Student employment

For 2027-28 academic year applicants:

Late November - Application available

December 17 - Priority deadline for Assistant Hall Director applications

January 4 - Priority deadline for completed RA applications

Mid-January - Assistant Hall Director interviews

Early February – Interviews for new applicants

Prior to March 1 – Offer decision letters emailed

Resident Assistant Position Description

POSITION SUMMARY                 

Resident Assistants are an integral component to the success of Residence Life.  Resident Assistants have an enormous opportunity and responsibility to enhance the experience our residents have living on campus and attending UW-La Crosse.  The Resident Assistant is primarily responsible for a group of students living in their community but also for the greater student population living in the residence hall.  The Resident Assistant works to develop living environments to enhance the academic mission of UWL through creating inclusive communities, supporting experiential learning, and building meaningful relationships.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

(1) General Student Staff Responsibilities

1. Uphold the standards outlined in the Student Staff Employment Agreement.
2. Be familiar with and understand the Mission and Guiding Principles of Residence Life.
3. Actively engage with and participate in activities surrounding civil discourse, belonging, social justice, equity, and inclusion.
4. Know, understand, and be prepared to reference resource materials available to you in your position through training.
5. Maintain a professional manner and positive attitude while serving as a university employee and representative of Residence Life both on and off campus.
6. Be present in your respective residence hall and be available to residents.
7. Facilitate open and honest communication with all residents, student staff and professional staff.
8. Problem solve and use critical thinking to find solutions to issues in your position.
9. Participate in orientation, online Canvas modules, fall training, and departmental trainings throughout the year.
10. First Year Staff - Enroll and fulfill the requirements of the UWL 260 Staff Class.

(2) Community Development

1. Establish fulfilling relationships with residents in your community.
   • Invest in each resident.
   • Be available daily to meet and socialize with residents.
   • Spend time informally visiting your residents each week.
2. Implement a community development model as outlined by Residence Life Professional Staff.
   • Assist residents in adjusting to college and gain a sense of belonging.
   • Design events that provide opportunities for residents to engage with others, have fun, and make memories.
   • Hold periodic community meetings to create interaction, discuss community initiatives and issues as well as educate on policies, university break procedures and year end closing.
   • Disseminate knowledge to assist students with successfully navigating campus resources.
   • Assist residents in maintaining a positive roommate relationship and mediate roommate conflicts as necessary.
   • Promote educational and social events and initiatives that are occurring on campus. Encourage residents to attend campus events surrounding experiential learning, leadership, civil discourse, belonging, social justice and inclusion
   • Attend and assist with CORE Team events and initiatives.
   • Support Residence Life events and other collaborative initiatives with campus partners.
   • Access and respond to needs and ideas of those in your community; engage and empower residents to contribute.
3. Resident Assistants are required to work the Residence Hall Front Desk until Desk Assistants can be hired.  In addition, RAs can choose to continue to work the Front Desk in their assigned building up to 4 hours per week.  In doing so:
   • Contribute to the atmosphere of the front desk and lobby; creating a positive impression for residents and guests; that helps shape community and relationships in the building.    
   • Be approachable and engage with each person that comes through the lobby.  Be a resource to students; as well as maintain safety and security as issues arise.
   • Ensure systems of service at the Front Desk are delivered in an organized, efficient, and effective manner.

(3) Team Collaboration and Support

1. Attend and be an active participant in all staff meetings (Tuesdays 8pm – 10pm).
2. Develop and cultivate an understanding of the various working styles, strengths, and personalities of your teammates to maximize effectiveness and productivity.
3. Engage in team development opportunities.
4. Work through conflict with teammates as they occur.
5. Develop and maintain a working relationship with your supervisor. Student Staff must be able to work with, take direction from, meet with, and have ongoing dialogue with their supervisor. 

