students in the adjustment to community living and university life. They clearly communicate, implement and/or enforce University policies, and department procedures and are available to counsel, advise, and refer students as appropriate. They keep the Building Director informed of individual, wing, and hall happenings.

The Community Assistant participates in appropriate recruitment, selection, training, evaluation, and housing processes.

The Community Assistant, under the direction of the Building Director, develops and implements community-based programming which supports the academic mission and community development within the wing and hall.

The Community Assistant intervenes with students whose behaviors are not appropriate for the residential community. They report violations of federal, state, and/or local laws and infractions of the University Conduct Guidelines.

The Community Assistant is available to serve the residents. The Community Assistant participates in regular duty rotation from 7 pm until 7 am including weekday nights, weekend nights, openings, and closings. They are not to be gone from the hall for more than three days and/or evenings each week. A day is five or more hours and an evening is three or more hours. The Community Assistant is available to assume responsibilities in the event of emergencies. Fifty percent of the Community Assistant Staff will be available each weekend.

The Community Assistant is responsible to serve as a liaison with students, student staff, and professional staff within the Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services Office. They are responsible for communicating departmental processes, procedures, activities, programs, issues, and concerns between the office and students through regularly scheduled wing/suite meetings. They assist Hall Council in identifying and supporting wing representatives.

The Community Assistant pursues position development through attendance and participation in on-going orientation and training and weekly staff meetings.

The Community Assistant serves as a role model for students by managing a full academic schedule, personal development, and successful performance within the Community Assistant job.

The Community Assistant performs other duties as assigned.

CA Responsibilities

Academic and Staff Conduct
- Maintain a cumulative GPA each semester of a 2.25 or higher.
- Engage in behavior that is in line with the department's Mission, Vision, and Core Values and meets the expectations of the position.
- Remain in good judicial standing with the University.
- Refrain from making statements to the media that would reflect negatively on the department. Additionally, CAs will refrain from creating posts on the various social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) that would reflect negatively on the department or depict behaviors what would be unbecoming of a Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services staff member.
- Be enrolled full-time, maintaining academic progress (24 credits per academic year).
- Should a staff member be released from their position or should they resign, they will be reassigned to a room in a different hall.
Training and Staff Development
Fall
- Be present for Fall Student Staff Training starting in early-to-mid August
- Attend all sessions
- Complete all assigned tasks for opening
Online Training
- Complete Protection of Minors and Clery Training on D2L annually
Staff Selection
- Assist with staff recruitment efforts
Spring
- Be present for Student Staff Training starting in mid-January
- Attend all sessions
- Complete assigned tasks for Opening
Administrative
Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting:
- Instances are to be reported up and not out.
- All Residence Life staff members are to refer members of the press to University Relations and refrain from making statements.
- No member of the Residence Life staff is to use their title to endorse their personal opinions or beliefs.
- All members of the Residence Life office are Mandatory Reports and are required to bring forth any information pertaining to potential violations of law, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, domestic violence, etc.
- Meet all set deadlines
Documentation:
- Follow the appropriate protocol for documenting situations
- Complete Duty Log while on duty
- Utilize Information Reports when warranted
- Document situations on Housing Violations
Follow the Appropriate Protocol for:
- No Show Lists
- Fire Safety Inspections
- Check-In and Check-Out Procedures
- Openings and Closing of the Residence Halls
- Roommate Mediation
- Nightly Duty
- Policy Enforcement
Serve as a Resource for Residents:
- Answer questions
- Ensure the resident's understanding of University policies and procedures
- Be familiar with campus resources
- Serve as a liaison between the students and the Building Director
- Keep Building Director aware of any issues
Timecards:
- Ensure the accurate and timely completion of timecard each pay period
- Correct errors
- Turn in accurate timecard to ARD
Meetings:
- Attend and play an active role in the staff meeting each week
- Hold one posted office hour each week
- Meet bi-weekly with the Building Director
- Meet with residents- Each CA should be interacting with their residents regularly. However, they must hold a minimum of one scheduled 1:1 with each room, apartment, or suite per semester.
Assist with the Openings and Closings of Building:
- Complete Opening and Closing tasks
- Return early and stay late
Other Duties as Assigned
Community Development
Role Model:
- Be in good academic standing
- Abide by University policies and remain in good judicial standing
- Develop and maintain relationships with residents and University personnel
- Be familiar with campus resources and services
- Assist the residents in their understanding of campus policies and procedures
Build Relationships:
- Provide opportunities for residents to interact
- Assist in the development of healthy relationships
- Engage residents in activities that help them to feel part of the community
Promote Academic Success:
- Provide opportunities for the academic enrichment of resident students
- Make residents aware of the academic resources on campus
- Celebrate academic achievements
Programming:
- Evaluate the needs and interests of your residents in the area of programming
- Meet the requirements outlined in the programming model
- Support, promote, and attend other CA Programs, hall council, and campus events.
Crisis Management:
- Serve in an in-hall duty rotation
- Enforce University Policy
- Confront inappropriate behavior
- Assist the on call Head Staff Member and Public Safety with emergency situations when necessary
- Serve as a mandatory reporter
- Follow the appropriate protocol for documenting situations and behaviors
Hall Council:
- Assist in hall council recruitment
- Make your residents aware of hall council and its initiatives
- Promote hall council meetings and events
- Attend hall council meetings and events when you can
Wing Meetings:
- One wing meeting is to be held each month
- The provided topic points are to be covered each month
- There should be a community-building component to each meeting
Resident Meetings:
- Meet with residents- Each CA should be interacting with their residents regularly. However, they must hold a minimum of one scheduled 1:1 with each room, apartment, or suite per semester.
Roommate Mediation:
- Work with residents to understand and complete the roommate agreement
- Ensure that the students are aware of the protocol for mediations
- Follow the appropriate procedure for mediation when it is warranted
- Keep your Building Director aware of conflicts
Community Development Model:
- Meet the requirements outlined in the Community Development Model

Application Information

Minimum Position Requirements
- Paid Housing Application Fee for the application year
- Be in good judicial standing with KU
- Minimum Cumulative GPA of a 2.25
- Be at least a second semester student at the start of the Fall semester
Application Types
New Applicants:
- Complete a Community Assistant Application
Returning Applicants:
- Complete a Community Assistant Re-Application
Candidate/Applicant Definitions

A New Community Assistant Candidate is: Any first-time applicants, a Community Assistant that does not have a completed Community Assistant Evaluation from the Fall semester.

A Returning Community Assistant Candidate is: All applicants that served in the role of Community Assistant during the Fall semester and have a completed Community Assistant evaluation from that semester will fill out the Community Assistant Re-Application form.
Interview Information
Offer Letters

Position Compensation

The Community Assistant compensation package includes:

A room assignment in one of our residence halls (suite or traditional style at the cost of the lowest traditional hall double occupancy room rate [current rates can be found here])
A $6000 stipend for the length of the academic year (Stipend is divided and distributed on the Kutztown University student payroll schedule every two weeks during the days in which the student is contracted in the position)
$100 off a meal plan per semester ($100 in Flex per semester if the CA does not have a meal plan)
$100 retention bonus (must be hired by October 15, 2023 and finish contract through May 18, 2024)
Free Student Parking Pass
Early Class Registration
Contract length: one academic year (the Community Assistant contract begins in August and terminates at the close of finals in the Spring semester)

Any questions you have regarding Community Assistant Selection may be directed to any Building Director or the Residence Life, Housing, and Dining Services Office in 106 Old Main, 610-683-4027.