Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program (PSSP) Resident Advisor Position Description

2025 Residential Leadership Position Description: PSSP Resident Advisor (RA)

The Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program (PSSP) is an invitation-only 7-week program designed to help admitted Cornell students to prepare for their first year at Cornell.  For more information on the PSSP program, please visit the PSSP page on the Learning Strategies Website.  To best support the program, PSSP hires residential staff to oversee approximately 200 incoming first-year students which includes Resident Directors (RDs), Resident Advisors (RAs) as well as live-in Program Mentors (PM).

Please note, Cornell Housing and Residential Life (HRL) only supports the selection of PSSP Resident Advisors.  If you are interested in applying to be a PM, please visit the PSSP Summer Residential Positions page. RD positions will be posted via the Cornell Employment website as these are full-time temporary positions.

A Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program (PSSP) Resident Advisor (hereinafter referred to as PSSP RA) is a live-in student leader who works to carry out the mission and values of Cornell University and Housing and Residential Life (HRL) within a residential community. RAs must commit to enhancing the overall residential experience of students at Cornell University by supporting the HRL Pillars (Belonging at Cornell, Social Responsibility, Academic Empowerment, Culture of Care, and Navigating Transition). RAs accomplish this by building community through intentional engagement, maintaining safety and security, and connecting residents to campus resources. RAs also build relationships with their team and full-time staff members to strengthen a sense of belonging in the community. 

Time Commitment 

• RAs can expect to be actively involved in the role as a RA for an average of 20 hours per week.  The 20-hour per week commitment includes, but is not limited to:
  • Building connections with residents;
    • This is inclusive of pre-scheduled weekly structured time with residents called Community Hours as well as frequent floor meetings that all residents must attend.
  • One-on-one meetings with their supervisor during business hours, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; and
  • Attending and participating in a weekly team meeting held on Wednesdays, 5:15 PM – 6:45 PM. This weekly team meeting is a required part of the position, and the RAs should not schedule other commitments during this time.
• RAs participate in an on-call rotation to support the safety and security of residents.
• RAs are to participate in PSSP RA training and resident Move-in and Move-out.
  • Dates and details about Move-in and Move-out times will be shared within the Student Leadership Positional Agreement.
• Outside work or enrolling in a class are permitted with this position and MUST be approved by HRL in advance. Other outside commitments will also need to be discussed. 

The 2025 PSSP RA appointment dates will be included in the Student Leadership Position Agreement and are as follows: 

• June 9, 2025, 9:00 AM EST – 5:00 PM EST: PSSP RA Move-in
• June 10, 2025 – August 6, 2025: PSSP Dates of Appointment
  • June 10, 2025 – June 17, 2025: PSSP RA Training
  • June 18, 2025: Supporting PSSP Move-in and welcoming residents.
  • August 6, 2025: PSSP RAs assist with Move-out (Closing)
• August 7, 2025: PSSP RAs have until 12:00 PM EST to vacate the community. 

To ensure resident needs are met, PSSP RAs must be present when the community remains open within the appointment dates listed above (including University breaks and holidays).  PSSP RAs will work to create a coverage plan for breaks and holidays at their supervisor’s direction. 

• PSSP RAs will provide on-call support during holidays, which includes 7:00 PM – 7:00 PM EST (24-hour) shifts, while the University and HRL offices are closed.  Holidays include:
  • Juneteenth: June 19, 2025
  • Independence Day: July 4, 2025
• Note: These dates are subject to modification in accordance with academic calendar changes.  The dates above are not all-inclusive and the agreement will include additional important dates within the date of appointment (e.g., Move-in, Move-out [Closing], training, holidays and breaks during which PSSP RAs need to be in community fulfilling role responsibilities. 

To ensure resident needs are met, PSSP RAs are required to be present during times that the community remains open within the appointment dates listed above (including University breaks and holidays).  PSSP RAs will work to create a coverage plan for breaks and holidays at the supervisor’s direction. 

