Summer Resident Assistant FAQs

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

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

Every day is different. 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 9pm-2am. There will be weekly staff meetings, 1:1s with their supervisor, and weekly house meetings in many residence halls. SRAs will staff program-wide activities and some off-campus excursions. Other activities include residence hall-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.

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. field trips, after-hours shifts, etc.). Other jobs at Stanford, combined with SRA work hours, cannot exceed 40 hours per week.

Yes! Your research or internship position must adhere to VPUE’s Program Participation and Expectation Policy regarding awarded funding for full-time opportunities. If you are considering another opportunity that may present a conflict, please contact us at summerreslife@stanford.edu to ensure compliance.

Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of your Summer Session Grant and/or dismissal from the position. A non-exhaustive list with relevant details can be found here.

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

Staff move-in is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Visiting students move in on Saturday, June 20, 2026. Matriculated Stanford students (who are not SRAs) move the week of June 15-19 based on the R&DE move schedule.

In person, synchronous all-day training is June 16-19, 2026. Asynchronous online training may also occur on June 16, 2026. Staff participate in Welcome Weekend on June 20 and 21, 2026. SRAs are required to attend the entirety of SRA training and work during Welcome Weekend.

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 11, 2026 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.

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.

Compensation during the employment contract dates will include pay of $19.50/hour for UL SRAS and $19.50/hour for HS SRAs, housing (private room) and house dues, dining plan (15 meals/week or stipend (for meal stipend eligible students)), and student fees (housing technology fee, campus health service fee, and mail fee). Staff are expected to work 20 hours (UL) or 30 hours (HS) 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 late night and after-hours shifts. Summer Residential Assistant (SRA) hourly pay is taxable.

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

Be sure to accurately indicate your ability to work 20 or 30 hours a week, and your other commitments for the summer. We take these into consideration when scheduling interviews and making job offers to staff high school or university level.

Yes, Summer Session will cover the spring-summer interim housing cost for students living on campus during Spring Quarter. Summer Session does not cover the cost of Week 9-10 housing/dining for HS SRAs, but SRAs working in the UL program receive this coverage. Summer Session does not cover costs for summer-fall interim housing.

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. 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. See this website for more information.

No, the SRA position is only open to current matriculated Stanford students.

Residential student leaders and SRA positions are similar in philosophy. They’re both committed to building community and support health and safety in the residence halls. 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. Working with minors requires heightened responsibility and oversight in supporting a vulnerable population. These SRAs also cycle through facilitating a nightly curfew check.

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.

In contrast, the residential student leader position during the autumn/winter/spring is an “educational leadership opportunity” through a separate department at Stanford called Residential Education. Student leaders receive a stipend rather than an hourly wage. The residence hall population is a specific population type, typically consistent for the academic year, and they are all matriculated Stanford students. Student leaders have multiple quarters to build connections and address community-based issues. There are fewer programming expectations compared to summer given the robust engagement offerings during the academic year.

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, 24/7 on-call system, and university resources like CAPS.

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 and preparedness. 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, residence hall staff teams typically meet over dinner and prepare the residences 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.

We’re committed to hiring great staff for the entire campus across HS and UL, which is about 105 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 matriculated first-year students are only eligible to apply to be an SRA for HS.

Applications open on February 26, 2026. The priority deadline is March 11, 2026 (11:59pm PST).  Interviews are scheduled for late March through April. Final decisions and notifications are emailed in early May.

We put a lot of consideration into the people we hire and the team formation, assessing candidate skills and experiences. For UL, there is a survey to collect preferences. For HS, there is also a survey, but the residences are largely the same in Wilbur. Then, we work with Housing to make staff assignments and communicate them to the newly hired staff. Although rare, it is possible that after initial assignments are made that Summer Session will reassign SRAs to different staff rooms or communities to meet emergent programmatic needs.

RFs live in the residence halls 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 residence hall.

SRA interviews are held in-person during April. Candidates must be available for an in-person interview. In addition, SRA applicants must be available to complete the onboarding process in person on the Stanford campus by June 11, 2026. It’s very unlikely that an applicant will be able to complete this requirement if abroad or away from campus in Spring Quarter.