Resident Advisors

Resident advisors (RAs) are student leaders who live on every floor in SPU residence halls and in campus apartments. Important members of a residence hall or apartment, RAs demonstrate a diverse set of skills, including sensitivity, self-discipline, and integrity.

  • About 40 SPU resident advisors are chosen during Spring Quarter each year.
  • RAs receive a scholarship equal to the cost of their room and board. 
  • RAs living in residence halls reside in designated rooms but do not have roommates. The RAs who live in SPU apartments can have a roommate, but it’s not required.

Check out this video highlighting a few of the small, meaningful moments in the lives of our SPU RAs.

Ongoing support and training

  • After being chosen during Spring Quarter, RAs engage in two training workshops during Spring Quarter.
  • In the fall, RAs arrive on campus for training during the second, third, and fourth weeks of September.
  •  After September, RAs participate in an Autumn Quarter class.
  • RAs meet weekly with their building/area staff team.
  • They also meet regularly for one-on-one supervision and support with their supervising residence life coordinator (RLC) or area coordinator (AC).

Applying to become an RA

To be considered for the RA position, you must:

  • Have a commitment to Christian faith and values.
  • Have at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA.
  • Be a full-time student (at least 12 credits per quarter) and plan to be enrolled for the upcoming academic year.
  • Participate in RA training without any other outside commitments during that time. 
  • Complete a Resident Advisor application, and the two required RA references by Monday, Jan. 27.

Additional preferred qualifications

  • Junior or senior status at the time of employment.

RA application

To apply to be a resident advisor:

RA applications for the 2025–26 academic year are now closed.

Questions?

Learn more on this page of RA Frequently Asked Questions. Or contact BeAnRA@spu.edu for more information.

SPU students on campus

Effective RAs demonstrate:

  • Sensitivity: An awareness of and respect for the feelings and ideas of others.
  • Integrity: An honest and forthright attitude about oneself and one’s responsibilities.
  • Genuineness: Trustworthiness, consistency, and honesty in relationships, demonstrating to students that they will be treated fairly.
  • Flexibility: An ability to adapt gracefully to a variety of situations and personalities.
  • Commitment: A willingness to invest time, skills, and passion in this work.
  • Teachability: A willingness to learn new behaviors and information essential to RA responsibilities.
  • Self-discipline: The ability to manage one's own life and responsibilities, remaining reliable with respect to commitments and responsibilities.
  • Respect for authority: The willingness to act as an agent of the University, working cooperatively with the appropriate supervisory authority.