Student Employment

The Housing & Residence Life Office is one of the largest employers of students on campus.

Through various positions in our department, students have the opportunity to gain leadership skills and professional development.

All student staff positions within the department are student-help positions, not work-study.


Student Jobs in Housing and Residence Life

  • Alumni House Assistant
  • Assistant Hall Director
  • Central Housing Office Desk Assistant
  • Residence Halls Front Desk Assistant
  • Resident Assistant
  • Summer Assistant

General Requirements for Student Workers

  • Minimum 2.5 GPA
  • Live on campus
  • Be in good conduct standing

Overview of the Position

Housing and Residence Life promotes a welcoming, inclusive, safe and engaging living and learning environment that contributes to student success.

RAs serve as peer advisors to students and assist the Hall Director (HD)/Area Coordinator (AC) with administrative duties.

Our ideal Resident Assistant staff is made up of individuals with a wide-range of experiences, backgrounds and academic majors.

Successful RAs:

  • Are open-minded
  • Enjoy working with diverse groups of people
  • Are organized
  • Are ethical decision makers
  • Demonstrates leadership
  • Have interpersonal skills
  • Are committed to diversity
  • Have good communication skills
  • Are good students

RA Position Description (PDF)


Application Process

Applications are open from Oct. 17, 2022 - Feb. 3, 2023.

The application will consist of information, resume, cover letter and reference sections.

Submit your application and send your references today!

Individual and group interviews will be held in February. Please see timeline below for specific dates. 

The process consists of the application, including 2 references, resume and cover letter, as well as an individual interview and group interview process.

2022-2023 Timeline

Oct. 17, 2022 RA/CM Application Opens
Oct. 26, 2022 at 7:00pm
Jan. 25, 2023 at 7:00pm		 New Applicant Information Session - Kryzsko Purple Rooms
Feb. 3, 2023
 Applications Due
Feb. 9-10, 2023 Individual Interviews
Feb. 14, 2023
 Group Interview process
Feb. 17, 2023
 New Applicant Social
Mar. 3, 2023
 RA/CM Decision Letters Out by e-mail

Application Materials Needed:

Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing Resources:

Group Process

You will likely be grouped with individuals you have never met before and will be asked to participate, as a group, in some activities so that our staff has the opportunity to see your skills, abilities, and tendencies when immersed in a collaborative atmosphere in a virtual setting.

Here are some things that will help you be successful in group process:

  • Group Process is not a competition. We are evaluating you based on your participation in the group. We are not picking a winner at the end.
  • Some of the activities require group discussion, and/or opportunities for leadership. As you prepare for your group process day, be mindful of your own personality and/or leadership style and remember that you are being evaluated on your role/participation in the activities.
  • Most importantly, be yourself. We want to hire the authentic “you” because, ultimately, that is the person we are going to work with for the year.
  • Have fun! Being relaxed will allow you to stay focused.

The Alumni House Assistants are members of the Residence Life staff who oversee the daily operations and maintenance of the Alumni House and report to the Assistant Director of Housing & Residence Life (ADRL).

Alumni House Position Description (PDF)

Application Process

The application process is outlined below:

Applications link will be posted here Oct. 18, 2021 and be open until Jan. 23, 2021. Individual and group interviews will be held in February. The process consists of the application, including 2 references, resume and cover letter, as well as an individual interview and group interview process.

The application will consist of information, resume, cover letter and reference sections. The application can be found on here Oct. 18, 2021.  

2021-2022 Timeline

Oct. 18, 2021
 Application Opens
Nov. 17, 2021 at 6:30pm
Nov. 18, 2021 at 7:00pm		 New Applicant Information Session (via Zoom) 
Jan. 23, 2022
 Applications Due
Feb. 10-11, 2022
 Individual Interviews
Feb. 12, 2022
 Group Interview Process
Feb. 15, 2022
 New Applicant Social 
Mar. 5, 2021
 Decision Letters Out by e-mail

Application Materials Needed:

Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing Resources: 

Group Process

You will likely be grouped with individuals you have never met before and will be asked to participate, as a group, in some activities so that our staff has the opportunity to see your skills, abilities, and tendencies when immersed in a collaborative atmosphere in a virtual setting. 
Here are some things that will help you be successful in group process:
  • Group Process is not a competition. We are evaluating you based on your participation in the group. We are not picking a winner at the end.
  • Some of the activities require group discussion, and/or opportunities for leadership. As you prepare for your group process day, be mindful of your own personality and/or leadership style and remember that you are being evaluated on your role/participation in the activities.
  • Most importantly, be yourself. We want to hire the authentic “you” because, ultimately, that is the person we are going to work with for the year.
  • Have fun! Being relaxed will allow you to stay focused.

The Special Events Assistants are members of the Residence Life staff who oversee the daily operations of the Tau Conference Center and report to the Assistant Director of Housing & Residence Life (ADRL).

Special Events Assistant PD (PDF)

Application Process

The application process is outlined below:

Applications link will be posted here Oct. 18, 2021 and be open until Jan. 23, 2022. Individual and group interviews will be held in February. The process consists of the application, including 2 references, resume and cover letter, as well as an individual interview and group interview process.

