Interested in becoming a CA?
Apply for the 2026-2027 Academic Year
All candidates will need to attend one of four mandatory community assistant information sessions. Failure to attend an information session will remove you from the hiring process: They will be held on zoom on the following dates/times and will last around 30 minutes.
Tuesday February 10th: 4pm
Thursday February 12th: 10:30am
Wednesday February 18th: 8pm
Friday February 20th: 11am
Zoom ID: 923 6389 3021
If you are unable to attend any of the info sessions or have questions about the job posting, please email Associate Director Corey Negley at cnegley@pennwest.edu
Community Assistant Expectations
Fall 26-Spring 27 Academic Year
Residence Life and Housing strives to create a welcoming residential community and to maintain a comfortable and safe environment for students residing in our residence halls and apartments.
Community Assistants (CAs) are crucial to the success of these goals. CAs are the University’s representative to resident students, and consequently, they have broad responsibilities extending to all areas of the students’ physical, social, academic, and emotional well-being. Residence Life expects students accepting these positions will exercise high standards of moral and ethical conduct in their performance both on and off campus and follow all university and Residence Life and Housing policies.
The objectives of the CA position are focused around building a positive community on the floor and within their building; assisting residents with both personal and academic concerns; helping residents connect with each other and the University; knowledge of and upholding university policy; serving as a resource and/or liaison for the university; and assisting in the operation of Residence Life.
Upon hiring, all Human Resource paperwork must be completed before the semester of work begins. Failure to complete this paperwork may result in loss of the position or a delay in start date.
Detailed expectations of the CA position are:
1. Professionalism and Leadership
a. Serve as a positive role model and represent PennWest California, Clarion and Edinboro both on and off campus. Your behavior, values and actions are all considered when being a positive role model. You are expected to demonstrate integrity, consistency and have a commitment to doing the right thing.
b. Maintain electronic responsibility as it pertains to the use of the internet and other forms of electronic communications (which includes, but not limited to email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).
c. As a representative and employee for Residence Life and Housing, CAs are expected to communicate positive reflection of their role as a leader in the campus community. This includes refraining from gossiping and spreading rumors or stories regarding other staff members.
d. Demonstrate good use of personal judgment both on and off duty.
e. Accept challenges to personal growth and utilize feedback to improve performance.
f. Maintain a positive attitude toward the position, Residence Life and Housing, and the University community.
g. Understand and maintain consistency in enforcing the student code of conduct and community standards.
h. Understand the concept of the Fishbowl Effect – being observed, studied and judged—similar to how a fish is visible from all angles in a glass bowl.
i. Follow directions and expectations of supervisor.
j. Act as a resource for residents and students.
k. When responding to inquiries about various situations, be truthful and forthcoming with all information.
2. Confidentiality
a. University Housing staff should know and understand confidentiality with aspects of the Community Assistant position and should speak with their supervisor if they have any questions regarding confidentiality.
b. University housing staff can be made aware of confidential information. Do not discuss student situations and information with other residents and students as matters are personal and could result in a breach of confidentiality.
c. Keep student situations confidential and do not share with fellow students/staff members.
d. If there is a need to discuss the situation with a fellow staff member or a supervisor, be sure it is in a location where the discussion cannot be overheard.
e. If someone asks for identifying information of a resident or student (cell phone, room number, building, id number) please let them know that you cannot share that information.
f. A breach in confidentiality may result in immediate termination.
g. Community Assistants will be required to sign any additional paperwork as it pertains to confidentiality, and it will be kept on file in the Residence Life office on each campus. Failure to sign will result in immediate termination
3. Community Development
a. Be responsible for building community in their assigned area and in the community as a whole. This includes promoting an atmosphere of appreciation of diversity and inclusion of all residents.
b. Be readily available in your community, both when on duty and other times when not on duty; CAs are expected to spend nights in their area unless requesting time off. This includes spending significant time in room, floor, and building. This includes time not designated to on call, sitting desk, or in office.
c. Support, participate and encourage resident participation in Townhall meetings in his/her Their area and keep close contact with the area representative. The immediate supervisor will set specific expectations for their building.
d. Work with residents to develop area environments that provide reasonable degree of quiet that is conducive for studying.
e. Promote an environment that protects the privacy and rights of each individual.
f. Promote and demonstrate respect for all students, inclusive of all races, ages, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, abilities, etc.
g. Work actively to build and promote community in wing/floor, including but not limited to development of Community, Roommate Agreement Process, and review of the Residence Life and Housing handbook.
4. Resident Relationships
a. Initiate and maintain regular contact with each resident of the floor/pod/village to create a strong community and positive relationships within your area.
b. Advise students within the limits of their capabilities on academic, social, and personal matters and refer students who need assistance to the appropriate campus agencies.
c. Be aware of student problems and concerns including adjustment, homesickness, roommate conflicts, etc., and be interested in student goals and values.
d. Maintain professional relationships and boundaries with all student staff members and residents within their assigned hall. Should the nature of the professional relationship and/or boundaries among colleagues change, immediate communication must be initiated with their respective supervisor.
5. Administrative Duties
a. Assist prior to residence hall openings and after hall closings for breaks.
b. Conduct floor meetings to provide information and address community concerns as needed.
c. Participate in staff meetings and 1:1 established by their supervisor.
d. Complete 1:1 form prior to 1:1 meeting with supervisor.
e. Be responsible for keys that are issued for employee access. Loss/misuse may result in termination from the position. If lost key(s) are not found you could be responsible for the cost to re-core the affected rooms and key replacement.
f. Display flyers, bulletin boards and door tags and keep them updated on a regular basis.
g. Check and respond to emails 2-3 times daily and respond if you are asked questions.
h. Communicate with residents via email bi-weekly for area updates, programming and campus events.
i. Participate in residence life & housing processes such as training, staff selection, room consolidation, and other processes as directed by supervisor.
j. Assist in conducting fire drills and other emergency building evacuation procedures.
k. Submit information on Health and Safety inspections, incident reports, duty logs and all other paperwork assigned by your immediate supervisor in a timely manner.
l. Assist residents with lock outs.
m. Cooperate with and demonstrate support for maintenance and custodial personnel.
n. Alert immediate supervisor to maintenance or housekeeping concerns in a timely manner.
o. Assist with other duties as assigned by supervisors.
6. Policy Enforcement and Health and Safety
a. Educate residents regarding community standards and university policies.
b. Enforce consistently and follow federal, state, and University policies as outlined in the University Student Code of Conduct, Housing contract, and Residence Life Handbook.
c. Provide timely and proper documentation and follow-up of conduct concerns as taught by Dean of Students and Residence Life and Housing.
d. Appropriately confront students and document behavior that violates policies and procedures whether on duty or not.
e. Assist with planned fire drills and be familiar with fire safety equipment, respond to alarms, and follow all emergency response protocols.
f. Encourage residents to make informed choices for the safety and well-being of self and others and role model this behavior.
g. Be observant and report all safety hazards in a timely manner.
h. Assist University police and staff during emergency situations.
i. Share in building coverage and assist residents as needed during emergencies, including weather-related events.
j. Conduct additional rounds for the safety of the residents in the building in the event of an emergency, such as a fire watch/loss of power.
k. Visit each room in their designated area for Health and Safety Checks. Residents will be given a 1 week notice through posters and emails indicating a general timeframe of when Safety checks will be occurring for their area. Residents do not have to be present for health and safety checks to take place.
l. Have a partner when conducting health and safety checks. Knock and announce yourselves 3 times before keying into a room and announcing 1 more time after the door is open. Community Assistants will then scan the room for health and safety issues. If prohibited items need to be confiscated, proper documentation and forms will need to be completed. Depending on location, the item is then to be taken to the Community Assistant office or another designated area. Large items such as refrigerators and microwaves will be documented but not confiscated. Be sure to refer to the Housing handbooks as updates have occurred for this current Academic year.
