Become a student leader

Grow your skillset and become career-ready! Joining the student leadership team in Housing and Residential Life is a great opportunity to gain skills that future employers will want. 

Interested in becoming a Resident Assistant, Peer Academic Coach, or Student Success Intern? Please review the information for each separate position and complete the online application.

The deadline for 2025-26 applications is Friday, February 28 at 5:00 p.m.

2025-26 RA & PAC Application Opens February 3

Missed the application deadline? Apply to the continuous pool! Applications are accepted year-round. If a position opens during the school year, continuous pool applicants may be notified and invited for an interview.

Applications from applicants who were not selected are also automatically added into the continuous pool. Do not have to submit a Continuous Pool application if you were not originally selected from the academic year pool.

Continuous Pool Application

Stan State housing students

The Application Process

The online application packet includes:

  • Candidate Information
  • Application Prompts (short written response questions for every applicant and for each position)
  • Team Behavioral Guidelines

To be considered for a position, submit all application materials electronically and attend an Information Session.

Stan State student spinning wheel of prizes

Information Sessions

Attend an Information Session to learn more about each role, have your application questions answered, get assistance with your resume or upcoming interview, or find out how accepting an RA or PAC position affects financial aid. Attending an Info Session is a mandatory component of the application process in order to be considered. 

  • Tuesday, February 4: 12PM - 2PM
  • Wednesday, February 12: 1PM - 3PM
  • Thursday, February 20: 1PM - 3PM
  • Wednesday, February 26: 5PM - 7PM

All sessions will be held in the Housing Office Game Room. No RSVP is required. If you cannot make an Info Session due a schedule conflict, please email a Residential Education Coordinator (listed below) for instructions.

students standing together posing

Meet & Greet

Applicants who complete their application and attend an Information Session will be invited to a Housing Meet & Greet. This is a laid-back way for staff to get to know you and for you to interact with other candidates, so don't be afraid to show your personality and network. 

Stan State housing students

Candidate Interviews

Selected candidates will have an interview with members of the Housing and Residential Life team. Candidates will be notified following the meet-and-greet event if they have been selected to participate in the interview process.

Staff will schedule interview time(s) based on the position(s) for which a candidate applied and is eligible. If a candidate applies for multiple positions, they will complete one interview.

 

peer academic coach standing in front of students waving pom poms

Final Selections

After interviews are completed, all candidates will be notified with information about their status. Candidates who are offered a position will have one week to accept.

Have a question about the RA-PAC recruitment process? Check out this section for an answer!

If your question isn’t listed below, contact a Residential Education Coordinator for more information:

Additional Information

Can I apply for an RA or PAC position in the middle of the semester?
Yes. RA and PAC applications are accepted continuously throughout the year as we do occasionally have unexpected openings. While an opening is not guaranteed, we still encourage you to apply if you are interested in a position!

Can I apply for all positions?  
Yes. If you are interested and feel the positions are right for you, we encourage you to apply to the RA, PAC, and LLC PAC positions! Please review the GPA requirements for all positions. 

I am not yet a Stan State student. How can I apply for the RA or PAC positions?  
If you have yet to be admitted to Stan State for the upcoming semester and would like to apply to the RA or PAC positions, please contact one of the Residential Education Coordinators for more information.

Do I have to attend an Information Session?
Yes, in order to be considered for the position and move on to the Meet & Greet you must attend an Information Session. If you can't make a session, you must reach out to a Residential Education Coordinator for instructions.

If I have been documented for an incident, can I still apply to be a student leader?  
That depends. Students must be in good conduct standing with the University and Housing & Residential Life in order to become a RA or PAC. Good conduct standing means: you are not currently on deferred eviction status or evicted from Housing & Residential Life or currently suspended, expelled, on interim suspension, or university probation from the University. 

I’ve never lived in a residence hall. Can I still apply?  
Yes! We value the range of experiences our student leaders bring to the table. If you have not lived with us in the past, we encourage you to browse the Housing website to get a feel of our community, our mission, and the services we provide. 