Responsibilities 

• Develop and maintain relationships with residents through individual interactions and frequent facilitations of community/floor meetings.
• Facilitate ongoing individual and group interactions and meetings to build connections, set expectations, and address conflicts and concerns.
• Maintain consistent availability to residents by being present and accessible within the community.
• Demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and sense of belonging for all residents by supporting education awareness and fostering a sense of community, ownership, and respect.
• Assess and respond to the needs of residents by informing the supervisor of needs, and connecting residents to campus resources.
• Respond to resident concerns and critical incidents with a restorative approach (listening, revisiting and reestablishing expectations, discussing impact, repairing harm and relationships), while being supported by the Resident Director and full-time staff (Residence Hall Director, Area Coordinator, Assistant Director, Cornell University Police Department, etc.)
• Meet on-call responsibilities while serving on an overnight on-call rotation.
• Maintain the Community Living Standards, Student Code of Conduct, HRL Housing License, and Cornell University Policies (e.g., University Policy 6.4) through proactive education and addressing and documenting concerns, while role modelling personal behavior consistent with all University, New York State, and federal laws, guidance, and policies.
• Maintain timely communication that is clear, concise, detailed, and aligns with policies and procedures with full-time staff, the RA team, and residents.
• Complete administrative responsibilities of the role within the provided deadlines.
• Demonstrate self-reflection and growth by engaging in and completing biweekly one-on-one documents and an evaluation.
• Attend and participate in mandatory one-on-one meetings with their supervisor and weekly team meetings on Wednesdays from 5:15 PM to 6:45 PM.
• Attend and participate in June Student Leader training the dates for which are June 10, 2025, through June 17, 2025.
• Support residential Move-in and Move-out processes at the beginning and end of the Summer.
• RAs may hold no additional assistantships, fellowships, part-time jobs, or participate in extracurricular activities that would in any way interfere with the primary function of carrying out the responsibilities of an RA and/or the expectations of their building supervisor.  All outside or additional positions must be reported to, discussed with, and approved by the direct supervisor prior to accepting any such activity.   

 
Supervision 

PSSP RAs receive direct supervision from the Residence Hall Director for Summer Sessions, a full-time HRL staff member, to support the HRL mission, values, goals, and objectives. RAs also receive indirect supervision from an HRL Assistant and/or Associate Director. 

Eligibility Requirements 

• Prior to the position start date, PSSP Resident Advisor applicants must have completed at least two (2) semesters (not including Winter or Summer semester) of college or university coursework, post-high school graduation.
• Applicants and current RAs must maintain a minimum semesterly and cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5. GPA checks are conducted during the selection process and throughout the RA appointment to ensure eligibility requirements are met and maintained.
  • Courses taken as pass/fail or credit/no credit will only be counted towards meeting the semesterly credit requirement (at least 12 credits); they will have no impact on GPA requirements.
  • Winter and Summer semester will not count towards meeting the GPA requirement.
  • Applicants who fail to meet the minimum GPA requirement will not be eligible to continue in the selection process.
  • Applicants who are in their first semester at Cornell and do not have a GPA at the time of application, are able to submit an application. GPA requirements will be checked at the end of Spring semester.
  • Applicants who are extended RA offers and fail to meet the GPA requirement at the end of the Spring semester will no longer be eligible for the position.
  • Transfer students that wish to apply for the role must have completed at least 1 academic semester at Cornell and will be asked to present their official or unofficial transcripts from their previously attended institution(s).
  • It is the responsibility of the applicant and RA to notify the HRL Student Leader Selection Committee at hrl-sl-selection@cornell.edu regarding any special circumstance that may influence the GPA requirement (e.g., incompletes, grade changes, etc.)
• PSSP RA appointments are for one (1) Summer and applicants must be able to commit to the entirety of the appointment dates.
• Applicants and current RAs must review and commit to the expectations and appointment dates listed in the “Time Commitment” section within this position description.  RAs must attend and participate in ALL May Student Leader training and weekly team meetings.
• Applicants and current RAs are subject to all Cornell University regulations including, but not limited to, the Community Living Standards, Student Code of Conduct, Code of Academic Integrity, HRL Housing License, Cornell University Policies 6.3 and 6.4, the Procedures for Resolution of Reports Against Students under Cornell University Policy 6.4, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and must comply with all University, New York State, local, and federal policies or guidance.
  • Conduct status will be checked regularly by Housing and Residential Life, Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, and the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX.
  • It is the responsibility of the applicant and RA to notify HRL Student Leader Selection Committee immediately of any changes to their status by emailing hrl-sl-selection@cornell.edu. Should inappropriate, negative, or prohibited conduct arise, appropriate follow-up will be taken, up to and including rescinding of position offer or removal from the position.
  • Applicants and current academic year RAs who are offered a PSSP RA position should note that any behavior occurring prior to the start of the position appointment or during position appointment dates that potentially violates any of the aforementioned conduct expectations could result in the rescinding of position offer or removal from the position.
• Applicants who are offered a position and current RAs must successfully clear a background check to maintain the position.  

 
Remuneration 

RA position remuneration includes

• A single room
• A stipend distributed semi-monthly throughout the appointment
  • Stipends are subject to taxation. The remuneration may not be adjusted or allotted in other ways.  
  • Semi-monthly stipend totaling $1,920. The stipend is subject to proration in the instance of late arrival or early departure.
• A microfridge (owned by HRL) that remains in the room
• The remuneration may not be adjusted or allotted in other ways 

Please consult with the Office of Financial Aid to learn how the position remuneration grant may impact your financial aid package. You should speak with the Office of Financial Aid before accepting the position.