(4) Safety and Security

1. Promptly inform professional staff of concerning behavior with residents (issues, injuries, behavioral changes, mental health concerns, unknown whereabouts, etc.)
2. Utilize basic helping skills to assist residents with concerns and referring them to campus resources.
3. Shared responsibility of duty nights and hall security:
   • Remain in your assigned residence hall throughout the duration of your duty time and be present, visible and available to residents.    
   • General duty guidelines include the following: conducting thorough duty rounds, positively interacting with residents, checking entry doors to ensure they are locking, observing facility needs, documenting policy violations, responding to emergency situations, and completing a duty log each night.  (Additional duty guidelines are set at the discretion of Residence Life Professional Staff).
   • Student staff are expected to always respond to situations which require attention (addressing student behavior / facilities concerns) in any residence hall, regardless of location and if they are on duty or not.
4. Know, understand, and educate residents on Residence Life policies and procedures.
5. Respectfully enforce residence hall policies with the goals of altering behavior and deescalating situations.
6. Complete mandatory reporter & campus security authority trainings and follow through with expectations.
7. Report and respond to incidents of sexual misconduct while using an ethic of care for all impacted residents.
8. Report and respond to incidents of hate/bias while using an ethic of care for all impacted residents.
9. Respect and maintain the privacy of your residents while also sharing pertinent information with your supervisor.
10. Respond to emergencies and crisis situations providing support and resources to residents.
11. Contact the Hall Director on Duty and/or University Police in emergency situations and assist in maintaining order as needed.

(5) Facilities

1. Assist in maintaining a clean and visually appealing residence hall environment (pick up garbage, organize spaces, clean up vomit, etc.)
2. Complete work orders for facility issues in a timely manner.
3. Help build a positive relationship between residents and Custodial Staff.
4. Maintain appropriate use of building keys (retainers/building master) and report any lost keys immediately.
5. Thoroughly inspect rooms as residents move out and document damages.
6. Ability to infrequently lift items of 25lbs including cleaning equipment or other items as needed.

(6) Administrative Responsibilities

1. Be punctual and timely with assigned tasks and responsibilities.
2. Regularly monitor and respond to University email and Microsoft Teams communications in a timely manner. Student Staff are expected to remain informed of departmental announcements, schedule changes, and other job-related communications.
3. Complete required Incident Reports (IRs) by documenting incidents in an accurate, objective, and timely manner.
4. Assist Residence Life Professional Staff in room change logistics.
5. Ethically use university funds and follow university spending guidelines including Festival Food card purchases.
6. Support and participate in the evaluation of Residence Life Staff and department assessment initiatives including the annual Student Satisfaction Survey.
7. Complete additional projects and tasks assigned by supervisor.
8. Assist in the logistics of opening and closing the residence hall for the academic year and university breaks. This may include staying late and/or arriving early, as needed.

(7) Living Learning Community (LLC RA) Responsibilities (for those in this additional role)

1. Collaborate with LLC Coordinator and Campus Partners to plan events specific to the LLC community.
   • Be responsive to outreach from Campus Partners and LLC Coordinator.
   • Communicate event needs to LLC Coordinator and ask for additional assistance as needed.
2. Encourage residents to participate in the events developed specifically for their LLC.
3. Develop an LLC logo for memorabilia with resident input and engagement to help market the LLC and allow residents to have a souvenir from their time in the LLC.

Required Qualifications

Student Staff members are required to conduct scheduled duty rounds throughout assigned residence halls during designated duty shifts. These rounds require traversing multiple floors of the residence hall and may occur several times per shift.

In buildings without elevator access, Student Staff members must be able to access all residential floors using stairways. Staff are expected to respond in a timely manner to resident concerns, policy violations, lockout requests, wellness checks, maintenance issues, emergency situations, and other assigned responsibilities that may occur anywhere within the assigned residence hall.

During duty shifts, Student Staff members may be required to:

• Stand and/or walk for extended periods, up to 2–4 consecutive hours during rounds, programs, training sessions, incidents, or other assigned duties.
• Walk distances of up to 1mile during a shift, depending on building size and the number of incidents requiring response.
• Ascend and descend multiple flights of stairs repeatedly throughout a shift in buildings without elevator access.
• Infrequently carry, lift, push, or move materials weighing up to 25 pounds, including duty equipment, programming supplies, signage, and emergency response materials.
• Bend, stoop, kneel, reach, and maneuver through residential facilities as needed to perform assigned responsibilities.
• Respond to incidents and resident needs throughout the residence hall within established departmental response expectations.

