New RSA Application Process
2026-2027 RSA Selection Process Information
Read through the following information as you start your application. As you continue through the process please do not hesitate to contact Residential Life at 203-416-3417 if you have any questions.
There is an in-person interview, as well as a group roundtable interview. Please read the RSA job description before applying to gauge your ability to complete the job tasks and make the appropriate time commitment.
Student Staff Application Information Sessions
Attending an information session is optional for all applicants. The session will review the selection process, minimum requirements to apply, the job description and the compensation for this position. There are multiple locations for information sessions. We encourage you to attend one in your residence hall if you can, but they are all open to any student. If you have questions about any of the information covered at sessions, please reach out to your RHD or contact Assistant Director of Residential Life Conner Murphy at murphyc27@sacredheart.edu.
Requirements to Apply
- You must have a 2.60 grade point average both cumulatively and for the semester prior to employment. At the time of offers, FA25 is the Semester Prior to Employment. Applicants under the grade point average requirement can appeal to the Assistant Director of Residential Life to go through the process. If allowed to participate, applicants cannot be hired until the grade point average requirement is met
- You must be a full-time undergraduate student at Sacred Heart University
- You must be eligible for campus housing to be a student staff member. All students are granted four years of undergraduate housing. As long as you will be within the four allotted years while working as a student staff member, you may be granted a student staff position
- You must not have open/active conduct sanctions at Sacred Heart University
- You may still apply for a residential life student staff member position if you have been found responsible for something in the past. However, you may not be on any type of disciplinary status with any judicial officer at the University at the time of employment. Your judicial history will be reviewed and your candidacy for employment will be determined during the selection period
- Student staff members who are receiving tuition benefits by way of parents through the Sacred Heart tuition remission program or the Sacred Heart Notre Dame Partnership or Tuition Exchange are not eligible to receive monetary compensation for the RSA position
Remuneration
Aside from the leadership experience you will gain from being a student staff member at Sacred Heart University, you will be awarded a base stipend of $6,600 per semester in the form of a financial aid package. The actual amount may increase based on housing rates for the 2026-2027 academic year. Actual stipend amounts will be shared prior to the start of your appointment. In addition, all student staff members receive departmental apparel to be worn during official residential life functions and responsibilities.
Steps to Apply
Here is an overview of the application process that each candidate needs to complete. For additional information, you can attend one of the informational sessions posted above, or contact Residential Life.
1. Application
Fill out the online application by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, January 29, 2026. When you submit your completed application to the residential life, our staff will review your application. After our initial review of your application, we will invite qualified candidates to participate in the interviews and group roundtables.
2. Reference Form (Optional)
The reference form is available online. Reference forms are optional, but are a good way to have somebody vouge for your ability to be an RSA. The reference must be a SHU affiliated faculty or staff member or a current RSA. Parents, close family members and RHDs may not fill out the reference forms. All reference forms must be submitted by Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm.
3. Individual Interviews (February 12-13, 2026)
Lasting roughly 30 minutes, your individual interview will be with a member of the Residential Life staff. Candidates will be asked questions to assess their qualifications to be a successful RSA. Candidates will be contacted via email to set up their interview times. Candidates who are currently studying abroad will have a Zoom Interview conducted based around the interviewer and candidate's schedule. All in person Interviews will be conducted in Toussaint Hall.
4. Time Commitment Worksheet
Fill out the Time Commitment Worksheet and attach it to your application.
5. Resume
You will need to provide a paper copy of your current resume. Include at least your last 2 employers (if applicable) and what kind of work you have done in the past. List any community service, volunteering, or special achievements you have received. The resume is due at the time of your interview. Use the Center for Career & Professional Development for help making a resume.
6. Interview a Current RSA
Meet with a current RSA and fill out the Interview of Current RSA document and submit it with your RSA Application or by emailing Conner Murphy at murphyc27@sacredheart.edu
7. Group Roundtables (Saturday, February 14, 2026)
Group roundtables will take place in person from either 8 a.m.-noon or 1-5 p.m. You will be assigned a time for your group roundtable during the week of February 9, 2026, via email. In a small group with other RSA candidates you will be partaking in a number of activities and conversations to explore how you work with others.
Notification Letters
After both the individual interviews and group roundtables, we will extend offers to candidates for RSA positions. We will also extend offers for our "alternate" pool. Alternates are eligible to be hired for any open positions until October 1, 2026. Every year we use this pool to fill additional openings as they arise. Letters notifying your status as a student staff member will be sent out via email to all applicants by Friday, February 27, 2026.