The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

The Official Student News Media of Southeastern Louisiana University

The Lion's Roar

    Resident Assistants awarded for excellence

    The resident assistants demonstrated superior achievement, placing first statewide for best skit and for their Outstanding Staff Development Program, “Low Ropes Course.” 

    Every year RAs from universities, colleges and private institutions throughout Louisiana gather to learn, share and compete at the Equipping Resident Assistants conference. Sponsored by the Louisiana Association of Housing Officers, the annual gathering provides an opportunity to network and exchange ideas.

    “I think the staff has worked really hard, and they’re very deserving of the praise and recognition they’ve received,” said Bevann McCartney, area coordinator for University Housing. “We’ve got some really creative students who are genuinely very caring, and they work hard to provide their residents with a great experience. It’s nice when we can award them for being outstanding.”

    The university sent 19 RAs on Feb. 20 and 21 to the conference in Tall Timbers Baptist Retreat Center in Forest Hill, Louisiana. 

    “We have professional conferences, and there’s breakout sessions they have the choice to attend,” said McCartney. “There’s definitely ways for them to go to these sessions and bring back ideas to implement with their residents.”

    Additionally, Krista England won the Female Rising Star Award, and Blake Thomas was awarded the 2015 Young Professional award. Each institution gets one vote, and their votes determine the winners for each category. 

    “We’ve spent a lot of time with the student committee to plan different activities during training and throughout the semester to build unity with our staff,” said McCartney. “We try to prepare our staff for the things that they’re going to come into contact with residence halls.”

    The university resident assistant program includes a variety of training sessions throughout each semester, focusing on current events and hot topics. 

    “I think we’re giving them a lot of real-world experience in terms of how to work with different personalities, and that’s a skill you need in any kind of work environment,” said McCartney. “They’re also getting a lot of conflict-resolution skills. They’re responsible for a floor of residents, which could be anywhere between 25 to 95 students depending on the building.”

    In addition to having the best skit and staff development program, Southeastern stands out for providing the highest compensation for RAs. While all RAs receive free housing and meal plans, students who advance to the level of RA 1 or RA 2 are also awarded stipends.

    “The RAs here are paid more than any of the RAs in the state,” said McCartney. “One of the focuses was for us to retain great student leaders. We looked at how we could do that.” 

    For more information regarding the ERA conference, visit laho.org. For more information about University Housing, contact 985-549-2118 or visit the office located in Pride Hall.

     
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