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Chair(s) of the Resident Staff Program


2025-2026

ELIGIBILITY

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time student in an undergraduate program or completing the final year of a fifth-year Master's program.
  • Must be a member of Resident Staff (past or present) with at least one year experience as a Senior Resident, or two years' experience as a Resident Advisor.
  • Must be in academic good standing with their school of enrollment and must meet the minimum cumulative 2.25 GPA requirement at the time of application and while under the Program Agreement.
  • Must be in good judicial/disciplinary standing with Housing & Residence Life and the University.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chair(s) provide(s) leadership for the Resident Staff Program, which supports all residential students on Grounds. Their responsibilities include working with Housing & Residence Life professional staff to select, train, evaluate, and promote Resident Staff members; supervise and mentor Resident Staff members; and work with partners across the University to adapt approaches and provide programming to achieve the Housing & Residence Life’s mission to work collaboratively to create inclusive, welcoming communities where residents are empowered to engage their potential as scholars and leaders through self-governance and participation in their residential community. They fulfill the functions listed below as well as other duties that arise or as assigned. The Chair(s) report(s) to the Assistant Dean of Students, or their designee.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Leadership and Development

  1. Provide leadership in the development, articulation, and affirmation of the overall goals of Housing & Residence Life. Work with a team of professionals and staffers to develop and execute strategies for reaching these goals. Contribute to the strategic planning and programmatic development of all residential areas on-Grounds. The Chair(s) will represent the Resident Staff program to University partners, the media, and the broader public.
  2. Supervise, advise, and support the Senior Residents and Vice Chairs in collaboration with HRL professional staff, and through them, Resident Advisors. This includes regular meetings and communications to ensure that staff have the information and guidance necessary to meet the programs goals and to ensure that University policies and procedures are uniformly addressed. Chair(s) will identify and refer concerns that are too severe or beyond the scope of Resident Staff.
  3. Determine the standards for the members of Resident Staff program. Regularly assess the impact of the Resident Staff program on the residential experience. Promote the recognition of staff members who are going above and beyond. Conduct evaluations of staff member performance and lead the Accountability Council process.
  4. Advise and support all members of Resident Staff and individual residents as needed.
  5. Lead and coordinate the committees/processes that are essential to the residential experience.

Time Commitments

  1. The position begins following acceptance during the spring semester and runs through the summer, ending in May of the following year.
    1. During the spring semester, responsibilities include onboarding meetings, RLLT training sessions, participating in promotions, observing staff construction, and planning all-staff orientation.
    2. During the summer, responsibilities include designing senior staff training, RA Orientation, RLE Day, and planning for the academic year.
    3. During the academic year, the time commitment is significant as the Chair(s) supervise a program of approximately 280 Resident Staff members; lead the selection, training, evaluation, and promotion processes; represent the program to University partners; and identify and make recommendations to the Assistant Dean of changes to approaches or practices that will better enable the program to meet its mission.
  2. The summer months are critical for this role, as the Chair(s) work closely with professional staff, the Vice Chair for Training and Development, and other staffers. Chair(s) are required to attend L2K and have the capacity to carry out responsibilities over the summer in a timely and efficient manner.
    1. It is required for the Chair(s) to complete a summer HRL internship that includes 16 hours (2 business days) per week of in-person office work from June 1 - July 31.

OTHER INFORMATION

Remuneration

  • A furnished suite in either the Alderman Road or McCormick Road areas
  • A partial Resident Staff Meal Plan ($610 plus dollars - $305 per semester)
  • $1,500 (Spring semester), $6,000 (Academic Year), & $3,000 (Summer)

*This remuneration package may impact a student's financial aid package. Students should confer with UVA Student Financial Services for details about their individual situation. The Chair(s) should confer with the Assistant Dean for any questions or concerns about components of the remuneration package.

Parking

Parking permits are not part of the Resident Staff remuneration. There is no requirement that any member of Resident Staff have a personal vehicle on-Grounds. Housing & Residence Life will send the name of members of Resident Staff to Parking & Transportation each semester. If a member of Resident Staff wishes to have a vehicle on-Grounds, it is their responsibility to purchase a parking permit from Parking & Transportation. The location and availability of parking is subject to change at any time. This includes but is not limited to special events, construction, or changes by Parking & Transportation.