Community Assistant

Position Title: Community Assistant

Semester/Year: 2027-2028 Academic Year

Supervisor: Sam Ferrigno

Hours per week: 8-10

Start Date: 8/20/2027

End Date: 5/16/2028

Description

The Community Assistant (CA) is an employee of the Housing & Residence Life department at Hobart and William Smith. The overarching objective of this position is to provide support for students on campus to connect with peers, the campus, and the community at large. The CA works directly with students in on-campus residence halls to ensure a safe and enriching community is created and maintained. In developing such a community, they often address issues of personal counseling, advising, policy enforcement, and programming (both within the residence halls and across campus).  

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain a sense of community in the residential area to which the CA is assigned and maintain daily contact with the students to build community.  
• Serve as a role model both on and off campus.  
• Serve as a peer advisor and resource person for students within the context and limitations of their training.  
• Aid in the success of Orientation. This will include participating in training, playing a vital role in New Student Move-In Day, and helping at various events to ensure a smooth transition to HWS for students. 
• Develop, implement, and evaluate community events and projects including programs, bulletin boards, and other opportunities for connection. These events and projects are defined by the Community Development Model.  
• Ensure that student behavior in the residence halls is in accordance with HWS policies as outlined in the Handbook of Community Standards, and when needed, complete Incident Reports for the safety and security of the community.  
• Assist with keeping the residence halls in compliance with New York State Fire Code and help to correct behavioral violations of the code.  
• Maintain open communication with Housing & Residence Life professional staff members and inform them of potential situations that may require attention.  
• Check HWS e-mail on a regular basis and respond when necessary to maintain appropriate communication.  
• Fulfill administrative duties such as attendance at scheduled neighborhood staff meetings, one-on-ones as scheduled with supervisor and LCA, and paperwork when necessary.  
• Participate in mandatory staff training exercises and scheduled monthly in-service trainings.  
• Accept full responsibility for use of the duty master keys when on duty. Master keys may only be used for official purposes which are directly related to the position’s responsibilities as instructed by professional staff.  
• Work to maintain a positive working relationship with Buildings and Grounds and Campus Safety through appropriate communication. 
• Remain on campus until the residences are closed at the end of each semester. CAs do not depart from campus until the buildings are closed to aid in procedures managed by the Housing & Residence Life department.  
• Participate as needed in CA Selection and Housing Selection processes.  
• Other duties as assigned that align with the work of the department.  

Requirements:  

• A cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher 
• Positive social standing with HWS 
• Completion of at least one year of on-campus housing prior to the start of employment 

Other Information:

• Room fee waived (~$10,000/year) 
• Eligible for any traditional meal plan based on level of kitchen access
• CAs work approximately 8-10 hours per week

Application Instructions

The application for this position consists of several steps:

• Completion of Handshake application (including submission of a resume)
• Complete the 2027-2028 Community Supplemental Questions 
• Participation in duty shadowing with a current CA (to be scheduled in Spring 2027)
• Participation in our interview day on February 21, 2027

Review of applications will begin immediately. You may be contacted by the hiring supervisor for additional information. Application closes on February 5, 2027 at 11:59 PM.

AI Usage Note: Usage of AI to produce any part of your application materials is prohibited. If you need assistance with the content or format of your application materials, please reach out to Career Services. 

Students hired into on-campus jobs must complete federal employment paperwork, including the Form I9. Students must present original documents indicating they are eligible to work in the U.S. Photocopies of documents cannot be accepted. Students should ensure they have their documents on campus or have a plan to get their documents to campus if they are hired to work on campus.