Reasonable Accommodations 

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act, UWL endeavors to ensure that employees and students with qualifying disabilities have access to reasonable accommodations.  Workplace accommodations and housing accommodations have two separate processes.

Workplace Accommodations – Student employees should consult with Human Resources if they would like to know more about the workplace accommodations process (i.e. modifications or changes to job responsibilities).

Housing Accommodations – Student employees seeking housing accommodations (i.e., air condition, emotional support animals, furniture modification, or room placement) should contact the UWL Disability Resource Center approval process.

Assistant Hall Director Position Description

POSITION SUMMARY                                                                                      

The Assistant Hall Director position is a significant leadership opportunity in Residence Life, providing instrumental support to Desk Assistants, CORE Team, Resident Assistants and Professional Staff.  This position is aimed at providing additional personal growth and professional development for individuals with previous Resident Assistant experience, who are ready to take on additional responsibility and leadership in a residence hall.  Assistant Hall Directors work collaboratively with Professional Staff.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

(1) General Student Staff Responsibilities

1. Uphold the standards outlined in the Student Staff Employment Agreement.
2. Be familiar with and understand the Mission and Guiding Principles of Residence Life.
3. Actively engage with and participate in activities surrounding civil discourse, belonging, social justice, equity, and inclusion.
4. Know, understand, and be prepared to reference resource materials available to you in your position through training.
5. Maintain a professional manner and positive attitude while serving as a university employee and representative of Residence Life both on and off campus.
6. Be present in your respective residence hall and be available to residents.
7. Facilitate open and honest communication with all residents, student staff and professional staff.
8. Problem solve and use critical thinking to find solutions to issues in your position.
9. Participate in orientation, online Canvas modules, fall training, and departmental trainings throughout the year.

(2) Student Staff Support and Development

1. Assist in initial and ongoing training for Resident Assistants.
2. Attend and assist with facilitating staff meetings (Tuesdays 8pm – 10pm).
3. Develop and cultivate an understanding of the various working styles, strengths, and personalities of your teammates to maximize effectiveness and productivity.
4. Create developments and facilitate dialogue in staff team meetings including discussions surrounding civil discourse, social justice, inclusion and intersecting identities. Create a system for everyone on staff to facilitate, allowing for practice in preparation for leading these activities with residents.   
5. Work through conflict with teammates as they occur.
6. Develop and maintain a working relationship with your supervisor. Assistant Hall Directors must be able to work with, take direction from, meet with, and have ongoing dialogue with their supervisor. 
7. Serve as a liaison between Resident Assistants and CORE Team.

(3) Desk Operations

1. Provide a vision and leadership for desk operations within the Residence Hall.
2. Create an engaging atmosphere at the front desk and lobby that has a positive impression for residents and guests that helps shape community and relationships in the building.    
3. Train Resident Assistants and Desk Assistants to be approachable and engage with each person that comes through the lobby so that they are a resource to residents; as well as maintain safety and security as issues arise.
4. Ensure equipment and services at the Front Desk are organized and can be executed by Desk Staff in an efficient manner.
5. Empower Desk Staff to be make decisions, problem solve and be creative within their position.   
6. Develop a weekly schedule for front desk hours with Resident Assistants and Desk Assistants. Create a contingency plan for when staff are absent and implement coverage so the front desk continues with normal operating hours.

(4) CORE Team Advising

1. Serve as primary advisor to the Community of Residential Engagement Team known as CORE Team.
2. Promote and recruit CORE Team to residence hall students.
3. Create orientation and training for CORE Team.
4. Convene and advise regular CORE Team meetings and create opportunities for leadership and team development.
5. Disseminate knowledge of campus resources, policies and procedures to residents to assist with their initiatives.
6. Assist CORE Team in organizing and implementing events for residents.
7. Support Residence Life events and other collaborative initiatives with campus partners.

