University of Edinburgh Accommodation Services

Resident Assistant Application Packet 2016-2017

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Resident Assistant (RA). RAs are student leaders and if you are chosen to become a member of the Residence Life team you will have the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with your peers, your residents, and your supervisors. The RA role is extremely rewarding and a lot of fun, and requires you to have a high level of commitment and dedication.

This application pack has been designed to help you understand the recruitment process. Within this pack you will find:

 The Selection Process Timeline  Steps to Successfully Completing the RA Application Process  An explanation of what we are looking for in a candidate o Considerations for candidates o Qualifications  Compensation  The Post Description  Interview Tips

The application itself is made up of the essay questions and creative piece which can be found on page six of the pack, an application form, and two references (one for current/former employer and one for personal tutor/faculty member). All parts must be submitted by 17:00 on Thursday, 11 February 2016 in order for your application to be considered complete. Only applicants who have all parts submitted on time will be eligible to proceed in the process.

Please Note: Staff Induction activities will take place 2 September 2016 – 9 September 2016. The induction sessions are compulsory along with completing an online e-induction prior to the 2nd of September 2016. Therefore, applicants must be available to attend training sessions on all of these dates. Training days are usually 9am-5pm with some preparatory tasks and meetings with line managers on site in the evenings. Being onsite for the duration of Arrival Weekend on 10th and 11th September 2016 is also compulsory.

Please read the pack in its entirety. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask your Warden or a Residence Life Coordinator directly.

Thank you and good luck. We look forward to seeing you during the process!

Sincerely,

Eimear Karaś RLC [email protected]

The Selection Process Timeline 11 January 2016 Applications available

Information Sessions (ATTENDANCE AT ONE IS COMPULSORY) St. Leonard’s Hall, Pollock Halls of Residence @6pm Tuesday 2nd, Thursday 4th, Monday 8th, Wednesday 10th February 2016

Post Graduate Applicants are welcome to attend any of the info sessions listed above or: Tuesday, 26 April @ 6:00pm, St. Leonard’s Hall, Pollock Halls of Residence

**Candidates currently studying abroad or out with Edinburgh and therefore unable to attend the information session in person must note this on their application and contact [email protected] to request an online version of the information session. Those candidates selected for interview who are abroad will conduct interview via Skype**

Undergraduate (UG) Applicants 11 February Completed Applications due back to Residence Life

22 February - 4 March Individual Interviews for Undergraduate candidates

11-12 March Offer Letters Sent to Undergraduate candidates

Postgraduate (PG) Applicants 29 April Completed Applications due back to Residence Life

2-12 May Individual Interviews for Postgraduate Sites

16-17 May Offer Letters Sent to Postgraduate candidates

Check List to Successfully Complete the Undergraduate RA Application Process

□ Distribute the Reference Forms. These must be completed and returned to Residence Life no later than Thursday, 11th February 2016, by 17:00. For PG Applicants this date is Thursday, 29th April 2016, by 17:00.  One reference must come from a member of the teaching staff who can speak to your ability to balance this commitment with your academics. The second reference should be from a former employer who has observed your skills and work ethic.

□ Carefully read the general information page and the Position Description. □ Sign and date the application form. □ Type or print neatly in pen the answers to the essay questions on a separate piece of paper and hand them in with your application. □ Attend one of the compulsory information meetings. Failure to attend one of the information sessions will prevent you from proceeding through the application process. □ Before submitting your application, if you are currently living in our accommodation, you are required to have met with your Warden/Accommodation Manager to discuss the Resident Assistant role. Your Warden/Accommodation Manager will fill in a confirmation form with you during this meeting, which you should include with your application. □ Return the completed application via email to [email protected] or by post to Residence Life, The University of Edinburgh, St Leonard’s Hall, 18 Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh EH16 5AY no later than the specified deadline as listed above. The University of Edinburgh Resident Assistant

This past year, Residence Life at the University of Edinburgh has employed 190 students as Resident Assistants, working in 9 houses at Pollock Halls of Residence as well as 40 flat sites throughout the city of Edinburgh. The Resident Assistant’s primary mission is to be available in the halls and flats to assist and support other students. The main areas of responsibility are community building, event planning, emergency response, and administration. Please refer to the enclosed post description for detailed information.