The application will consist of information, resume, cover letter and reference sections. The application can be found on here Oct. 18, 2021. 

2021-2022 Timeline

Oct. 18, 2021
 Application Opens
Nov. 17, 2021 at 6:30pm
Nov. 18, 2021 at 7:00pm		 New Applicant Information Session (via Zoom)
Jan. 23, 2022
 Applications Due
Feb. 10-11, 2022 Individual Interviews 
Feb. 12, 2022
 Group Interview Process 
Feb. 15, 2021
 New Applicant Social
Mar. 5, 2021
 Decision Letters Out by e-mail

Application Materials Needed:

Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing Resources:

Group Process

You will likely be grouped with individuals you have never met before and will be asked to participate, as a group, in some activities so that our staff has the opportunity to see your skills, abilities, and tendencies when immersed in a collaborative atmosphere in a virtual setting. 

  • Here are some things that will help you be successful in group process:Group Process is not a competition. We are evaluating you based on your participation in the group. We are not picking a winner at the end.
  • Some of the activities require group discussion, and/or opportunities for leadership. As you prepare for your group process day, be mindful of your own personality and/or leadership style and remember that you are being evaluated on your role/participation in the activities.
  • Most importantly, be yourself. We want to hire the authentic “you” because, ultimately, that is the person we are going to work with for the year.
  • Have fun! Being relaxed will allow you to stay focused.

Applications are being accepted for 2023-2024 school year for incoming students.


Desk Assistants (DA) serve as customer service specialists to students and visitors in the halls/apartments and assist with administrative duties.

Review the Desk Assistant Position Description (PDF)


Application Timeline

  • Applications Open: June 1
  • Application Deadline: July 26
  • Interviews: July 28-30
  • Offers Sent via Email: Aug. 2
  • Desk Assistant Move-In: Aug. 15
  • Training: Aug. 16 (1-6pm) and Aug. 17 (8am-12pm)

Application Materials

Apply online in your housing portal under Student Leadership & Hiring.

Make sure to include a cover letter and your resume with your application.


Resume, Cover Letter & Interviewing Resources

Overview of the Position

Summer Assistants provide quality front-line customer service to Winona State University summer students and Camp & Conference Services guests. They assist the department with student housing in East Lake and Kirkland/Haake Hall and also work with youth camps, conference guests, and special events.

View the Summer Assistant position description (PDF).

Summer Employment is from May 8 - Aug. 11, 2023.


Compensation

  • A single room in either East Lake or Kirkland/Haake
  • A stipend to be paid on a bi-weekly rotation in conjunction with the student payroll system 

2023 Application Timeline

Find out more about the position by attending the information session on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6pm in the Haake Conference room or join us on Zoom (Meeting ID: 97024629115)

Apply on Handshake by Friday, Feb. 24 at 4:30pm.

Interviews will take place Tuesday, Feb. 28 - Thursday, March 2.

Offers will be sent via email on Friday, March 3 after 12pm.

Questions? Email camps@winona.edu or call 507.457.5309.

Leadership - RAs are responsible for providing leadership to a floor of peers and directing them toward behaviors that contribute to their success. They also display leadership and teamwork working in their staff groups.

Crisis Response - RAs are trained to respond to any emergency that happens in the halls. They uphold all University policies and procedures as well as coach students with personal and life issues.

Networking - RAs have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with student organizations, faculty, university administration officials, and organizations in the Winona community.

Communication - RAs are responsible for disseminating lots of information. They manage lots of resident inquiries and act as a representative for Housing and Residence Life. The teamwork nature of this position requires good communication skills.

Professional Development - RAs undergo comprehensive training, help to organize departmental processes, respond to crisis situations. They receive direct supervision and feedback from a professional Hall Director who is committed to their development and success.

Confidence - RAs are faced with a variety of tasks, challenges, and obstacles throughout the year. This could range from a difficult situation with a resident, staff conflict, time management, or other personal issues. Being a part of their RA team and working through those situations will help them build skills and confidence in their abilities.

Given the requirements of the job, estimates of the regularly scheduled time commitments for the RA position are described below. The RA position requires an average of 15-20 hours per week. Please note that many commitments occur on nights, weekends, some holidays, and that RAs have a commitment to uphold the duties of their positions at all times, whether they are “on call” or not. Please be aware that this will vary:

Weekly

  • Interacting with your residents
  • Open Door Hours (10 Hours)
  • Hall Staff Meeting (1-1.5 Hours)
  • Hall Council Meeting (.5 Hours)

Bi-Weekly

  • One-to-One Meeting with Hall Director (.5-1 Hours)
  • Duty (varies by building)

Monthly

  • Planning & implementing hall programming (5-10 hours)
  • Health and Safety Checks

Semester

  • Break on call responsibilities (varies by building)
  • Hall staff retreat/development activities
  • Weekend on Call (varies by building)
  • Bulletin Boards (3 sets per semester)
  • Door Decorations (2 sets per semester)
  • Training (Fall, Spring and In-services)