The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 44, No. 2 - 41

Resident Assistant Workplace Motivation

Sharing this aspect of the RA job is also needed
in the recruitment and retention process. Astin
(1984) indicated that retention and graduation
are rooted in three distinct goals: interaction
with faculty, setting clear goals or purpose, and
campus affinity or engagement with activities.
The key to the strength of an RA cohort is how
they engage on campus, and the bond developed by staff is essential to RA motivation.
This bond should be highlighted during the
recruitment process and should be focused on
during initial staff development. Professional
staff will need to note that emphasis on RA cohesiveness and building a team throughout the
year is critical; while this concept is not new, it
does provide new insight into one of the key
factors that motivate RAs.
Finally, the motivation of RAs needs to
extend to RA pedagogy for the entire program.

The key to the strength of an RA
cohort is how they engage on
campus, and the bond developed by
staff is essential to RA motivation.

As students progress through the RA program
at an institution, housing professionals will endeavor to keep them motivated. The ultimate
goal is to retain RAs who serve as a solid resource for our residential students. Knowing
that applicants entered the position to serve
other students, professionals can develop a
comprehensive RA curriculum in a variety of
formats throughout the year that will retain an
emphasis on how helping behaviors serve as a
motivating factor for RAs.

REFERENCES
Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory of higher education in America.
In E. Whitt (Ed.), College student affairs administration (pp. 199-211). Needham Heights, MA:
Simon and Schuster.
Bailey, A. E., & Granpre, E. A. (1997). A performance
evaluation of resident assistants in student
housing. The Journal of College and University
Student Housing, 26(2), 40-46.
Bell, E. E. (2002). Resident assistant motivations
to seek the position: A comparison between
Generations X and Y (Master's thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University). Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.
vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/33720/etd1.
pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Bess, J. L., & Dee, J. R. (2012). Understanding college
and university organization: Theories for effective
policy and practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Bierman, S. E. (1992). An analysis of work motivation
of resident assistants at selected southwestern colleges
and universities using the educational work components study questionnaire (Doctoral dissertation).
Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and
Theses Database. (UMI No. 9300396)
Blimling, G. S. (2010). The resident assistant: Applications and strategies for working with college students
in residence halls (7th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall
Hunt.

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 44, No. 2

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