Resident assistant

A resident assistant (also variously known as a resident advisor, community assistant, resident mentor, residence don, peer advisor, community advisor, collegiate fellow, or senior resident), commonly shortened to RA, is a trained peer leader who supervises those living in a residence hall or group housing facility. The majority of RAs work at colleges, universities, or residential mental health and substance abuse facilities.

An RA has many roles and responsibilities, including, but not limited to, building a residential community through programming, acting as a para-counselor for students, being a familiar first resource for students with academic or institutional questions, and enforcing residence policies. Typically, but not exclusively, the RA goes through a rigorous training process. An RA must balance his/her own schedule and priorities with the needs of the students he/she is supporting. Above all, a resident assistant must be an example and uphold professional and personal accountability as outlined by the institution.