What is an 'RA' or 'Resident Assistant'?

What is an 'RA' or 'Resident Assistant'?

An RA is sometimes referred to as a CA, and sometimes as many other things that I really can't mention here. They've been called a lot of names, but helpful is often the most common one. A Resident Assistant or Resident Advisor or CA, Community Advisor, are people who actually live on the floors of the students and the residence halls. Sometimes they don't actually live on that floor. There's maybe one RA for every two floors, or sometimes one for every building. The RA is really that person that is - I like to refer to them as a concierge at a hotel - going to point people to the resources on campus to help them to find whatever it is they need. They're also going to help take care of their safety issues, so they are almost like a flight attendant, too. That's a flight attendant's primary job, not just serving drinks and peanuts, although it's hard to find nuts on a lot of planes now which is insane. They are there to make sure your safety is secure. Also, they deal with room-mate situations. They deal with the emotional dynamics, so an RA is really - I wouldn't say a parent, but someone who protects you and should nurture the floor and help to create a sense of community. If you ever have any questions, you should be comfortable enough to approach your RA.