The multidimensional role of entry-level, live-in residence life and housing staff has grown even more complex in recent years. These staff members, often referred to as resident directors, are frequently asked to go beyond the role of RA supervisor, community builder, and policy enforcer. Now they also serve to support students with significant…

The role of a resident assistant is complex and multi-faceted, requiring a unique blend of strong interpersonal skills and professional decorum. By contrast, little is known about the depth of self-care needed to mitigate the impact of the role on resident assistants' quality of life. This exploratory mixed-methods research project seeks to…

Supervising resident assistants (RAs) on college and university campuses is one of the most critical roles of housing staff. The job responsibilities of RAs are demanding, and the position is filled with multiple stressors, including role ambiguity, role conflict, and burnout, which can lead to attrition and reduced job satisfaction. Supervision…

The current study investigated the relationship between supervision, job satisfaction, and burnout among "live-in" and "live-on" Housing and Residence Life professionals. The literature review consists of empirical research for each construct presented (supervision, job satisfaction, and burnout). The study sample consisted of…

How individuals manage work/life boundaries when they live at the place they work, as opposed to working from home, is a gap in both work/life literature and in higher education literature. An obvious example from higher education is the resident life professional that lives in the residential facility that she or he oversees. Living in a…

The purpose of this study was to identify the competencies important for success in entry-level residence life positions. The literature suggests that student affairs professionals must ascertain which skills require further development in order to identify professional development activities that will increase proficiency and improve overall…

Hypothesizes that student affairs professionals' low retention rate may be due to job stress. Examines the relationship between residence hall work environment and the degree of burnout experienced by full-time directors. Burnout was defined by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment and occurred when…

Examined relationship between status of residence hall staff, health habits, length of time in position, type of residence hall, and burnout in college resident advisors and head residents (N=76). Found health habits and type of residence hall supervised related to burnout but status and time in position did not. (Author/ABL)