Resident Assistant (RA)
Frequently Asked Questions
If your question remains unanswered after reviewing the content below and the other pages about this selection process, including the selection timeline, please email raselect@usf.edu. A member of the Student Staff Selection Committee will respond to your email within approximately seven business days.
The responses to frequently asked questions reference the 2025-26 RA Agreement and 2025-26 CM Agreement. Please note that the 2026-27 Resident Assistant (RA) Agreement and 2026-27 Community Manager (CM) Agreement will change. However, the 2025-26 RA/CM Agreements provide candidate valuable insights into these positions.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
What is the minimum GPA needed to advance in the selection process for 2026-27 Resident Assistants (RAs) and Community Managers (CMs)?
To advance in the selection process, applicants must earn at least a 2.75 cumulative and term GPA at the conclusion of Fall 2025.
Note: To advance as a finalist and participate in a Workshop 91麻豆天美ek Session, you must also meet other minimum requirements as outlined in the application and this website.
Are informational sessions required to persist as a 2026-27 RA and/or CM candidate?
Yes! Full participation in the asynchronous informational session and the associated quiz is mandatory. To access this content, enroll in the associated Canvas course using . The module concludes with a quiz that must be completed. 91麻豆天美 strongly recommend completing this informational session prior to submitting your application as it will provide useful insights to inform your application! However, technically, this needs to be completed by Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
What happens during the Optional Question & Answer Session in October?
During this optional session, candidates benefit from the opportunity to connect online with members of the Student Staff Selection Committee and current RAs/CMs to ask questions about the positions and discuss strategies for success during the selection process.
These sessions will occur via Microsoft Teams and the link will be shared in the
How many points are the short answer questions worth? How many points is the Workshop 91麻豆天美ek worth? How many new RAs and CMs will you hire?
This selection process is not about numbers or competition. It鈥檚 an opportunity for candidates to learn valuable skills while putting their best foot forward. This is why the Student Staff Selection Committee hosts several different initiatives to support candidates. This support includes question and answer sessions, Canvas, this website, etc.
Furthermore, the points needed to advance as a finalist or secure a position will fluctuate depending on the number of applicants we receive that meet minimum qualifications.
Because of the reasons above, we don鈥檛 share details about the number of points allocated to the different components of the selection process. Points are relative depending on the size and quality of the applicant pool.
Finally, we don鈥檛 know how many new RAs and CMs we will hire. This number depends on the applicant pool and on occupancy during the 2026-27 academic year.
What if I am not available to participate in any of the Workshop 91麻豆天美ek Sessions in January? Will there be an alternate Workshop 91麻豆天美ek Session for those unavailable on these days?
Unfortunately, we don鈥檛 offer an alternate Workshop 91麻豆天美ek Session for any reason, including illness, study abroad, a significant life event, etc. Therefore, if you are unable to attend a Workshop 91麻豆天美ek Session, you will be disqualified from this selection process.
Justification for this is important: Maintaining the integrity of this search process is critical. In light of the fact that we don鈥檛 host traditional interviews for RA or CM applicants, interaction with other candidates and multiple staff members within Residential Education is a critical part of a Workshop 91麻豆天美ek Session. Therefore, it is not possible to consistently recreate the selection process for a few candidates.
I鈥檓 experiencing technological difficulties accessing the 2026-27 Resident Assistant and Community Manager Application via the Housing Portal. What are my next steps?
Within 24 hours of experiencing this technological difficulty, email raselect@usf.edu with details about the situation, including a screenshot of the error message you receive. Please ensure that this screenshot includes the date and time of this experienced technological difficulty on the screen. This way, we are able to verify that this error occurred prior to the application deadline of 91麻豆天美dnesday, November 5, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. If the date and time of your technical difficulty is not clearly displayed in your screenshot, we will not be able to verify that the error occurred before the deadline and therefore will not accept your application.
No late applications will be accepted for any reason, unless a candidate provides clear documentation of a technological difficulty prior to the application deadline.
If I preference one or more Residential Community Programs (RCPs), am I also eligible for an RA position outside of an RCP?
Yes! When you apply for an RCP RA position, you remain eligible for an RA position that supports non-RCP students. If you indicate that you are also applying for a CM position on your application, you are also eligible for a CM position, as long as you are a member of a fraternity or sorority that resides in Greek Village.
Am I able to preference more than three Residential Community Programs (RCPs) in my 2026-27 RA/CM Application?
No, you are not able to preference more than three RCPs in your application. Why? 91麻豆天美 want candidates to strategically select RCPs that align with their field of study, interests, or future career goals. It is essential that an RA feels connected to the RCP they support in order to maximize the learning that occurs in this specialized community. Therefore, we limit the number of RCPs a candidate is able to preference to ensure that they thoughtfully reflect on these choices.
