RLH Community Assistant

About Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts:

At MCLA, we’re here for all, and focused on each of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world.

In addition to our 130-year commitment to public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 11 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2026. The College’s focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2026 U.S. News rankings:
No. 6 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 4 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants. Learn more a.edu

A Community Assistant (CA) at MCLA is offered through Residence Life & Housing. It is one of many leadership opportunities within the Division of Student Affairs. As a member of Residence Life & Housing the CA is directly supervised by, and responsible to the Residence Director/Area Coordinator of their Residence Area. The CA lives in a residence area and serves as a leader, helper, community builder and resource person for students.

The CA serves as a critical link between the students in their residence area and the Residence Life & Housing Office. This leadership opportunity requires being a representative of the college and a representative of student issues in the residence areas and across campus.

Responsibilities of the Position

Below are some examples of the position responsibilities. Additional responsibilities will be reviewed in full detail during training after being appointed to the position.

Student Contact & Visibility

• Have a presence in your residence area.
• Build rapport with all residents assigned to your residence area.
• Convey openness and receptivity to all residents in the residence area, including, but not limited to persons of a different value system, race and/or orientation.

Community Engagement & Development

• Plan and execute 10 Community Development Activities a semester following a programming model that is conducive to a safe, academic environment that builds community within the Residence Area(s).
• Create passive programing such as bulletin boards.
• Post flyers in residence areas about upcoming events in department and across campus.
• Serve as a liaison between students and professional staff on campus.
• Form connections between Residence Life & Housing and other offices on campus.
• Create and sustain professional and healthy relationships with resident students.

Policy Enforcement

• Uphold and enforce all College and Residence Life Policies as stated in the Community Standards and Residence Area Community Guidelines, as well as any other established policies, local, state, and federal laws.
• This position is considered a mandated reporter role and required to report various concerns through appropriate channels.

Administrative Tasks

• Hold a minimum of 10 office hours a week in the residence area to be utilized for program planning, posting flyers, bulletin board prep and other paperwork.
• Assist with all openings and closings of the residence areas, including arriving early and staying past the official close of the residence areas.
• Assist with all required paperwork, key distribution & collection, building inventories, program supply inventories and any other departmental specific paperwork.
• Assist with projects or Residence Life Committees as needed.
• General administrative tasks will include but are not limited to sign making, emailing, and filing paperwork.
• Additional responsibilities can be determined on an as needed basis.

Referral Agent

• Provide residents with information about various campus resources to aid in student success while at…