Person Specification

Competencies are general descriptions of the abilities needed to perform a role in an organisation to a high standard.

As detailed in our “Living Our Values” guide there are three competency areas that have been identified as important to Residence Life:  Delivering Excellence  Working Positively  Supporting Others

Within these areas are specific skill sets and behaviours that we expect our Resident Assistant staff to demonstrate. These are listed in the chart below. Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate these skills and understand how these skills can be utilised in the RA post.

Competency Skills Delivering Excellence  Communication  Planning & Administrative  Problem Solving Working Positively  Teamwork  Desire to Constantly Learn Supporting Others  Community Development & Relationship Building

Professional Development Resident Assistants are provided with specific training throughout the year to make them more effective in the post as well as to promote opportunities for professional development. The Resident Assistant’s participation in September 2016 and January 2017 training, as well as bi-monthly in-service programs during the year, site wide event planning groups, and other learning opportunities are compulsory and are crucial to the smooth functioning of our residential sites. Other opportunities for development as a team member will be provided and participation in such opportunities is expected.

Qualifications Resident Assistants must:  Be a fully matriculated full time student at The University of Edinburgh  Have good disciplinary standing within Accommodation Services.  Inform your line manager of all significant time commitments (over 10 hours per week, jobs, societies, etc.).  Have lived in shared university accommodation at the university level, preferably at the University of Edinburgh. UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

ACCOMMODATION SERVICES

Application for Resident Assistant

Personal Details:

Prefix: Mr  Ms  Mx 

Surname:______First Name: ______

Matric Number:______Contact Telephone No:______

University of Edinburgh Student Email Address:______

If not a University of Edinburgh student yet, a current email address: ______

Current Semester Address (Edinburgh):______

Address for summer:______

Polo shirt size (to be used in the event of your application being successful):

 Small  Medium  Large  Extra Large  2X Large

For the Upcoming Academic Year:

 Undergraduate  Post Graduate

College: Humanities and Social Sciences Science & Engineering Med &Vet Med

Course:______

Year of Study (i.e. 2nd year UG; 3rd year Law) ______

Expected date of Graduation: ______

Will you be required to be away from your RA post during the academic year for longer than 4 weeks? (Ex: Placement, field trip, academic research, etc.) Yes  No  If yes please list details: ______

Sites for which you wish to be considered (Please select all that apply):

 Catered: Pollock Halls  Self-Catered: Houses and Flats Experience:

You must have experience in living in shared accommodation. It is preferred that this shared accommodation is at university level. Please list the details of your accommodation at the University of Edinburgh:

Session Accommodation 2015/2016 ______2014/2015 ______2013/2014 ______Other years ______

If you have lived in university accommodation at another university/college please provide those details:

University/College Date of Accommodation Address of Accommodation ______

Have you received residential disciplinary sanctions? Yes  No  If yes, please detail:______

Have you previously been employed by the University of Edinburgh? If so, please give details, dates, and reasons for leaving. ______

If you have had other positions of responsibility or experiences which you feel are relevant to this post, please give a brief outline of what this involved (you may also attach your CV to this application). ______

Where did you hear about this post?  Current Res Life Staff Member  CareersHub Who? ______ Accommodation Services Website  Posters  International Office  UoE Facebook Page  Other: ______Post Related Questions:

Please review the post description. Considering all that is expected of a person in this post answer question 1 and 2 from Section A, 1 question from Section B, and the required creative representation in Section C. Please complete on a separate piece of paper and submit with your application. Please type or neatly print in pen your answers. Responses should be a minimum of 175 words for each question.

Section A – Everyone must answer both Questions 1 and 2  Question 1: a) Please indicate what attracted you to this post? b) Do you have any concerns about the post?

 Question 2: a) Tell us what skills and attributes you would bring to the Resident Assistant position. b) What skills and experiences do you want to gain from the position?

Section B – Answer 1 of the following:  Question 3: a) Describe your experience working with a diverse group of people perhaps as a student leader or within a peer group. b) How might this translate to the RA position?

 Question 4: a) What is your vision of a residence hall/house/flat community? b) How would you, if hired, take an active role in developing that community?