7. Staff Relationships
a. Community Assistants should develop and promote a positive working relationship with fellow staff members. Understand that you do not have to personally like one another, but have to work together as a team.
b. An CA should act as a team player by compromising for the good of the staff as appropriate. Personal relationships are not to interfere with accomplishing goals of the team and the staff responsibilities.
c. Community Assistants are expected to give and receive constructive feedback regarding job performance from fellow staff members and supervisors.
d. Any conflict, whether interpersonal or professional, should be resolved in a professional manner during the weekly staff meeting or in a private 1:1 meeting. These matters should stay within the staff and not discussed with residents.
e. If you are involved in any sort of physical altercation with fellow CAs, students, etc., it may be grounds for immediate termination.
8. Programming
a. Actively participate in the planning, execution and evaluation of the educational and social residence hall programs (each semester) under the supervision of their immediate supervisor.
b. Inform residents of campus wide programs, resources, and opportunities in timeline set by supervisor.
c. Fulfill all programming responsibilities, including bulletin boards, door decorations, building programs, and any Residence Life & Housing sponsored events as assigned. Program proposals, flyers, and evaluations should be submitted in a timely manner.
d. Be socially focused. As community builders, you are an expert on being a college student at the university and therefore can host events to help maximize that experience for your residents. Make sure events are fun and bring students together. You should use insights you’ve gained through interactions to make these programs meet your residents’ needs. If you find a specific need and think it would be best to host something in your hall/ apartment, bring appropriate resources so they can present that information.
e. Take photos at programs and assist with monthly newsletter content
9. Duty
a. Duty begins daily at 7:45pm until 7am. Your supervisor will outline specifically how duty will operate in your area, but you can expect that Community Assistants on duty to remain in the buildings and on-site while they are on duty. At no time should a community assistant who is on duty leave the building(s) they are assigned unless the buildings(s) or area is being evacuated due to an emergency.
b. CAs on duty will be required to sit at a central desk area during a time determined by Associate Director/campus lead. While at the desk, community assistants should be monitoring foot traffic. Following desk hours, the designated community assistant will monitor the office phone (which is forwarded) from their room and be onsite.
c. Guests are not permitted behind the desk or in the office while on duty. Fellow Community Assistants are not to be at the desk unless they are assisting with a situation.
d. Keep the central desk area clean and presentable.
e. Wear your Community Assistant nametag while on duty and be sure it is visible for others to see.
f. Wear appropriate attire while sitting desk including shirt, shoes, pants.
g. On-duty CA’s will be required to perform two safety rounds each Sunday through Thursday (or designated days set by supervisor) between the hours of 7:45pm-10:15pm. Your designated weekend days (set by supervisor) will have an additional round in between 12am and 2am. Supervisors may select days in which additional rounds may have to be done depending on events/situations.
h. Community Assistants should handle any university or housing violations if they are made aware of them while they are on duty.
i. On-Duty CA’s will be required to fill out an electronic log with general information of issues/ situations that occurred while at the desk, on rounds, or being called out at night.
j. On duty schedules will be the responsibility of your direct supervisor. Any duty switches will need to be provided via email to your direct supervisor more than 24 hours before your scheduled shift. The community assistant you are switching with should also be on the email and should confirm that they agree to the duty switch. Stacking duty shifts will not be tolerated and will be monitored by your direct supervisor.
k. If appropriate, a Community Assistant is required to make their supervisor aware of certain situations (as defined in the Who To Call When document) or if the CA requires additional guidance.
l. Opportunity to work over winter/spring break to assist with main office, building rounds, and other duties will be offered.
10. Housing Operations: CAs are responsible for:
a. Operating their area office as assigned by their supervisor.
b. Assisting in the opening of their community in August and after any closure. The immediate supervisor will assign tasks for opening, break housing, and closing.
c. The closing and securing of their community during University closures as necessary. Community Assistants are expected to remain in their community until all residents who are not approved for break housing have vacated the building(s).
d. Assisting with CA staff selection and helping identify and encourage potential student leaders for the Community Assistant position and other leadership roles within Residence Life.
e. Assisting with Room Selection and sharing information with residents regarding the process.
