Apply to Be a Community Leader | Colgate University

The application for 2023-2024 Community Leader positions is now closed. Applications for 2024-2025 academic year Community Leader opportunities will be available in early 2024.

About Community Leaders

A Community Leader, or CL, is an undergraduate full-time student who lives in an assigned residence hall and supports students living in the residence hall community. They work with Area Directors, Commons leadership, and other staff in Residential Life to develop programs and provide services to their fellow students. Each CL typically lives on the same floor with those residents assigned to them and assumes a leadership role for a designated area on campus, such as a Commons, apartment area, or social house. Community Leaders are carefully selected for their academic proficiency, involvement in co-curricular activities, concern for the welfare of fellow students, and maturity to cope with the demands of their role. Furthermore, they are trained to be sensitive to the academic, emotional, and social problems of college students, particularly those associated with the normal adjustments to residence hall living.

Community Leaders play a critical role in Colgate’s residential communities, ensuring that the communities remain conducive to learning, and empowering residents to co-create the residential experience they desire.

Participate in Commons, residential community, and campus opening and welcoming events
Build positive and meaningful relationships with the students in and around their assigned Commons or residential community to create a welcoming and inclusive living environment
In collaboration with Commons and Residential Life leadership, plans and facilitates activities in the Commons and/or campus community that encourages social interaction and relationship building among members of the residential community.
In collaboration with Commons and Residential Life leadership, plans and facilitates activities in and around the Commons or residence hall community that allow students to develop knowledge and skills that will help them be successful as members of the Colgate community and beyond.
Develop a sense of community in the residence halls through the creation of unique and creative bulletin boards, door decorations, community communication, and other themes that allow the Commons or residential community to represent itself as a unified group.
Facilitates community-wide and individual meetings to communicate essential information and address students' questions, comments, or concerns

Mentor and support residents, assisting with personal-, social-, academic-, and/or health-related concerns
Serve as role models for other Colgate students, especially those in and around their Commons or residential community, by observing ethical standards consistent with Colgate University and Office of Residential Life’s mission and values.
Educate students regarding university policies and procedures and, when necessary, address and respond to actions that are in conflict with such policies to reinforce standards and expectations for Colgate students living in a community environment.
Serve as a representative for the Office of Residential Life, which includes a positive and professional demeanor that is consistent with the Office of Student Residence Life’s mission, vision, values, and principles.

Participate in a rotating weeknight and weekend on-call rotation with their Commons or residential community during hours when university offices are closed.
Assist students in resolving conflicts that may occur in their residential community, including facilitating roommate mediations and conversations among members of the residential community.
Be knowledgeable about campus and community resources and serve as a referral for student questions and/or concerns.
Identify students who would benefit from additional campus support and provide appropriate referrals to Residential Life leadership as needed
Assist with room changes; the opening and closing of residential facilities; and fire, health, and safety inspections

Training

Community Leaders receive training in the many skill areas that will help them be successful as a student-leader in the residence halls, including relationship building, event management, conflict management and resolution, emergency response and management, team and community building, time management, and administrative skills. Attendance and participation for the entirety of pre-semester training, including residence hall opening, prior to the start of each semester and in-service sessions during the semester are required of all Community Leaders.

Time Commitment

The Community Leader position is a part-time student position with an average weekly time commitment of 10 hours, which includes weekly staff meetings, bi-weekly meetings with the CL’s supervisor, on-call responsibilities, maintaining regular visibility in the CL’s assigned Commons or residential community, and regular engagement with students in and around the CL’s assigned residential community. Since the Community Leader position includes both structured time commitments and flexible time commitments, successful Community Leaders demonstrate excellent time management and productivity skills.

Certain times of the semester, such as pre-semester training, semester opening, and semester closing, may require an additional time commitment to complete required responsibilities.

Community Leaders' responsibilities typically begin and end along the following dates:

Fall semester training starts 2-weeks before the first day of classes
Fall semester closing commitments end the Monday following final exams
Spring semester training starts 1-week before the first day of classes
Spring semester closing commitments end the Wednesday following commencement
While Community Leaders do not have responsibilities during Thanksgiving and Spring Breaks, the Office of Residential Life determines dates Community Leaders may leave and return to campus

The Community Leader position is viewed as the primary “out-of-classroom” commitment. It is therefore expected that the scheduling of and attendance at staff meetings, training sessions, duty responsibilities and other commitments related to the position supersede all other extracurricular commitments. Extracurricular activities, including additional employment, must be coordinated with the CL’s direct supervisor. In an effort to support student wellness and effective balance, Community Leaders are expected to limit additional extra-curricular involvement to less than 10-hours per week.