If I’m not offered a position this year, can I apply again in the future?  
Yes! We encourage students to continue to stay active and involved while at Stan State. We want to see candidates grow and gain transferable skills as they make progress towards their degree. We may keep your application and interview materials on file in the event a position becomes available.

If I will not be available during the stated interview times should I apply?  
Yes, we will consider your extenuating circumstances should we have additional openings after the interview process. We can keep your application on file and may call you for a separate interview in the future, should an opening become available. 

What does the individual interview process entail?  
The interview is 45 minutes long and will allow you to demonstrate your strengths in a variety of contexts. The individual interview will allow you to talk individually with the Residential Life Professional Staff about the positions and to determine if the RA or PAC position would be a great fit for you.   

What should I do to prepare for the interview process?  
We recommend utilizing the Career and Professional Development Center for assistance with a resume, interview practice, professional etiquette, etc. They offer virtual services to Stan State students. Visit the Career Center website for helpful tips and tools. 

What is the difference between a RA and a PAC?  
RA responsibilities include building a positive, safe, and inclusive community in Housing through informal interactions with residents, social and educational programming, conflict resolution, and policy enforcement. 

PAC responsibilities include supporting residents with their academic endeavors, which includes providing residents with important academic oriented information, dates, and deadlines, navigating University academic processes, and offering one on one coaching. Living Learning Community PACs have additional responsibilities pertaining to the specific classes assigned to LLC residents.

Can I choose the Village/floor I want to be RA or PAC in?  
While it is possible for you to share your areas of interest in the application, those preferences are not guaranteed to be met. All RAs and PACs will be placed in either a Single Suite or Single Apartment.  You will have your own single bedroom within your assigned suite or apartment.

Will I have roommates as a RA or PAC?  
Yes, you will have roommates in your assigned suite or apartment. If selected as a team member, you can request one person who you would like to be placed in your assigned unit. This person must have a completed housing application in order for them to be placed with you.

When do I need to be back on campus for RA and PAC Training?  
Attendance for Summer RA and Academic Year RA/PAC Training is mandatory. Summer RA training occurs prior to the start of summer session, usually in late May. Academic Year RA/PAC training is about three weeks long and typically starts the last week of July.

How many hours should I dedicate to RA and PAC positions?  
The RA position takes up to approximately 15-18 hours per week, plus duty hours. The RA's position responsibilities include: weekly staff meetings, biweekly check-ins monthly resident and community meetings, resident interactions, various programming, administrative work, duty coverage, and various Housing events. 

The PAC position takes up approximately 10-12 hours per week. The PAC position responsibilities include weekly/biweekly meetings, monthly resident meetings, resident interactions, hosting study nights, administrative work, and various Housing events. 

The LLC PAC position takes up approximately 15-18 hours per week. The LLC PAC position responsibilities include weekly/biweekly meetings, collaborating with faculty, attendance of assigned LLC classes, participating in additional monthly programming and recruitment events, monthly resident meetings, resident interactions, hosting study nights, administrative work, and various Housing events. 

What is RA Duty like?  
Each RA typically has one weekday of duty each week, and one weekend of duty each month. Typically, an RA will be on duty for 7-8 days out of a month. RAs are not allowed to leave campus when they are on duty and must be available by phone and walkie talkie for the full duty shift. 

When on duty, RAs will have to complete rounds of the Housing community in the evenings and will have to respond to calls from residents for assistance. These calls may include lockouts, noise complaints, maintenance issues, or other resident concerns. 

If I become a RA, what holiday period will I have to be on duty?  
Each RA will have to cover one duty shift during one of the Holiday Breaks. This includes Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break. Each holiday shift is a period of 4-6 days. During summer training, RAs will sign up for the holiday shift they wish to cover duty. The Professional Staff team will work with the RAs to be as fair as possible with scheduling holiday duty coverage. 

Am I able to leave campus on the weekends?  
As a RA or PAC, you will be able to leave campus on weekends, unless you have been previously scheduled to work. While you are able to leave campus, we expect RAs and PACs to be in the community throughout the evening on a regular basis and remain on campus at least two of every four weekends. It is important that student leaders have a presence within the community and the Village.

