WELCOME TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RESIDENTIAL LIFE
CANDIDATE INFORMATION WEBSITE!

New Updates 4/25/08

Welcome to the Residential Life Candidate Information Site! We are excited by your interest in the University of Illinois and the Department of Residential Life. We hope that this website will provide you with helpful information about University Housing, Residential Life and the Urbana-Champaign community. 

Our staff are highly talented, hardworking, and fun professionals who always have the needs of students in the forefront of their minds. With 34 full-time professionals, there is a niche for everyone here, and room for new staff to add their specialty areas to the strengths of the team.

Please feel free to contact our office if you have questions. We’ll do all we can to help you! Hope to see you soon in Urbana-Champaign!

Sincerely,
Jim Rooney, Ed.D.
Associate Director of Housing for Residential Life
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
 

Site Links:

Residential Life Start

Professional Staff Jobs Welcome

TAKE ACTION NOW! How to Apply

Our Guiding Documents

Organizational Charts

Meet the Residential Life Staff

Residential Life Operations & Programs

Current Searches / Vacancies

Our Training & Development Programs

Tips for Candidates

Please visit "About Illinois" for more important candidate information.

The Department of Residential Life and the University of Illinois are Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity employers.  We actively strive to recruit a highly competitive, diverse applicant pool. It is a stated priority for our department to employ and retain staff who are reflective of our residential student body, as well as staff who are active and visible allies for students of color, GLBT students, and students of other traditionally underrepresented groups on our campus.

Contact Information:
Department of Residential Life
300 Clark Hall - MC-548
1203 South Fourth Street
Champaign, Illinois 61820
Phone: 217-333-0770
Fax: 217-333-6343
Andi Cailles, Assistant Director of Housing for Residential Life Hall Supervision & Staffing
Email: reslifejobs@uiuc.edu

Updates 4/25/08

Q. How do I look at the Position Announcement & Job Descriptions for the positions you have vacant?

A. Click on the links in the next Q & A directly below this one. Each link will take you to the position announcement and job description for that search.

Q. How many vacancies do you have?     

A. As of 4/25/08 we have 1-2 anticipated Resident Director (RD) vacancies, 1 confirmed Program Coordinator for Social Justice and Leadership Education vacancy (closed), 1 confirmed Academic Director for Unit One Living Learning Community vacancy (closes May 5, 2008), 1 Residential Life Librarian vacancy (to be posted in May), and only anticipated Area Coordinator vacancies (0-2).

Q. How fast do your searches move?

A. Our searches tend to move at a moderate pace. The University must pre approve our searches before we post them. Given the number of staff searching year to year, any of our searches can be ongoing well into May and even June. If you remain actively interested in Illinois, contact Andi Cailles to update her on your own search progress and see where you stand in the UofI search.

Q. What conferences did the University of Illinois attend in the spring 2008 to conduct interviews?
 

A. We actively recruited at Oshkosh Placement Exchange-OPE & TPE, the joint NASPA/ACUHO-I Placement Exchange in Boston, Massachusetts. Andi Cailles is the department contact for information about 2008 recruitment.

Q. What if I'm not going to a Placement Exchange/Conference?                              

 A. All applications are screened and should we desire to pursue your candidacy further, you will be invited for a phone screening interview. Depending on the candidate pool, you may be invited for a 2nd phone screening interview before we make decisions about campus visits.

Q. How many vacancies are there each year in the Department?

A. With 34 full-time professionals, including 17 entry-level RDs, we typically fill about 8 positions each year total. We hire 4-8 RDs each year, and often a few Central Staff members. 

Q. How strictly does the University follow its advertised qualifications for candidates?

A. We are held to strict standards as we screen applications. We must pursue candidates who state on their application & then demonstrate in interviews the preferred skill areas, academic credentials, and experience.  For example, we pursue RD candidates who possess a masters degree in CSP or Higher Education and have residence hall staff & other related experience listed on our position announcement, first. We do not consider candidates coming right out of their undergraduate experience. Currently, most of our RD staff and 100% of our Central Staff have masters degrees or higher.
It is not that we do not value "non-traditional" experiences or other degree programs, but based on history, candidates with our preferred credentials are able to adjust to life at UI more quickly, are often more successful and remain in their positions longer.

Q. Which of the positions are live-in?

A. Our Resident Directors are our only live-in, full-time professionals.  The Coordinator and Assistant Director level positions are all live-out. 

Q. When does staff training begin?

A. Central Staff members will begin in mid to late June, 2008. Our new Resident Directors will then join our newest Central Staff members with a formal training kick off on July 7, 2008.

Q. When does Paraprofessional Training Begin (the RAs, Multicultural Advocates, and Program   Advisors)?

A. Paraprofessional Training begins August 4, 2008.

Q. What is the pet policy for live in staff (Resident Directors)?

A. A pet policy for 08-09 is currently being finalized.

 Q. What is the domestic partner policy for Resident Directors & other staff?"

A. Resident Directors can have a live-in partner/person share their apartment. Resident Directors may share their cafe credits with their partners or may purchase a meal plan at a reduced rate. Live In staff receive parking at no cost but can rent a parking space if their partner has his/her own vehicle. The University offers same-sex domestic benefits. The University's Benefits Center has specific information about this process.

Q. "What type of opportunities are available for graduate student employment?"

A. Residential Life works with a wide variety of Grad Students that come to us through other campus academic departments.

There is a Graduate Assistant position in one of our Residential Areas (Urbana North) that serves our students through advising, mentoring, and helping residential students develop leadership skills. This Grad has also filled in for short periods of time (maternity leave or extended illness) for an RD. The responsibilities depend on the students competencies, areas of interest and time. Please contact Herb Jones, the Area Coordinator of Urbana North if you are interested in this position for 2008-2010.

Unit One has a wide variety music instructors in our Living Learning programs that are Grad. Assistants (through the School of Music).

There is a Grad Assistant in our WIMSE LLC who is an MD/PhD student.

There are two Grad Assistants in the Residential Life Library Program who are Library Science students. Many of the Library Supervisors are Grad Hourlies as are many of the tutors in the Writing Center.

There is a Grad Hourly that works with our LEADS LLC.

Family & Graduate Housing employs many grad students for various positions.  Contact Family & Graduate Housing to inquire.

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