What We Do

If you are interested in applying for the RA or AIR positions, please apply at the Involved website. This year’s deadline is Wednesday, January 17th, 2024.

While both resident advisors (RAs) and advocates for inclusion in residence (AIRs) live in the residence halls, work to build safe, inclusive resident communities and act as resources for their peers, RAs also serve in the after-hours “on call” rotation to engage with residents and ensure safety in the residence hall. In addition, they organize and conduct small-floor and hall-wide community-building programs.

Though AIRs offer service and support to all residents in their assigned hall, they are specifically focused on those belonging to marginalized social identities in particular. An AIR works collaboratively to educate their residential community on issues of inclusion, social identity and social justice, both on large and small scales. In addition, they support RAs on issues of inclusion and residential climate.

AIRs work equally with Residence Life and Equity and Compliance to create a learning, living and working environment for RISD residents that is free of bias, discrimination and harassment. They do not serve in the on-call rotation.

Both positions require an average of 10–15 hours per week of active work. This includes:

• meetings with staff
• meetings with students
• program planning
• checking in with residents
• responding to emails
• (for RAs) serving in the on-call rotation

Some weeks you may work fewer than the average hours, others more. Both positions offer time flexibility, as you can fulfill most of your responsibilities at points in the week that work best for you and your residents.

Both RAs and AIRs are compensated in the form of a meal plan and a private residential room.

Yes. However, your other on- and off-campus jobs and official extracurricular activities cannot total more than 10 hours per week. You will need to speak to your supervisor about your other commitments and understand that your RA/AIR duties must be your top non-academic priority in terms of schedule.

You cannot study abroad during your first year in the role. After you complete the first year, you may work with your supervisor and Residence Life leadership to explore how to study abroad while remaining on staff.

Please note that approval of RA/AIR Wintersession travel courses is contingent on the number of staff interested in participating.

These are typically one-year appointments. We do offer flexibility in the event of a change in graduation date, leave of absence and similar circumstances. You’re expected to communicate with Residence Life if you foresee any issues affecting your RA/AIR appointment.

Most RA and AIR spaces are single occupancy. However, we do have some double spaces in our apartment residences in which case you and your partner could live together. RISD does offer gender-inclusive housing, and Residence Life does not restrict roommate pairings based on sex, gender identity or gender expression. Your partner would be responsible for their share of the space as with all double occupancy spaces.

Our office only honors requests made mutually by all parties. Be advised that we place RAs and AIRs in residences based on fit. We do not take partnership status into consideration. 

Yes, if your community placement allows. If you are placed in a community that requires you share accommodations, we will provide instructions on how to select your roommates.

No, we simply want candidates who value residential community and can speak to its importance at RISD.

Student Financial Services (SFS) notes that the estimated cost of housing and dining is included in your RISD cost of attendance (COA), which is equivalent, dollar for dollar, to your financial aid eligibility budget.

Federal regulations require RISD to remove the amount of your Residence Life student staff credit, dollar for dollar, from your COA when evaluating your eligibility for financial aid. Therefore, this may impact your RISD/federal financial aid.

It is your responsibility to ensure you understand any impact this waiver may have on your financial aid. You may email SFS to help you understand any such potential impacts this waiver may have on your individual aid package.

No. We take preference into consideration, but prioritize how we see you connecting with a specific residential community. We want you to succeed, so we play to your strengths.

No. You will only receive one offer from Residence Life for either the RA or AIR position, with a specific assigned community attached. If you decline your assignment, you effectively decline the position and remove yourself from the selection process.

If you are selected and need a specific accommodation (e.g., a kitchen free of specific allergens), you need to request a medical housing accommodation. To receive consideration for an RA/AIR placement accommodation, your medical housing request must be approved for the given academic year.

If you have a medical accommodation during the current academic year, you’ll still need to submit a request for the coming year. Please do so as soon as possible. If you have questions email Melynda Heying-McMahon, our associate director for housing operations.