Student Services Office

Student Services Office

Ellen Fox, Director of Student Services
Dudley House B-2
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
telephone: 617-495-5005
fax: 617-496-5169

In her role as director of student services, Ellen Fox is the go-to-person for GSAS students. She serves in an advisory role, provides ongoing support, and makes referrals to other sources of assistance, as necessary. Whatever the issue, she is here to help. Conversations are confidential. Ellen can be reached at (617)495-5005; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Office of Student Services is responsible for the Resident Advisor (RA) Training Program and oversees functions of the RA role. Ellen Fox supervises the Resident Advisors, one of whom resides on each floor of the GSAS residence halls. The Office is also responsible for various aspects of Orientation for GSAS Incoming Students and Orientation for International Students.

Resident Advisor (RA) Positions in GSAS Residence Halls
2013-2014 Academic Year

Resident Advisors (RAs) are graduate students who are employed by the GSAS Office of Student Affairs to fulfill various responsibilities in the GSAS Residence Halls. There are sixteen RAs, one of whom resides on each floor of the Residence Halls (Child, Richards, Conant, and Perkins).

Responsibilities of Resident Advisors

• Act as liaisons with the GSAS Offices of Housing Services and Student Services.
• Help residents, particularly new residents, adjust to their environment at Harvard and in the Residence Halls; available for urgent and non-emergency matters.
• Handle and report emergency situations such as illness, accidents within the premises of the Residence Halls, facilities problems, etc.
• Be visible to students both in the Residence Halls and at Dudley House.
• Inform residents of housing policies, rules and regulations; monitor compliance.
• Receive information from residents and report needed repairs and facilities problems; monitor progress.
• Participate in planning meetings in May, and, for those in the area, during the summer.
• Staff two distribution of keys shifts during move in of residents on August 23-25 and at other times as necessary.
• Aid residents who are locked out of their rooms.
• Be available to residents on Friday and/or Saturday night several nights each Term.
• Attend monthly meetings and additional ones as necessary that are organized by GSAS Student Services and Housing Services. RA meetings are usually held on the first Tuesday of the month from 8:15 - 9:45AM; a second meeting is held occasionally. Class schedules and other commitments need to be arranged accordingly.
• Plan, organize, and hold social events every two – three weeks for the floor for which s/he is responsible.
• Participate in events organized by GSAS Housing Services and Student Services, fellow RAs, Graduate Dormitory Council, Graduate Student Council and Dudley Fellows.
• Organize and participate in activities either as an RA Liaison, e.g., with the Graduate Dormitory Council or for an RA Focus Area - e.g., Public Service.
• Pick up information and materials at the Office of Student Services every Friday afternoon and post or distribute them. Respond to various deadlines that occur. Perform related duties as required such as distributing information under residents' doors.

Eligibility

Harvard graduate degree candidates now living in a GSAS Residence Hall who will be registered for the 2013-14 academic year are eligible to apply. Graduate degree candidates who are not currently living in a GSAS Residence Hall but who have lived in one for at least one term are also eligible to apply. Applicants must be in good academic standing. Excellent interpersonal skills are required.

Application/Selection Process

Based on the completed application, students will be selected for an interview to be held between the end of February and mid-March. Two letters of recommendation from members of the Harvard community are required; e.g., faculty member, administrator, student. Current RAs cannot be recommenders. Current RAs and Graduate Dormitory Council officers will be consulted.

Duration and Benefits

RAs are selected for the academic year and may reapply for the following year as long as they continue to be enrolled in a graduate degree program at Harvard.

RAs in Child, Richards and Conant Hall receive for the academic year a free small single room and ten meals weekly, Monday - Friday, at Dudley House. RAs in Perkins Hall, which houses a larger group of students per floor than the other Residence Halls, are given a choice of either a small or large room. RAs are required to have a Centrex telephone and are provided with voice mail. Charges for phone calls are the responsibility of the RA. For your information, the room fees for 2012-2013 are listed below: Child Hall and Richards Hall - small single, $6,106; Child Hall - 2 room suite, $9,590; Richards Hall (1) - 2 room suite, $8,756; Conant Hall - small single, $7,014; large single, $8,756; Perkins Hall - small single, $6,584; large single, $8,248. Fees for 2013-2014 are pending.

Application Information

A downloadable application is available below. The application and two letters of recommendation must be submitted, by Monday, February 4 after which the application will not be available.

All questions should be directed to Ellen Fox, Director of Student Services/Supervisor of GSAS Resident Advisors, 495-5005; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .