How Professional Staff Can Show Appreciation
Oh, hey! Welcome to the community!
While RAs often work behind the scenes, their contributions profoundly shape the student experience. They are responsible for building inclusive communities, helping residents feel at home by organizing floor meetings, celebrating diversity, or simply being a friendly face in the hallway. RAs also provide essential support, often becoming the first person students turn to when facing personal struggles, academic stress, or roommate conflicts. Additionally, they bridge the gap between students and administration by relaying important messages, enforcing policies, and gathering feedback that helps shape residence life programming. Their commitment extends beyond regular hours, as they often work around the clock—handling late-night lockouts, de-escalating conflicts, or responding to crises to keep their communities safe and supported. With so much responsibility on their shoulders, recognition from professional staff can make a real difference in their experience and motivation.
Creative Ways to Appreciate Your RAs
Recognizing RAs is more than just a gesture—it’s a way to show how much their hard work is valued. We remember the days of supervising and recognizing student staff, so here are a few ideas direct from the eRezLife team:
- Personalized Appreciation Notes – Encourage residents, departmental leadership, and campus partners to write thank-you notes for RAs. Collect and distribute them as a heartfelt token of appreciation.
- Bulletin Board in a Bag – Provide a fully designed bulletin board or door decoration template that RAs can easily put up, lightening their administrative load.
- Team Appreciation Events – Repurpose a staff meeting for appreciation! Organize a catered meal (if budget allows), host Minute-to-Win-It activities, or set up Jackbox or board games for a fun bonding experience.
- Professional Development Support – Write LinkedIn recommendations or endorse RAs for showcasing their leadership, conflict resolution, or community engagement skills.
- Donut Know What We’d Do Without You – Partner with housing student leaders like NRHH and RHA to deliver donuts or themed treats on RA Appreciation Day.
- Dining Hall Appreciation – Coordinate with dining services to display RA Appreciation signage in all dining halls, serve a “Happy RA Appreciation Day” cake, and provide a banner for students to sign. Display these banners in residence halls as a visual thank-you.
- Res Life Thanks You a Latte – Design a coffee-themed card with a voucher for a free handcrafted beverage at your on-campus coffee shop. Need a budget-friendly idea? Consider providing hot cocoa packets, single-serve coffee pods, instant coffee packets, or a bottled/canned beverage with the card.
- Supervisor Coupons – Create fun incentive coupons like treats for a staff meeting or covering a duty round for a night paired with a personalized recognition note from a supervisor.
- Raffle Entries for Leadership Opportunities – Sponsor RA attendance at a regional or national student leadership conference.
- Themed Treat Bags – Assemble creative goodie bags with pun-themed treats: “You’re O-Fish-ally an Amazing RA” (Swedish Fish), “It’s been a joy to see you lead” (Almond Joy), or “Just Popping in to Say Thanks” (Popcorn or Pop Rocks).
Ways to Use eRezLife for RA Appreciation
eRezLife makes it easy to recognize and celebrate your RAs by streamlining appreciation efforts within the platform. Here are some ways you can use eRezLife to show your appreciation:
- NRHH “Of the Month” Nominations – Use the Residence Life service to create a form for submitting nominations, helping RAs gain regional and national recognition.
- Team Kudos & Recognition – Set up a form for supervisors and peers to share words of appreciation for RAs.
- RA Staff Awards – Create a form to collect nominations and recognize outstanding RA contributions.
- RA Appreciation Day Event – Add the event to your eRezLife calendar to ensure your team plans for meaningful celebrations.
A Culture of Ongoing Appreciation
While RA Appreciation Day is a great time to spotlight their efforts, recognition shouldn’t stop after one day. Make appreciation an ongoing part of your residence life culture by checking in with RAs, advocating for their needs, and acknowledging their work year-round.
By investing in RAs’ success, professional staff not only uplift these student leaders but also strengthen the entire residence life community. A little recognition today can go a long way in motivating and retaining the next generation of campus leaders.
We’d love to hear about how you’re recognizing your RA’s, share your ideas on our social channels, Instagram: @erezlifesoftware, Facebook & LinkedIn: @erezlife.
Welcome to the community. We’re glad you’re here!