What is the compensation for being an RA?  
RAs will receive in-kind support in the form of a single room in the hall of assignment, a meal plan through campus food services, and a parking pass. 

What is the compensation for being a PAC?  
PACs will receive in-kind support in the form of a rent reduction of a single room in the hall of assignment, a meal plan through campus food services, and a parking pass.

What is the compensation for being a SSI?
SSIs will receive in-kind support in the form of a single bedroom in the hall of assignment, a meal plan through campus food services, and a parking pass. SSIs will also earn $17/hour, 10-20 hours per week working in the Academic Hub. 

Will this affect my financial aid?  
Possibly. Per Financial Aid guidelines, your appointment will be reported to the University Financial Aid Office which could impact your expected cost of attendance.  With your in-kind compensation potentially affecting your offered Financial Aid for the academic year. We encourage you to consult with Financial Aid to address any concerns or changes that could occur. 

Can I hold another position on/off-campus if I am a RA or PAC?  
PACs and RAs can hold other part-time jobs while in their positions; the expectation is that hours worked at an additional on or off-campus job should not exceed 15 hours per week. If a PAC/RA chooses to have another job they must first get approval from their supervisor and they are still required to attend all job meetings and functions. An additional on or off-campus job cannot take priority over the Housing position.

Can I hold another position on/off-campus if I am a SSI?
It is not encouraged to hold other part-time jobs while in their position due to the high level of work and coupled with being a graduate student. If an SSI chooses to have another job they must first get approval from their supervisor and they are still required to attend all job meetings and functions. An additional on or off-campus job cannot take priority over the Housing position.

How many summer students will be on the floor I am assigned to?  
This can vary, depending on how many summer applications we receive. In past years, SRAs can have about 5-12 summer residents on their floors. 

What does duty looks like for the Summer RA role?   
Duty is an essential role of the Summer RA position. You will be assigned to a duty team of 2-3 and duty schedules for the entire summer are arranged at the start of the appointment.

Summer RAs are on duty for up to one full week (4PM-7:30AM, Mon-Sun) and typically have at least one week off before resuming duty. RAs are not allowed to leave campus between 4PM-7:30AM during the week they are on duty and must be available by phone and walkie talkie for the full duty shift. 

Am I permitted to take summer classes while in the Summer RA role?  
Yes! 

If I plan on being a RA, PAC, or LLC PAC in the Fall, am I able to be a Summer RA?  
Yes. We may need to shift some schedules around due to Fall training dates, but you will be able to be a Summer RA.

Will I be able to hold another job and be a SRA?  
Yes, as long as you are able to fulfill all your SRA commitments including connecting with your residents, serving on duty, and assisting with Open House/New Student Orientations. 

Will I be able to go off campus?  
Yes! As long as you are not scheduled for duty or other SRA commitments, you may be off campus. 

The Student Success Intern (SSI) position at Stan State is a graduate-level role designed to provide high-level academic support and mentorship to students in university housing. This role is ideal for graduate students looking to develop leadership, crisis management, and academic support skills while making a meaningful impact on student success. SSIs work closely with high-need students, facilitate programming for specialized student populations, and serve as mentors to Resident Assistants (RAs) and Peer Academic Coaches (PACs).

In addition to academic coaching, SSIs take on on-call responsibilities, providing critical decision-making, de-escalation, and support services for RAs handling student concerns outside regular business hours.

The role requires a commitment of 10-20 hours per week, plus duty shifts, making it a highly engaged and impactful position within the campus housing community. Duty shifts include being on-call two or more days per week and one to two weekends per month, requiring SSIs to remain within a 15-mile radius for rapid response. Additionally, SSIs are expected to cover approximately two holiday periods, such as Thanksgiving, Winter, or Spring Break, to ensure continuous student support.

While SSIs do have the flexibility to leave campus on free weekends, maintaining a strong presence in the campus community is encouraged. 

SSIs live on campus with fellow interns and must participate in training sessions that begin in late May and continue through the summer, aligning with RA and PAC training in late July.

 

Updated: January 30, 2025