Graduate Resident Advisor: Lawyers Club

INTRODUCTION

A Resident Advisor (RA) is one of the live-in student positions that make up ResStaff who work within the residential communities. One of the key responsibilities of a Resident Advisor is community building through intentional engagement with residents while maintaining safety and security for all. Community Building means getting to know residents well individually and collectively. This happens by investing time and energy to engage them through intentional in-person and virtual interactions and activities which help facilitate the development of positive and meaningful relationships. Resident Advisors should also build relationships with other ResStaff and full-time staff members in order to strengthen connections and a sense of belonging throughout the community.

The Lawyers Club is home for Michigan Law’s  J.D. (Juris Doctorate) students and those pursuing graduate law degrees of LLM and SJD.  J.D. students have achieved an undergraduate degree, and in many cases, graduate degrees in a wide variety of disciplines. LLM and SJD law students are often international scholars, sponsored by foreign governments/corporations, and most students have a two or more year work experience before attending Michigan Law. 

TIME COMMITMENT

Resident Advisors are expected to meet the expectations and responsibilities of the position through the time commitments listed below. Michigan Housing recognizes that Resident Advisors have other academic, personal, and professional time commitments as well. The Resident Advisor’s Program Manager is available to discuss strategies to help balance the Resident Advisor responsibilities with other time commitments as needed.  

• 20-hours-per-week commitment which includes but is not limited to:
  • Being a presence at Lawyers Club events 
  • Building connections with residents
  • Facilitating interactions and activities for and among residents
  • One-on-one or group check-in meetings with the Program Manager
  • Attendance and participation at weekly Monday night team meetings from 6 PM – 8 PM
• In addition to the 20 hours, the Resident Advisor participates in an on-call duty rotation to support the safety and security of community members. 
• Prior to the official start of classes and during the end of each semester, Resident Advisors can expect an additional time commitment devoted to both mandatory ResStaff Training and Student Move-in and Move-Out. This differs from the weekly 20-hour commitment when the school year begins.
• Commit to a nine-month appointment which begins in August. Resident Advisors will be required to be present during times which the community remains open to ensure resident and operational needs are met. 
  • Resident Advisors are permitted a total of 18 days away during the year. Days will be prorated should a Resident Advisor be offered a position after the initial start date. Resident Advisors are expected to work with their supervisor and colleagues to ensure appropriate coverage for their communities should they need to be away from the community. There will be peak times when time away requests will not be approved such as during large move-ins and mandatory training.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build connections, both individually and collectively, in the residential community.
• Demonstrate consistent availability and accessibility to residents. This includes meeting with and building connections among residents on a regular basis.
• Demonstrate a commitment to multiculturalism by striving to create an understanding and inclusive community where individuals have a sense of belonging.
• Collaborate with and support Transdisciplinary Fellows and Building Team members (full-time staff in the community) to build community and address concerns. 
• Assess and respond to the needs of residents through community engagement, connecting them to campus resources and informing the Leadership Team of residents’ needs.
• Respond to student concerns and critical incidents with a restorative approach while being supported by full-time staff (Leadership Team, Division of Public Safety and Security, etc.)
• Meet on-call responsibilities by serving in an on-call duty rotation as designated by the Program Manager. Duty hours are overnight.
• Maintain timely communication with full-time staff, community members, and other ResStaff and complete administrative responsibilities of the role within expected timeframes.
• Be present at and encourage residents to attend events that are coordinated to take place in the building in partnership with stakeholders including, but not limited to, the Law School, Alumni & Development, and Career Services.
• Maintain the Community Living Standards by addressing and documenting concerns, while modeling personal behavior that is consistent with the Community Living Standards, Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and all institutional, state and federal laws or guidance.
• Attend and participate in mandatory one-on-one meetings with supervisor and weekly team meetings which occur on Mondays from 6pm-8pm.
• Participate in August and January training, in addition to any in-service(s) throughout the semester, to learn critical topics to support residents and build relationship[s] with fellow ResStaff members and full-time staff. 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Must be enrolled as a full-time Law School student at the University of Michigan. Applicants must complete their first year as a law student by the start of the Fall 2024 semester and must be a current Lawyers Club resident. Must be in good academic standing. Applicants are required to have a term and cumulative GPA listed below, without rounding, at the time of application in order to be considered for the position. Applicants who fail to meet the minimum GPA requirement will not be eligible to continue in the selection process. Applicants who are extended offers and fail to meet this requirement will no longer be eligible for a position. Incoming transfer students will be asked to present their transcripts from previously attended institutions.
  • Graduate & Professional Students (Masters/Certificates)
    • Minimum Required GPA (term & cumulative) – 5.0 GPA on a 8.0 scale or 5.5 GPA on a 9.0 scale
    • Required Credit Enrollment per Semester – 6 Credit Hours
  • Graduate & Professional Students (Doctoral candidate)
    • Minimum Required GPA (term & cumulative) – 5.0 GPA on a 8.0 scale or 5.5 GPA on a 9.0 scale
    • Must provide proof of enrollment each semester they are appointed.
• ResStaff members are expected to maintain a term and cumulative GPA listed above throughout their appointment.
  • Courses selected as pass/fail or credit/no credit will be counted only toward meeting the term requirement; they will have no impact on GPA.
• Must be in good standing with the Law School, Student Life, and the University. This includes upholding all policies and procedures as defined by the University of Michigan Standard Practice Guide, the Michigan Housing Community Living at Michigan, the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibility, and any other applicable University policies and procedures.
• Must comply with all institutional, local, state, and federal laws or guidance.
• Housing Student Conflict Resolution, Housing Student Employment Work Record, University Records, and the Office of Student Conflict Resolution records will be checked to determine if an applicant is eligible to be hired for a student position. Final position offers are contingent upon verification of background check.
• ResStaff appointments are for one (1) academic year and applicants must be able to commit to the full academic year – both Fall and Winter terms. 
• You must be available to attend all of ResStaff training, prior to both Fall and Winter semesters. Training starts at the beginning of August 2024. Training start date may vary based on positions. Specific dates will be provided during the Winter term.
• If you apply for a 2024-2025 ResStaff position and are not offered a position, you may not apply again until the 2025-2026 ResStaff selection process begins. We are unable to make exceptions to this requirement even if the application reopens.
• Resident Advisors will not be eligible to hold other Residence Education student positions during their RA appointment.

SUPERVISION

The Program Manager for the Lawyers Club directly supervises Lawyers Club Resident Advisors. Lawyers Club full-time staff provide functional oversight and guidance to Resident Advisors related to the Community Center. The Program Manager and Administrative Assistant are full-time staff who are collectively known as the Leadership Team.

COMPENSATION

Compensation includes Room and Board in the Lawyers Club. The meal plan included is to be used as a tool to connect with residents.

Please consult with the Office of Financial Aid to determine how the position compensation may impact your award package.