Applications for resident assistants for the fall 2001 semester are due today.

Any student interested in becoming a resident assistant for the fall 2001 semester must turn in their applications by 4:30 p.m. today to be considered for a position, said Matt Boyer, residence counselor.

To be qualified as a resident assistant, a student must have completed 27 credit hours, he said.

Boyer said the turnout in applications this year far exceeded his expectations.

“We gave out 115 applications (to students interested in applying) this semester,” he said. “That was higher than we gave out last year.”

He said the housing office was very excited about the amount of interest expressed by students regarding the positions.

There are numerous benefits involved once an applicant is awarded the position, Boyer said.

“The number one benefit is the free room and board an RA receives,” he said.

Boyer said the skills assistants gain from the position are also very beneficial.

“There are lots of leadership experiences involved,” he said. “They also learn time-management skills along with developing life-long friendships in the process.”

He said being a RA is a big resume booster that could be valuable to anyone.

“A lot of employers have been to college and they know the trials (resident assistants) go through,” Boyer said.

He said RAs are faced with crisis situations at times which require them to make important decisions.

Just the experience in itself is something they can take with them, Boyer said.