Work for Residence Life

Resident Assistant Positions

The Office of Residence Life (ORL) is pleased to announce the availability of the application to fill any potential Resident Assistant vacancies for the upcoming 2020 – 2021 Academic Year. This packet will provide applicants with a comprehensive review of the selection process from start to finish.

In addition to assisting the selection committee with determining who should be hired, this process will also help applicants assess their strengths and areas of improvement. Applicants can use this process to paint the best picture possible of who they are and how they interact with others one-on-one and in group settings.

This packet contains:

  • This cover sheet which provides instructions for completing the application packet
  • One (1) Application (pdf)
  • The eight (8) criteria the committee will use to assess each application packet
  • One (1) Application Checklist 
  • Three (3) Reference Forms
  • The Resident Assistant Job Description 
  • The ORL Staff Conditions for Employment 
  • Tips for Success (for the applicant to keep)
  • The timeline for the Staff Selection Process 

To be eligible for an ORL position and accept the role, applicants must:

  • Possess a minimum 2.5 TERM and CUMULATIVE grade point average (GPA)
  • Be enrolled as a full-time student at Bowie State University for Fall of 2020 (proof of registration required)
  • Have lived within University Housing at BSU for at least one (1) full semester
  • Be in good judicial standing: Not found responsible for conduct matter within the past twelve months
  • Have no outstanding financial obligations to the university
  • Be available to return to campus as early as August 10, 2020 (confirmed dates to be announced)
  • Attend a Mandatory Resident Assistant Information Session advertised below, sign-in needed

Process Details

In order for the application packet to be considered complete, applicants must print, complete, and submit the materials listed below to ORL by 3:00 PM on March 3, 2020:

  • One completed ORL Staff Selection Application
  • One Unofficial BSU Transcript(can be downloaded from the applicant’s Bulldog account)
  • One 5” x 7” Colored Headshot with the applicant’s name printed on the back
  • Three completed Reference Forms

The Application

Applicants are  expected  to  proof  read  their applications  to  ensure  that  their  writing  is  legible  and  that  there  is  no  spelling, grammatical,  or  punctuation  errors. Applicants  must not  submit  materials  unrelated  to  the  application  packet  such  as resumes, folders, or covers.

Basic Timeline

View the application timeline

Reference Forms

Listed below are people applicants can distribute the three reference forms to:

  1. Their current RA – this is a mandatory requirement!
    1. Applicants who do not currently live on campus must include a reference form from a former RA.
  2. A Bowie State University administrator, faculty or staff member (Resident Directors (RDs) and Central Office Staff are prohibited from submitting references) and;
  3. Another current or former BSU RA, DA, CLA; a former BSU RD or; a Residence Life employee from another college or university.
    1. Applicants can also submit a reference from written by any professional staff member who has a clear understanding of what the RA, DA, CLA position at Bowie State entails.

Applicants must share the eight (8) criteria with reference writers who may be unfamiliar with the traits and characteristics Bowie State University ORL staff must possess. Applicants MUST print each reference form before distributing it to potential reference writers. Do  not  give  a  reference to  anyone  who  is  unwilling  to  write  comments in ALL sections of the form. We  encourage applicants to check regularly with references to ensure they are submitted on time.

ORL  will  not  accept  the  application  packet  if:

  1. the appropriate box on ALL reference forms is  not  checked  indicating  whether or not the applicant waives their right to read it prior to its submission;
  2. comments are not written for each section;
  3. a final overall rating is not provided or; d) the reference writer’s name is not clearly printed and signature provided on the specified line(s). 

Applicants will not be permitted to participate in the ORL Selection Process if they do not follow the instructions as outlined in this packet and submitted it,   in its entirety, by 3:00 PM on March 3, 2020.