RA360: Campus Resources
TL;DR
As an RA or student staff member you’ll rely on a number of different offices to help your residents. Make sure you know the names of these offices, where they are located, what they do, and how to best refer to these offices.
You don’t need to be an expert on everything your residents may need. This is where campus offices and resources come in. Knowing these offices and the services they provide can help you refer residents to the appropriate people that can help. Every campus is unique, so although this page speaks broadly about what you may have on your campus, rely on training and your supervisor to know the specifics of your college or university.
In this RA360…
Offices & Services
Although they may go by different names on your campus, the most common offices include:
- Counseling Center – Trained counselors that can help with students experiencing mental health issues, or who may be just be working through thoughts, feelings, and situations.
- Academic Support Services – From registering for classes to changing your major to tutoring, whether you are early in your undergraduate career, undeclared in what you want to study, or about to graduate, this may be in the form of a one-stop shop or a myriad of separate offices.
- Writing Center/Librarian Support – Even if your school doesn’t have a writing lab, your library on campus has all the same capabilities to assist you with citation, research, grammar, and revision.
- Career Services – Students can often use help finessing their job application materials or even searching for an internship in the first place for a cool summer experience or maybe class credit.
- International Education – International students will be well-connected already, since a lot of their contact during the Admissions and travel process lives here.
- Financial Aid/Student Accounts – Individuals can explore their finances here, in the context of their student billing and beyond to financial literacy, loans, credit, and beyond.
- Study Abroad – Supporting students who want to study at different institutions across the world.
- Financial Literacy – Staff dedicated to helping students be better managers of money, from navigating college finances and budgeting to the responsible use of credit cards and savings/checking accounts.
“Colleges and universities are full of resources designed to help students succeed on their journey to graduation. The people who work in those offices are there because they want to help students. Never be afraid to reach out to a campus resource for help, for yourself or the students you are working with. Even if the office can’t help you, often times they will help guide you in the right direction.”
Study Abroad
If students are thinking about studying internationally, this office can help connect them to programs, navigate the requirements, and help you students understand how it will impact their course of study.
Expanding your horizons can mean a lot of different things – taken more literally, visiting a new place and experiencing a new culture, language, and university can really put your own into perspective. Residents will probably have questions about how their housing is affected!
Financial Literacy
This office isn’t as common on all college campuses, and it may be paired with your college or university credit union (if you have one), but Financial Literacy offices do educational outreach to help students better understand and manage their finances both in college and later in life.
The US Department of Education has provided resources with the benefits of financial capability, the value of financial literacy, and the importance of access to financial resources.
Understanding personal finance topics such as savings, loans, and investments is seldom a straightforward task, especially in the context of paying for college.
Questions To Ponder:
- Do you know the various resources available to students on campus and what they do?
- Do you know how to make a referral? How can you make a referral that “sticks” and that a resident will follow through on?
RA360 Outcomes:
RAs and student staff members will be able to:
- List the various campus resources available for residents living on campus.
- Explain the purpose and function of various campuses resources.
- Refer residents to appropriate campus resources.
More To Explore
RA360 is a set of resources organized around skills, topics and competencies relevant to Resident Advisors and similar related student staff positions in college and university residence halls.
