College Resident Assistant

College Resident Assistant Training Program

Resident Assistants (RAs) play a crucial role in the development of community on college campuses. In addition to their organizational tasks, resident assistants help set the tone of college residence halls, provide listening and support services to students, lead group discussions, and serve as the cornerstone of the residence community. CMI trainers brings over 100 years of combined experience in training, consultation, and community building to advanced resident assistant skill-building trainings. CMI training can work with your current resident assistant training program to provide a comprehensive and powerful learning experience.

While a "typical" CMI college resident assistant training is outlined below, all CMI training programs are customized to meet the exact needs of each client, and always begin with a program planning process.

Training Description:

CMI college resident assistant trainings focus on the parallel processes of community building and skill building.

Our highly experienced trainers can help your resident assistants form a supportive and caring team. Training consists of boundary-breaking, experiential activities that help participants learn about themselves and each other. We lead participants through a customized structured sequence of activities that promote the development of trust and safety within the group. CMI trainers carefully process each experience, providing continual opportunities for challenge and growth. Utilizing facilitated group discussions and unique activities, we help raise self-awareness of the participants and help them share thoughts and feelings regarding topics such as racial and ethnic bias, leadership, heterosexism, discrimination, and sexism. As the group begins to form a community, CMI trainers introduce the skill-building component of the training. We focus on helping resident assistants develop and practice active listening, helpful responding, conflict resolution, and group facilitation skills. These skills empower resident assistants to be caring, effective leaders of their communities. The CMI resident assistant training program supports the overall efforts of the college to develop a safe, inclusive culture.