The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3 - 81

DEVELOPING RESIDENT ASSISTANT (RA) TRAINING is
a challenge for most housing and residence life staff.
Grounded in the author's doctoral research on the curricular
design of RA training programs, this study summarizes
current practices in three types of RA training programs-preservice training, in-service training, and academic courses-
and compares them to practices discussed in studies
conducted 15 to 20 years ago. Several findings are discussed,
including the shifts in when content is presented, the limited
use of student development theory to frame the design of
RA training programs, the limited use of engaging teaching
methods, and the decline in the use of academic courses
as part of an educational base. The author also describes
the credentials of the staff responsible for designing RA
training programs. A significant finding of this study is that
most RA educators do not have formal training in curricular
design, and few are getting such training on their campuses
or through professional associations. Responding to calls for
a student learning approach to programs such as RA training,
the author provides recommendations for improving the
design of RA training programs and strengthening the capacity
of the RA educators who are responsible for designing them.

A challenge facing
RA educators
is developing
strategies to
deliver demanding
content effectively
in an engaging,
memorable,
and impactful
manner . . . highimpact learning
experiences-
where students
are enthusiastic,

RESIDENT ASSISTANT TRAINING MATTERS

caring, and self-

Housing and residence life (HRL) programs depend on the talents
and expertise of a diverse group of people, and resident assistants
(RAs) are often referred to as "the backbone of any HRL program"
(Blimling, 2015, p. 177). According to the Association of College
and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I, 2015, p.
1), "there are approximately 68,137 RAs in the United States." RAs
are undergraduate students who are hired by housing departments
to serve as paraprofessional staff (Martinez, 2013) and "are asked
to be informal counselors, friends, confidants, role models, programmers, administrators, rule enforcers, and conflict mediators"

directed learners-
do not happen by
chance.

V O L U M E 4 2 , NO. 3 * 2 0 1 6

81



The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3

Contents
The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3 - Intro
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