The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3 - 92

Virginia Albaneso Koch

webinars, and institutes. Additionally, almost
one third reported participating in such experiences as on-campus professional development
workshops (12%), courses (2%), or informal
learning such as on-the-job experience (7%)
or talking with others (6%). The fact that 338
RA educators completed the lengthy survey instrument suggested to the author that they are
eager for more information about RA training
and to benchmark their work against others.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Many U.S. colleges and universities seek
to educate their students as global citizens,
strengthen their international student enrollment, or diversify their student body by enrolling traditionally underserved populations
(Altbach, Reisberg, & Rumbley, 2009)-initiatives that impact the skill sets required of
RAs. This study revealed a shift in when and if
particular content is covered in RA training. In
the last 15 to 20 years, the focus of pre-service
and in-service RA training has included more
topics related to safety and security and fewer
multicultural-themed topics. Safety and security topics are essential components of RA
training programs; however, including them
should not be at the expense of topics related
to multicultural understanding, including intercultural communication, religious literacy,
White privilege, or social justice. Without more
time or human or financial resources to train
RAs, wise RA educators must carefully consider how to teach topics in a more integrated and
comprehensive manner.
There is much to be learned about the use
of academic courses to train RAs. Although
this study revealed a decline in their use,
the quantitative nature of this study did not
provide information addressing the important
92

question of why academic courses are used
less often. Additionally, a question posed by
Bowman and Bowman (1995) has yet to be answered: "Is the time and effort needed to construct, gain approval for, and staff an academic
course justified by measurably superior performance or preparation amongst RA staff?" (p.
45). These questions are all worthwhile areas
for additional research.
A limitation of this study was the omission
of two topics, suicide and teambuilding, from
the survey's list of topics covered in various RA
training programs. When given the opportunity to list topics not included in the survey instrument, respondents mentioned both topics.
Future studies on the content of RA training
should include these topics as well as other
emerging topics suggested by respondents
such as climate-related emergency preparedness, student mental health issues, and students with disabilities (Koch, 2012).
Developing a comprehensive and effective RA training program, whether delivered
as an academic course, pre-service training,
or in-service training, is a complex process
requiring creativity and expertise. A challenge
facing RA educators is developing strategies
to deliver demanding content effectively in an
engaging, memorable, and impactful manner.
As noted by Fink (2003), high-impact learning
experiences-where students are enthusiastic, caring, and self-directed learners-do not
happen by chance. It is likely that the curriculum designers incorporated a variety of teaching and assessment methods, active learning
strategies, and elements of a flipped classroom
(Educause, 2012).
Gone are the days when one could transfer an RA training program from one campus

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

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