Department & RD Job Info

An RD’s job varies week to week depending on the needs of the students they supervise and oversee, and the buildings they are responsible for. RDs meet a considerable amount with students in 1:1 settings, participate in departmental meetings, and run their own staff meetings. RDs sit on various committees for the department (see committee question below), and lead various conduct and programming related efforts, as they relate to the area of campus they manage. Lastly, RDs have a significant amount of administrative tasks and responsibilities they complete in any given week.

RDs are not assigned to advise any student groups or organizations in the department; however, many RDs have advised student groups at the institution, and there are many opportunities to work closely with student staff members who represent the Residence Hall Association, the Social Justice Peer Educators, and Student Ministers.

Conduct is a centralized process through the Resolution Center for Student Conduct and Conflict. Residence Directors work three hours a week hearing and resolving conduct cases assigned to them by the Resolution Center. RDs typically meet with students for cases that occur within their own communities but may be asked to serve on cases that require the effort of multiple conduct officers.

Yes, RDs serve on one Committee a year. RDs also are assigned one Project per year. The department takes into account RD interest, skills, passions, and the investment of providing different professional experiences to that RD in order to make placements.

Committees

• Student Staff Selection
  • Core Responsibilities
    • Recruit and advertise HRL RA and SRA job postings
    • Design selection process for RA and SRA positions
    • Oversee/run selection process for RA & SRA positions
    • Collaborate with campus partners to ensure SM and SJPE positions are recruited and selected
  • 1 Residence Life Leadership Team Chair (Director or AD) & 4 Residence Directors
• Student Staff Training
  
  • Core Responsibilities
    • Oversee both Fall and Winter Student Staff training for RAs and SRAs
    • Design training schedules and identify content for training sessions
    • Coordinate logistics and supply needs for successful training
    • Oversee/run training sessions
    • Collaborate with campus partners to ensure SM and SJPE positions are trained and have training both from HRL and dedicated campus partners
  • 1 Residence Life Leadership Team Chair (Director or AD) & 4 Residence Directors

Projects

• Professional Staff Selection
  • Core Responsibilities
    • Support core work in RD & GA selection & hiring for RLIF (process overview, interviews, etc)
    • Serve on outside HRL department searches when other Student Affairs Offices request HRL representation
  • 1 Residence Life Leadership Team Chair (Director or AD) & 2 Residence Directors
• Recognition
  • Core Responsibilities
    • Student staff recognition initiatives
    • Professional staff recognition initiatives
  • 1 Residence Life Leadership Team Chair (Director or AD) & 2 Residence Directors
• Social Justice
  • Core Responsibilities
    • Coordinate Conscious Conversation series
    • Provide HRL connection/support for SJPEs
    • Plan/organize HRL Affinity Spaces
  • 1 Residence Life Leadership Team Chair (Director or AD) & 2 Residence Directors
• Professional Development
  • Core Responsibilities
    • Student staff Pro-Devo nights/sessions
    • "Series-On" Pro-Devo for HRL department
    • Periodic RLIF Pro-Devo as necessary/identified
  • 1 Residence Life Leadership Team Chair (Director or AD) & 2 Residence Directors

RDs supervise a Senior RA, 7-12 RAs and work with student staff members who serve in specialty roles, including Student Ministers, Social Justice Peer Educators, and RHA executives who lead the block councils for each area of campus. While RDs do not directly supervise specialty staff members, they meet regularly with these team members and actively provide performance feedback.

The on-call structure rotates amongst full-time RD staff and Assistant Directors. Residence Life On-call staff serve in the duty rotation during week and weekend shifts, with duty running either from Friday at 5:00 pm to Sunday at 5:00 pm (weekend duty), or Sunday at 5:00 pm to Friday at 5:00 pm (weekday duty). On average, each RLOC serves on both weekday and weekend duty 1-2 times a semester. On-call response is for all of campus and occurs over the entire year; therefore, there is always an RLOC on call for breaks, including holidays and other times when classes are not in session.

Summer work consists of completing departmental projects and preparing for the next academic year. Minimal summer housing occurs over the summer. Housing and Residence Life does not operate summer camps and conferences; however, one RD is charged with acting as the summer school RD, overseeing summer student housing.

We welcome candidates regardless of faith and spiritual identities. Furthermore, no statement of faith is required nor are students and staff required to attend mass or engage in other Catholic practices.

We are a values-based institution, and our mission guides our work. We exist in the Jesuit tradition, which tends to be on the liberal side of Catholic values. Prayers may be said prior to meetings, but staff are not required to actively engage.

RDs are charged with implementing the Gonzaga Residential Experience (GRX), which serves as the community development model. The GRX is focused primarily on Belonging, but four other foci are considered essential elements of a residential experience. These additional foci include the following:

• Academic Success
• Interculturality
• Jesuit Engagement
• Personal Growth

Living-learning Communities offer students additional programmatic experiences that are tailored to meet student interests and designated learning outcomes.

Housing and Residence Life is a key element of the Student Affairs strategic goal of creating an Integrated Jesuit Education.

We feel that this is an area of strength for our department. We routinely solicit feedback and involve staff members across the department—regardless of title—and take feedback into consideration when making decisions and beginning initiatives. RD and Graduate voices matter!

Each RD is housed in a one or two bedroom furnished apartment. While each apartment is unique, the majority have an in-unit washer and dryer.

There are not assigned spots for live-in staff. However, upon purchase of a parking pass, RDs are permitted to park nearly everywhere on-campus.