(5) Community Development

1. Establish relationships with residents and encourage student interaction to develop interpersonal relationships.
2. Implement a community development model in cooperation with Residence Life Professional Staff.
3. Collaborate with campus partners to share resources, information and opportunities to residents.

(6) Safety and Security

1. Promptly inform professional staff of concerning behavior with residents (issues, injuries, behavioral changes, mental health concerns, unknown whereabouts, etc.)
2. Utilize basic helping skills to assist residents with concerns and referring them to campus resources.
3. Shared responsibility of duty nights and hall security:
   • Remain in your assigned residence hall throughout the duration of your duty time and be present, visible and available to residents.
   • General duty guidelines include the following: conducting thorough duty rounds, positively interacting with residents, checking entry doors to ensure they are locking, observing facility needs, documenting policy violations, responding to emergency situations, and completing a duty log each night.  (Additional duty guidelines are set at the discretion of Residence Life Professional Staff).
   • Student staff are expected to always respond to situations which require attention (addressing student behavior / facilities concerns) in any residence hall, regardless of location and if they are on duty or not.
4. Know, understand, and educate residents on Residence Life policies and procedures.
5. Respectfully enforce residence hall policies with the goals of altering behavior and deescalating situations.
6. Complete mandatory reporter & campus security authority trainings and follow through with expectations.
7. Report and respond to incidents of sexual misconduct while using an ethic of care for all impacted residents.
8. Report and respond to incidents of hate/bias while using an ethic of care for all impacted residents.
9. Respect and maintain the privacy of residents while also sharing pertinent information with your supervisor.
10. Respond to emergencies and crisis situations providing support and resources to Resident Assistants and residents.
11. Contact the Hall Director on Duty and/or University Police in emergency situations.

(7) Facilities

1. Assist in maintaining a clean and visually appealing residence hall environment (pick up garbage, organize spaces, clean up vomit, etc.)
2. Complete work orders for facility issues in a timely manner.
3. Help build a positive relationship between residents, Resident Assistants and Custodial Staff.
4. Assist supervisor in responsibility for the proper security of building keys and report any lost keys immediately.
5. Thoroughly inspect rooms as residents move out and document damages.
6. Ability to infrequently lift items of 25lbs including cleaning equipment or other items as needed.

(8) Administrative Responsibilities

1. Assist supervisor with administrative tasks and projects in the daily operation of the residence hall.
2. Regularly monitor and respond to University email and Microsoft Teams communications in a timely manner. Student Staff are expected to remain informed of departmental announcements, schedule changes, and other job-related communications.
3. Be punctual and timely with assigned tasks and responsibilities.
4. Complete required Incident Reports (IRs) by documenting incidents in an accurate, objective, and timely manner.
5. Have regular meetings with supervisor to plan staff meetings and discuss building issues and initiatives.
6. Assist with the logistics of opening and closing the residence hall each semester and designated breaks.
7. Assist supervisor in helping to facilitate room changes.
8. Ethically use university funds and follow university spending guidelines including Festival Food card purchases.
9. Support and participate in the evaluation of Residence Life Staff and department assessment initiatives including the annual Student Satisfaction Survey.
10. Act in supervisor’s absence under the guidance of a Associate Director of Residence Life. 

Required Qualifications

Student Staff members are required to conduct scheduled duty rounds throughout assigned residence halls during designated duty shifts. These rounds require traversing multiple floors of the residence hall and may occur several times per shift.

In buildings without elevator access, Student Staff members must be able to access all residential floors using stairways. Staff are expected to respond in a timely manner to resident concerns, policy violations, lockout requests, wellness checks, maintenance issues, emergency situations, and other assigned responsibilities that may occur anywhere within the assigned residence hall.

During duty shifts, Student Staff members may be required to:

• Stand and/or walk for extended periods, up to 2–4 consecutive hours during rounds, programs, training sessions, incidents, or other assigned duties.
• Walk distances of up to 1mile during a shift, depending on building size and the number of incidents requiring response.
• Ascend and descend multiple flights of stairs repeatedly throughout a shift in buildings without elevator access.
• Infrequently carry, lift, push, or move materials weighing up to 25 pounds, including duty equipment, programming supplies, signage, and emergency response materials.
• Bend, stoop, kneel, reach, and maneuver through residential facilities as needed to perform assigned responsibilities.
• Respond to incidents and resident needs throughout the residence hall within established departmental response expectations.