Eligibility

Students are eligible to hold a Community Leader position if they

Are enrolled as a full-time student at Colgate University
Maintain good academic standing and progress with Colgate University
Maintain good disciplinary standing with Colgate University
Maintain good financial standing with Colgate University
Maintain an active housing contract with the Office of Residential Life
Be available for all pre-semester training and opening responsibilities, post-semester closing responsibilities, and in-semester meetings and trainings

Remuneration

In exchange for their service to the Colgate community, Community Leaders receive a single room in their assigned Commons or residential community, and will be compensated for their work in the amount of the cost of their housing.

Compensation will be issued in the form of a room credit. CLs can expect to receive a charge for their room assignment on their student account, and also a credit for the same amount, offsetting the cost of the room.

In the event of resignation or termination, a student may need to be relocated from the CL housing assignment within 72 hours of the termination/resignation. The student may be required to assume financial responsibility for the new room assignment at the prorated cost.

Interest Sessions

Interest Sessions provide interested students the opportunity to hear more about the Community Leader position and ask questions of people with the answers. While attendance at an information session is not required, it does provide interested students with the opportunity to engage with the Office of Residential Life staff and clarify any lingering thoughts or questions.

Information about Interest Sessions for 2024-2025 academic year Community Leader opportunities will be released during the Fall 2023 semester.

Application and Selection Process

Application

Students interested in a Community Leader position should submit their application starting Sunday, January 29, 2023. The deadline to submit all application materials is Sunday, February 19, 2023. A completed 2023-2024 Community Leader application includes:

Responses to the following questions:
- Please define what a community is and then what do you believe is the role/function of the CL in developing and maintaining a community in the residence halls?
- One of the most important aspects of the CL position is having the ability to effectively communicate and willingness to engage in dialogue and conversations with every member of your residential community. How would you go about engaging individually with the residents on your floor/in your community?
- What challenges do you think you could anticipate as a Community Leader? How would you go about navigating those challenges?
- How do you define conflict?
- What advice would you give to help other students engage with faculty outside of the classroom? What do you think are the benefits of establishing faculty/student relationships?
A resume that includes the applicant’s education (both previous and current), employment history, campus or community involvement, recognition and/or achievements, and any other relevant experience. After completing the application, resumes should be sent to John Michael Haky, Associate Director, at jhaky@colgate.edu.

If you need assistance with developing a resume, Career Services has some great resources available for students.

Interviews

Eligible applicants will be invited to participate in both an individual and a group interview on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Applicants should anticipate being available between 9 am and 4 pm on the interview day to complete both the individual and group interviews.

More information about selecting interview times will be communicated to eligible applicants beginning the week of February 20, 2023.

Position Offers

After all the interviews have been completed, the Office of Residential Life staff will review all candidates’ applications and interview materials, and will make offers for for the 2023-2024 academic year. Offers will be communicated to candidates via their Colgate email no earlier than March 11, 2023.

Candidates Who Are Abroad

Students who will not be on campus during the spring 2023 semester may still apply to be a Community Leader. Students will follow the same timeline, including the application deadline.

However, off-campus candidates will not participate in Group Process interviews, and their individual interviews will be conducted via online video chat or by phone. Interviews will be arranged via email.

Types of Offers

Following interviews and a review of all candidates’ applications and interview materials, the Office of Residential Life will make offers to candidates via their Colgate email. Candidates can receive one of the following offers:

2023-2024 CL – these are offers for a Community Leader position for the fall 2023 semester, starting in August 2023. Candidates selected for 2023-2024 CL positions will be offered a CL position, and will learn their specific residence hall assignment at a later date.
Alternate Candidate – when confirmed vacancies for the 2023-2024 academic year are filled, the Office of Residential Life maintains a list of qualified candidates who have the potential to fill additional vacancies as they become available. Alternate candidates can be offered CL position any time before or during the 2023-2024 academic year.

All students who participate in the CL application and interview process will be provided with an opportunity to receive feedback on their application materials and interviews.

Become a Community Leader