11. Academic Expectations
a. All Community Assistants are required to begin their position and maintain at least a 2.5 (rounded up or down to the .1 decimal) semester and cumulative GPA and carry at least 12
credit hours. Should the Community Assistant’s semester or cumulative GPA fall below the 2.5 requirement, he/she will be placed on probation for a semester. If the Community Assistant’s semester or cumulative GPA remains below 2.5 for two consecutive semesters, the Community Assistant will be terminated from their position.
b. Community Assistants must earn at least a 2.5 GPA in the semester of hiring. If their GPA is below 2.5, their contract will be rescinded.
c. If a semester GPA of 2.0 or lower is earned, the Community Assistant’s contract may be rescinded without a probationary period.
12. Outside Employment and Extracurricular Activities
a. Extracurricular activities and campus involvement outside of Residence Life & Housing are encouraged provided it does not create conflicts with the responsibility of the Community Assistant position. Outside commitments such as part-time jobs, work-study positions, and other leadership opportunities need to be approved by their supervisor before accepting commitment. All requests must be put in writing to their supervisor. All CA duties will remain a priority.
b. CAs who are planning to student teach or participate in an internship and remain in the CA position will need to have approval from their immediate supervisor and education department.
c. CAs will be needed for maximum hours the week of semester closings to assist with check-outs and closing buildings. We ask that CAs do not work other campus jobs that week.
13. Media
a. Community Assistants are required to receive approval from their supervisor before speaking with the media. In many instances, official comments should only come from the Public Relations office.
b. For non-emergency situations, the Community Assistant may speak to the student newspaper. Please refrain from speaking on behalf of the department. It is highly encouraged that Community Assistants discuss comments with their supervisor to make sure they have all the facts on a particular situation.
c. CAs choosing to use social media are expected to portray themselves appropriately through online personas. Inappropriate behavior and/or poor representation of the department/university through social media will be addressed by a supervisor.
d. If a CA chooses to use mass messaging communications, the community assistant will do so per expectations established by the department. Any posted content that violates the Student Code of Conduct, Community Standards, or federal, state, or local laws should be reported immediately.
14. Working with Pandemics
a. Enforce the policies associated with pandemic response developed by the university.
b. Always keep themselves safe when addressing situations and residents.
c. Follow all protocols shared by your supervisor.
15. Renumeration for the CA position
a. Each semester, a housing waiver will be applied to the student account for the room in which they are assigned as a Community Assistant. Residence Life and Housing will assign the placement based on need for the residence hall, staffing, and community. Certain room types are not guaranteed. Depending upon room configurations, roommates may be a possibility.
b. Each CA will calculate hours worked for that week to be submitted through E-Time and approved by the supervisor. Submitted weekly hours will vary from approximately 15 to 20 but no more than 20 hours per week at the rate equal to PA state minimum wage. Training weeks may include additional hours that will be discussed with your supervisor.
c. Hour per hour working hours include:
– Programs and planning for programs
– Door decs and bulletin board designing
– Hours sitting at the desk and during rounds
– Handling resident situations over 15 minutes. After 15 min, time is counted as actual time spent handling the situation. For instance, if you spent 45 minutes assisting a resident, you would count 45 mins for hours actual worked.
16. Evaluation of performance
a. CAs will be meeting weekly or bi-weekly with their supervisor or graduate assistant to discuss what is occurring on their floors/halls and are expected to complete a 1:1 form for the meeting. Supervisors will be discussing performance and expectations at these meetings, as these jobs cannot wait until an end of the semester review. Plans to address areas of concerns will also be discussed and reviewed during these meetings.
b. At the end of each semester, a written evaluation will be done of the CA by their supervisor and/or graduate assistant. There should be no surprises in these evaluations as all items should be discussed in the weekly meetings. The end of the semester evaluation is to review the overall performance and make continued recommendations for development and growth.
c. The CA appointment is for the period of one academic year and renewal is not guaranteed. However, if you are not meeting the expectations of the CA position you can be released from your position after your semester evaluation. Continued concerns will result in the CA employee discipline process being implemented.