Reasonable Accommodations 

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act, UWL endeavors to ensure that employees and students with qualifying disabilities have access to reasonable accommodations.  Workplace accommodations and housing accommodations have two separate processes.

Workplace Accommodations – Student employees should consult with Human Resources if they would like to know more about the workplace accommodations process (i.e. modifications or changes to job responsibilities).

Housing Accommodations – Student employees seeking housing accommodations (i.e., air condition, emotional support animals, furniture modification, or room placement) should contact the UWL Disability Resource Center approval process.

New applicants should complete the general application. (Available in late November.)

Applicants interested in being considered for any spring 2027 vacancies should complete the same application. Spring 2027 interest can be indicated on the application. These vacancies are limited and currently unknown.

Once the online application is complete, applicants will receive an email with instructions on completing an essay/video prompt based upon the positions applied for.

Based upon submitted materials, some applicants will be invited to participate in in-person interviews in early February.

Current or former Student Staff should complete the general application. (Application available late November.)

Once the application is completed, applicants will be sent an email with further instructions based upon the positions they are interested in.

Those interested in Assistant Hall Director Positions will be asked to schedule a virtual interview with 2 Hall Directors. Priority deadline for Assistant Hall Director applicants is December 17, 2026.

Applications for the 2026-27 Academic Year are closed.  Speak with your Hall Director if interested.

For the 2025-26 academic year, Desk Assistants are paid $9 per hour.

To be eligible for a Desk Assistant position, you must be living in the residence hall for the academic year in which you apply. DAs will also need to pass a Criminal Background Check (CBC) that is conducted through our Human Resources Department at UWL. You can find more information about student employment on the Human Resources website.

For the 2026-27 academic year:

• Applications for the Desk Assistant position are due August 15, 2026.
• Interviews will take place, virtually, the week of August 17, 2026.
• If chosen to take part in an interview, applicants will be contacted by their Hall Director and Assistant Hall Director via their UWL email during the week of August 17, 2026.  
• Anticipated start date for the DA position is between September 14-18, 2026 dependent on successful CBC, HR paperwork completion, and DA training.

Typical scheduled hours will be between 7am - 4pm, Monday-Friday.

Custodial Assistants are paid an hourly rate of $11.

Custodial Assistants may live on or off campus.

• Cleaning resident rooms and public areas including restrooms - includes dusting, mopping, washing walls, waxing floors, wiping down furniture, etc.
• Moving of furnishings/equipment/supplies between halls, within the hall, to-from Facilities Management, including loading and unloading vehicles and trailers
• Operating equipment: carpet extractors, floor scrub machine, wet/dry vacuum
• Upkeep and minor repair of custodial equipment
• Performing minor maintenance including replacement of burned-out light bulbs, unclogging drains
• Trash removal
• Cleaning appliances, including refrigerators and ovens/stoves
• Complete daily work assignments and any other duties given by the Supervisor and/or Office of Residence Life Professional Staff
• Participate in training

• Be able to repeatedly lift a minimum of 50 lbs.
• Be an enrolled student at a UW System school
• Exhibit a solid work ethic
• Be able to work well with other people
• Demonstrate ability to work independently of a supervisor
• Have general knowledge of Residence Life
• Possess good leadership, communication, organizational, and time management skills
• Preference will be given to applicants who have been previously employed by UWL Residence Life and remain in good standing as an employee.

Custodial Assistants will need to pass a Criminal Background Check (CBC) that is conducted through our Human Resources department at UWL. You can find more information about student employment on the Human Resources website.

Applications will be reviewed near the start of the academic year.  Interview offers will be extended at that time.

Completed applications will be reviewed as vacancies arise.  All applications are welcome and will be reviewed on an "as-needed" basis. 

Applicants should be attentive to their UWL email as an invitation to interview will be shared there based on application materials.