Section C - REQUIRED

 Creative Piece- Select one of the following options to complete:

Option 1: Please compose a letter to introduce yourself to the residents. For this question, please assume all your residents are brand new to the University and in their first year of study. Include an introduction of yourself (your interests, passions, personality), an explanation of your role as an RA in your community, and any other information you think is important to communicate.

Option 2: One of the main aspects of an RA’s role is planning and organising events. Please describe an event you would like to host should be successful in this process. Tell us why that event would be beneficial to the resident community, describe the details of the event, detail what you would consider when planning, and design a poster that would attract residents to attend the event.

Interview Availability:

If your application meets the criteria of the Selection Committee you will be allocated an interview date and time. UG Interviews will take place 22 February – 4 March. For PG Applicants interviews will take place 2-10 May. If a candidate is currently abroad, interviews will be hosted via Skype video chat, we still need candidates to inform us of their availability – keeping in mind current time differences between locations. If you are interested in any post we will try to provide you with an interview at any time that fits your availability.

Please note, due to the number of candidates we host for interviews we cannot guarantee that you will have a time you mark, but we will do our best to offer candidates times they list as available. Interviews are generally 30 minutes long.

Please mark below the times you are NOT available for interview

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 09:15 10:00 10:45 11:15 12:00 13:00 13:45 14:30 15:15 16:00

17:30 18:15 19:00 19:45

References: All appointees are subject to reference checks. Can we approach your references prior to interview?  Yes  No

I declare that, to the best of my knowledge, the information given in this application is true and correct. I also state that my account with Accommodation Services is up to date. I understand and hereby agree that if I am appointed to the post of Resident Assistant it will be on the basis of this information and that a false statement may result in termination of that appointment.

Signature: ______Date:______

Closing Date for Application: UG – 11th February 2016. PG – 29th April 2016 Once complete please return this application to: Residence Life ‘RA Recruitment’ Pollock Halls of Residence 18 Holyrood Park Road Edinburgh EH16 5AY Or by e-mail to: [email protected] University of Edinburgh - Accommodation Services Personal Tutor Reference Request - Resident Assistant

Each applicant must have two (2) completed reference requests. One must be completed by an employer the other must be completed by a Personal Tutor/lecturer with knowledge of your academic achievement.

Referees, we would be grateful if you would provide a brief assessment of the applicants’ suitability for the post of Resident Assistant. We would ask you to return this form as soon as possible to the address below.

Name of Applicant: ______

Name of Referee:______

Post held: ______

For how long have you known the applicant?______

Capacity in which you have known the applicant  Personal Tutor  Faculty member Other ______

In the context of your knowledge of the candidate, please can you assess the applicant’s skills and knowledge in the following areas:

Excellent Good Fair Poor Ability to work as part of a team Communication and interpersonal skills Sense of responsibility and accountability Sense of commitment Problem solving abilities

Any other information you think relevant to the candidate’s suitability? ______

Signature:______Date:______

Once complete please return this reference form to: Residence Life ‘RA Recruitment’ 18 Holyrood Park Road Edinburgh EH16 5AY Or by e-mail to: [email protected] University of Edinburgh - Accommodation Services Former/Current Employer Reference Request - Resident Assistant

Each applicant must have two (2) completed reference requests. One must be completed by an employer the other must be completed by a Personal Tutor/lecturer with knowledge of your academic achievement.

Referees, we would be grateful if you would provide a brief assessment of the applicants’ suitability for the post of Resident Assistant. We would ask you to return this form as soon as possible to the address below.

Name of Applicant: ______

Name of Referee:______

Post held: ______

For how long have you known the applicant?______

Capacity in which you have known the applicant  A current  Previous employer  Other ______

Did the applicant perform his/her duties to your satisfaction during his/her employment with you? (PLEASE EXPAND IF NECESSARY)

Did the applicant relate well to colleagues? (PLEASE EXPAND IF NECESSARY)

Did the applicant present him/herself professionally in his/her working role? (PLEASE EXPAND IF NECESSARY)

Please identify any strengths that make the candidate particularly suitable for this position.

Please identify any significant weaknesses or areas for improvement of the candidates that would bear on this position.

Signature:______Date:______

Once complete please return this reference form to: Residence Life ‘RA Recruitment’ 18 Holyrood Park Road Edinburgh EH16 5AY Or by e-mail to: [email protected]