Regular meetings with an RA and their supervisor are very beneficial in helping RAs thrive in their roles, help communication to be effective in the workplace, and assist in making the Residence Hall community better. Often these meetings are called one-on-ones because it is a designated time for RAs to individually have an opportunity to speak to their supervisor about their role. However, as a RA you may not know exactly what to expect in these meetings, how to best prepare for these conversations, or what to talk to your supervisor about. Regular meetings with supervisors will vary, but here are some common things to prepare for and expect in your next meeting with your supervisor.
Connecting with residents is one of the most important aspects of being an RA! In your regular meetings with your supervisor, you should be ready to share about the connections and interactions you have made with your residents. This can include the intentional interactions you’ve had, keeping your supervisor updated about any forms or sheets you use to track conversations with your residents, or times that you have recently chatted with your residents. As a Hall Director, I always love when my RAs share how they have found a similarity between them and a resident, have helped someone in the community, or fun ways that they have gotten to know their residents better.
Along with connecting with your residents, you should be prepared to talk to your supervisor about previous and upcoming programs and community-building activities. Your supervisor will want to hear about the residents you connected with at previous programs, what your attendance looked like, and overall, how you thought the program went. This is also a prime time to talk about how you can improve in the future on making programs impactful for residents! Showing that you are thinking about upcoming programs is also a great topic to talk to your supervisor about. This helps your Hall Director know how to budget and support you with getting everything you need for the program, begin advertising efforts, and bonus, shows that you are staying on top of your responsibilities!
Upcoming deadlines are another topic you can expect to talk about in your meetings with your supervisor. Oftentimes there will be a bulletin board, door dec, or program deadline coming up that you and your supervisor will want to discuss. This is a time for you to share ideas you have about how to decorate and build your community. If you have a difficult time coming up with ideas about how to create bulletin boards, your one-on-one is a good time to discuss and brainstorm ideas with your Hall Director.
The job of an RA can be super exciting, and you will want to share the ways you are thriving in your role with your supervisor. Unfortunately, however, sometimes there will be times when you and your supervisor will have to discuss some concerns within the community. This can consist of talking about maintenance, facilities, or building issues that need to be addressed. In addition, a one-on-one, private, meeting with your supervisor is the best place to bring up any incident reports, care reports, or ongoing concerns and questions you have about supporting your residents. Your supervisor will also probably ask about your duty nights, how your rounds have been going, and if you run into anything unusual while you were completing walkthroughs of the community.
Lastly, your meetings with your supervisor are an opportunity for you to ask any questions, communicate any needs you have for the role, and discuss your ongoing performance. Come prepared to your one-on-one meetings with anything you want clarification on or help with. Your supervisor is there to help you grow and improve in your role, and they want to see you succeed as an RA! Your meetings with your supervisor are a time for you to professionally develop, and become a stronger asset to the residential community, so don’t be afraid to come with lots of questions and topics you are interested in discussing.
Although your meetings with your supervisor will change from week to week, this is a baseline so you can know what to expect and prepare for. Always come prepared to talk about your community, be ready to learn something new, and have notes of any questions you have for your supervisor. These meetings should be enjoyable and beneficial for you and your supervisor, so knowing what to expect helps make these meetings productive and valuable for everyone.
Carley Eichhorn (she/her) is currently a Hall Director at the University of Michigan. In 2021, she graduated from Central Michigan University with undergraduate experience as an RA and a tour guide. In 2022, she graduated with her master’s degree from Oklahoma State University, where she served in the Residential Life department as an Assistant Residential Community Educator and a Social Media and Communications Intern. With two degrees in Communications, Carley loves to write and chit-chat, but also has a passion for reading, hiking, playing water polo, and taking naps with her cat, Obi.
