The Resident Assistant: Applications and Strategies for Working with College Students in Residence Halls

The resident assistant (RA) is the foundation of every residence life program. These student-staff members face difficult challenges as they guide and support their peers through the college experience. The Resident Assistant, by Gregory Blimling and Denise Baumann, provides a comprehensive text for training RAs in the skills they need to engage their peers in the educational experience of residence halls, and to respond to the many issues group living presents. Each chapter includes review questions, case studies, and strategies for dealing with student life in college residence halls.

The Resident Assistant helps RAs develop knowledge and skills in areas such as:

• Crisis intervention
• Peer counseling
• Confrontation and discipline
• Programming
• Multiculturalism

The following topics are UPDATED in the eighth edition to provide current data and information to RAs:

• Mental health issues
• Title IX and Sexual Misconduct
• Living-learning programs
• Sexual orientation

The Resident Assistant will prepare RAs to create learning opportunities for students and to respond to the challenges students face in residence halls as they mature, grow, and succeed in college.