Community Assistant

Overview of Position

students walking on campusEach Community Assistant plays an essential role in the success of NU’s residential communities. CAs are responsible for getting to know their residents and helping all residents get to know one another. CAs provide support, encouragement, and programs and services to engage and educate residents. CAs must be friendly, mature, responsible, and articulate. It is also important for CAs to exhibit a positive attitude and high level of personal integrity in order to serve as positive role models for their residents. In addition to their roles with residents, CAs must be comfortable interacting with University officials, faculty, parents and guests.

Formal Description

Three areas of responsibility for CAs:

  • Community Development: Plans activities, supports and/or advises hall government officers. Relevant experience: Community organizing, events planning, effective communication, mediation and negotiation.
  • Resident Education: Ensures residents are aware of and using university resources and are informed of university policies and procedures. Encourages social responsibility and healthy living. Relevant experience: Demontrated ability to be sensitive to others, persuasive, resourceful, engaging, self-motivated, and able to work well in teams.
  • Safety and Security: Responds to emergency situations and confronts and refers violations of university policy. Relevant experience: Demontrated ability in having sound judgment, analytical thinking, impartiality, composure under pressure, and respect for confidentiality.

NOTE: We understand that not every CA candidate will have experience in each of these areas. Residential Life encourages student to apply who demonstrate strong skills in some areas and are willing to develop the areas where they may not be as experienced. Our staff orientation and training programs and on-going staff supervision will assist CAs in strengthening their abilities in all areas.

Supervision Received

  • The CA reports directly to an Area Coordinator or Residence Hall Coordinator and indirectly to the Assistant Director of the area.

Dates of Employment

  • Position begins September 2012 and ends June 2013.

Compensation

  • Compensation includes room, board, and voice mail.

Application Process

Any new candidate wishing to apply for a CA position should refer to the application process for new community assistants.

Any current CA wishing to return as a CA for next year should refer to the application process for returning community assistants.