What happens during a Workshop 91麻豆天美ek Session?
A Workshop 91麻豆天美ek session is Residential Education鈥檚 version of an interview. It is the final step of the selection process.
During a Workshop 91麻豆天美ek Session, you will facilitate one to three different activities that RAs and CMs implement in their daily work to support student success. More information about what to expect during Workshop 91麻豆天美ek sessions be available in January 2026 via Canvas. Additionally, we encourage you attend the optional question and answer session about Workshop 91麻豆天美ek in mid-January 2026. A link to join this Q&A can be found on the
If you advance as a finalist and are therefore invited to a Workshop 91麻豆天美ekend Session, this is a mandatory part of the selection process. As part of this invitation, we will provide resources to support you during this experience. However, we will not share every detail of the process as we also want to assess your ability to navigate ambiguity.
What if I am not available on the date of 2026-27 Residential Education Student Staff Kickoff. Will I be disqualified from the process because of this?
If you are offered a RA or CM position for the 2026-27 academic year, you are expected to attend the 2026-27 Residential Education Student Staff Kickoff. However, exceptions to this expectation are approved on a case-by-case basis because of extenuating circumstances only. If you are offered a position for the next academic year, you will receive more information about this event in February or March 2026.
The Position
What is the difference between an RA and a CM?
RAs live within traditional, suite, and apartment residential communities. Some RAs also support RCPs, which carry different responsibilities. Please review Section V of the 2025-26 RA Agreement for more information about the role of an RCP RA.
CMs live in the Greek Village and are traditionally affiliated with the fraternity or sorority that occupies the house. CMs play an important role in managing the occupancy of their house in collaboration with the Greek Village Residence Life Coordinator (RLC). Please review Section V of the 2025-26 CM Agreement for more information about this expectation. The Greek Village community is open year-round, which means CMs are expected to serve in an on-call capacity during university holidays and break periods.
All RAs and CMs support student success via implementation of the residential curriculum and by holding students accountable to university policies and procedures.
For more information about specifics, please review the 2025-26 RA Agreement and/or 2025-26 CM Agreement.
How are RAs and CMs compensated for their work?
In Residential Education, RAs and CMs are given the tools to be successful in their respective positions.
Living on campus is a condition of the RA and CM positions. Resultantly, RAs and CMs are assigned a rent-free room, which RAs and CMs must agree to live in as a condition of employment.
Resident Assistants also receive a partial meal plan. 2026-2027 RAs will receive $1,200 dining dollars per semester as their meal plan.
Community Managers are provided a bi-weekly stipend
Can this affect my financial aid or scholarship award? How?
If hired as an RA or CM, either position may impact your financial aid or scholarship award(s). Since every person鈥檚 situation is different, the Student Staff Selection Committee encourages candidates to contact Financial Aid Services at (813) 974-4700 to understand the position鈥檚 impact on their award before applying for the position and/or before accepting the position.
What are the dates for mandatory training during the 2026-27 academic year?
2026-27 RAs and CMs are required to attend and fully participate in the Fall 2026 Student Staff Leadership Institute (Training) and Spring 2027 Rejuvenation (Training).
The Fall 2026 Student Staff Leadership Institute is anticipated to begin on August 8, 2026 and continue through August 23, 2026. Spring 2027 Rejuvenation is anticipated to begin in January 2027, six or seven days before the start of the semester.
RAs and CMs are expected to hold the entirety of these training days and evenings for training and/or opening responsibilities. Exceptions to this expectation are not made for academic reasons, study abroad experiences, other employment opportunities, internships, other leadership opportunities, etc.
Can I hold an internship while serving as a 2026-27 RA or CM?
It depends! RAs and CMs can鈥檛 hold internships that interfere with their capacity to complete the responsibilities associated with the RA or CM position. RAs and CMs are unable to hold intensive internships.
An internship cannot interfere with the Fall 2026 Student Staff Leadership Institute (Training) or Spring 2027 Rejuvenation (Training) in any capacity. Internships also can鈥檛 interfere with opening, closing, implementation of the residential curriculum, student support, weekly meetings, on-call responsibilities, and other job responsibilities.
If hired, you will sign a 2026-27 RA/CM Agreement. In this agreement, outside commitments are defined as research assistantships, internships, extracurricular involvement, student organizations, practicum experiences, paid employment, etc. Outside involvement is limited to no more than twelve (12) hours per week, with no more than nine (9) hours of paid employment per week outside of the RA or CM position.
International students are typically unable to hold additional paid employment appointments, but are encouraged to consult their visa for more information. Outside commitments must be approved by a RA鈥檚 supervisor or CM鈥檚 supervisor prior to the start of these commitments and this supervisor approval may change throughout the academic year.