2008 Woodie Awards
RAs return at record rate, but new applicants low
By: Amy Ledig, News Editor
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: News
This year's Residential Assistant recruitment process drew a record number of returning RAs but much smaller numbers of new applicants than expected, a sharp contrast to last year.
For the 33 Residential Assistant and Community Assistant positions open this year, 23 returning RAs applied and 21 were hired. Three positions will be split between returners. Fifteen of the 19 new candidates were hired.
During the recruitment for the current set of 35 RA positions, 17 of 25 returning RA applicants were hired, while some who received offers chose instead to pursue other options including other jobs or study abroad. Of the 48 new candidates, Res Life hired 21.
"The new applicant pool for this year was a little smaller than we'd hoped, but it's a different year, a different crowd," said Joe Kaufman, the residential hall director for Doty and Turck who oversaw the recruitment process this year.
A variety of explanations have been put forth for why there were not more new applicants. "Fluctuation in the years" is the reason RAs have been given.
Peg Olson, assistant director of Res Life, attributed the low numbers in part to the overwhelming number of applicants last year.
"Sometimes you come off a really big applicant year and the next year, because people have heard, oh yeah, there were so many applicants last year, you don't get the big applicant pool… It's kind of a trend where you go up and down the rollercoaster with applicants," she said.
Another reason cited was a more targeted recruiting process. In contrast to previous years when RAs were encouraged to get a large number of people to apply, Director of Campus Life Keith Edwards said, "RAs were much more strategic. They told people if you're going to be an RA, you really can't drink, and people said, oh [and self-selected out]."
"Staff did a good job of honestly conveying what the job was," said Doty and Turck Residential Hall Director Joe Kaufman, adding that this worked as a pre-weeding out process, taking out a step that usually knocks out some people during the application process. "The RA job is really a lifestyle, and a lot of times first year students aren't ready to comprehend that."
For the 33 Residential Assistant and Community Assistant positions open this year, 23 returning RAs applied and 21 were hired. Three positions will be split between returners. Fifteen of the 19 new candidates were hired.
During the recruitment for the current set of 35 RA positions, 17 of 25 returning RA applicants were hired, while some who received offers chose instead to pursue other options including other jobs or study abroad. Of the 48 new candidates, Res Life hired 21.
"The new applicant pool for this year was a little smaller than we'd hoped, but it's a different year, a different crowd," said Joe Kaufman, the residential hall director for Doty and Turck who oversaw the recruitment process this year.
A variety of explanations have been put forth for why there were not more new applicants. "Fluctuation in the years" is the reason RAs have been given.
Peg Olson, assistant director of Res Life, attributed the low numbers in part to the overwhelming number of applicants last year.
"Sometimes you come off a really big applicant year and the next year, because people have heard, oh yeah, there were so many applicants last year, you don't get the big applicant pool… It's kind of a trend where you go up and down the rollercoaster with applicants," she said.
Another reason cited was a more targeted recruiting process. In contrast to previous years when RAs were encouraged to get a large number of people to apply, Director of Campus Life Keith Edwards said, "RAs were much more strategic. They told people if you're going to be an RA, you really can't drink, and people said, oh [and self-selected out]."
"Staff did a good job of honestly conveying what the job was," said Doty and Turck Residential Hall Director Joe Kaufman, adding that this worked as a pre-weeding out process, taking out a step that usually knocks out some people during the application process. "The RA job is really a lifestyle, and a lot of times first year students aren't ready to comprehend that."
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