Summer Resident Assistant FAQs

Yes, all candidates must apply each summer, even with prior experience.

Once an application is submitted, it will be reviewed by Stanford Summer Session staff and you will be notified of any updates to your application status within a few weeks. The priority application deadline is March 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM (Pacific); we will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis but may close the application at any time. Should you be selected to advance to the next stage of our hiring process, a Stanford Summer Session staff member will contact you directly to set up an interview. Interviews are typically held in April.

Applications open in March. The priority application deadline is in late March (March 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific). Interviews are scheduled for late March through April. Final decisions and notifications are emailed in early May.

Invited candidates will have a 25-minute individual interview. Interviews are in-person on the Stanford campus. Applications typically open in March with interviews in April and final decisions in May.

You are invited to indicate a preference in your application. Ultimately, Summer Session staff decide and extend an offer for a specific program.

We’re committed to hiring great staff for the entire campus across HS and UL, which is about 100 SRAs in total. We discuss placement based on experience and skills in making decisions for specific communities and forming well-rounded teams. We take into account student preference in hiring decisions, but they’re not guaranteed. Current first-year students are only eligible to apply to be an SRA for HS.

Every day is different, and some days are busier than others. Each SRA will build their weekly schedule with their supervisor. SRAs will serve in a daily after-hours rotation from 9 PM–2 AM. There will be weekly staff meetings, 1:1s with their supervisor, and weekly house meetings in many dorms. SRAs will staff program-wide activities and some off-campus excursions. Other activities include dorm-based programming (design, implementation, clean-up, and evaluation), resident questions/support, crisis response, and lockouts. SRAs in the high school program will rotate through evening curfew check responsibilities and medical chaperone shifts. SRAs who work with visiting University students will spend time helping them navigate Stanford. It will be an exciting summer with each day varying in responsibilities.

Compensation during the employment contract dates will include pay of $19.50 per hour, housing (private room) and house dues, dining plan (15 meals/week or a stipend for meal stipend eligible students), and student fees (housing technology fee and the campus health service fee). UL SRA positions are tasked at 20 hours of work per week and HS SRA positions are tasked at 30 hours (HS) per week. Please note these are estimates only and you are not guaranteed a particular number of hours per week. Stanford Summer Session provides a $25/month cell phone stipend (prorated), which will be paid via Stanford payroll. Stanford does not reimburse cell phone costs. A Summer Session cell phone is provided during after-hours shifts. Summer Residential Assistant (SRA) hourly pay is taxable.

SRAs with meal plans typically have access to the open dining halls in the summer. However, open dining locations may vary during summer and access may be restricted per Dining’s policies.

Yes! The SRA role is about 20 hours (UL) or 30 hours (HS) per week with heavier weekend and evening responsibilities. An SRA could work another part-time position over the summer, taking care to ensure they meet their SRA responsibilities, many of which are assigned at the start of the position (e.g. excursions, after-hours or on-call shifts, etc.). Other jobs at Stanford, combined with SRA work hours, cannot exceed 40 hours per week.

Yes! The SRA position has heavier evening and weekend responsibilities, which will be important in determining the class/schedule that works best.

In person, synchronous training is June 17-20, 2025. Asynchronous online training may also occur on June 17, 2025. Staff participate in Welcome Weekend on June 21 and 22, 2025. SRAs are required to attend the entirety of SRA training and work during Welcome Weekend.

The training period for SRAs is fast-paced given the quick transition from commencement to summer operations. SRA training includes online modules to equip staff with skills in job safety. There are three days of 9-5 in-person training on the Stanford campus, which includes topics on community-building, upholding policy, and emergency/crisis response. In the evenings, dorm staff teams meet over dinner and prepare the dorm for student arrival. SRAs have described training as intense but necessary and informative. SRAs should limit their outside commitments and plans during SRA training and Welcome Weekend.

Yes, SRA training is required. Summer Session is different from Residential Education, and our training outlines our practices and expectations. Annual training includes and provides updates to our policies and procedures.

Staff move-in is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Visiting students move in on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Matriculated Stanford students (who are not SRAs) move the week of June 16-20 based on the R&DE move schedule.

Yes, Summer Session will cover the spring-summer interim housing cost for students living on campus during Spring Quarter.

Residential student leaders and SRA positions are similar in philosophy. They’re both committed to building community and support health and safety in the dorms. There are a few ways in which the positions differ.

Employment Status: The SRA position is a job (employment) with Stanford University and is paid hourly. There are job performance expectations and metrics with unique policies and practices. Additionally, University HR is involved in addressing performance concerns.

Student Population: SRAs serve a diverse array of students, including Stanford matriculated students, visiting undergraduate and graduate students, and high school students enrolled in undergraduate courses.

Timeline and Programming: The pace of summer is fast considering our quick launch and 8-week condensed summer quarter. In summer, there is less time to form a community. SRAs have significant programming (event) responsibilities and typically host events daily.

We find that SRAs experience unique challenges based on their skills, experience, and individuality. They might directly support a student or address a community-based issue that other SRAs may not. One consistent challenge is building community with a group of new residents, some of whom may be new to the Stanford campus and culture. Additionally, sometimes there are crises, but we provide training so staff know and practice appropriate responses. SRAs have a lot of support when they face challenges, including support through their co-SRAs, supervisor, after-hours and on-call support system, and university resources like CAPS.

RFs live in the dorms year-round. They’re great people who will likely enjoy interacting with you. However, RFs do not have any responsibility to Summer Session nor oversight of the students/staff in the summer. The Summer Session House Director (HD) is the senior-most live-in staff member in the dorms.

Coterm students can apply to be an SRA, but graduate students are not eligible for the position due to their housing eligibility. SRAs must be eligible for undergraduate student housing.

Yes, international students can be SRAs. All candidates must be eligible to work and live in the U.S. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. International students should consider their tax responsibilities for the compensation, including paychecks and the funds that are transferred from Summer Session to the student bill to cover R&DE housing and dining charges. Visit this website for more information.

SRA applicants must be available to complete the onboarding process in person on the Stanford campus prior to or by June 12, 2025. It’s very unlikely that an applicant will be able to complete this requirement if abroad or away from campus in Spring Quarter.