Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders: Ashoka’s Resident Assistant Programme

The Resident Assistant (RA) Program is not just about managing student dorms—it’s about shaping leaders, building community, and fostering an inclusive campus culture. This student-led initiative empowers undergraduate students to take on significant leadership roles, all while creating a supportive environment for their peers.

Student Leadership in Action
The RA Program offers third- and fourth-year students the unique opportunity to live alongside their peers, but with a twist—they’re the go-to support system for their entire floor. With each RA responsible for a group of 40-70 residents, they become the first point of contact for everything from academic stress to personal struggles. But their job isn’t just about handling crises. RAs are community builders, event planners, and mentors, ensuring that their floor isn’t just a place to sleep, but a space for personal growth, connection, and fun.

This year’s cohort includes 79 students from diverse backgrounds, representing 12 countries and various regions of India. The program focuses on values like wellness, diversity, conflict resolution, and active citizenship, ensuring that every RA’s impact is felt beyond the walls of their residence hall.

What RAs Do: More Than Just Roommates
Each RA wears many hats. They create and run over 150 events each semester, from wellness workshops to gender sensitisation programs and even fun activities like karaoke nights and game cook-offs. These events are designed not only to engage students but to encourage collaboration and provide spaces for students to unwind and connect.

But the real magic happens during Candid Coffee Conversations—an informal, one-on-one setting where RAs and students sit down over a cup of coffee to talk about life at Ashoka, from the academic grind to navigating university systems. It’s a chance for RAs to offer advice, answer questions, and make every student feel like they belong.

Training for Leadership
RAs aren’t thrown into their roles without preparation. Before they even begin, RAs undergo a week-long training designed to equip them with essential skills like event planning, crisis management, and professionalism. The training includes everything from role-playing scenarios to workshops on how to deal with difficult conversations. RAs leave this training not only ready to support their peers but also with leadership skills they can take beyond campus.

Building a Stronger Community
The RA Program thrives on creating a sense of belonging. From floor-level meetings where RAs engage with residents about the floor’s dynamics, to informal social hours, where students relax and bond with their peers, every RA contributes to building a cohesive, welcoming community.

One standout event is The Great Ashokan Weekend, where students, faculty, and staff come together for a series of themed workshops and fun activities across campus. This year’s highlights included a movie marathon, tote bag painting workshops, and cookie decorating—all aimed at strengthening ties between the diverse groups on campus. RAs are also responsible for creating sustainable paper décor, which gets reused in future events—showcasing their commitment to both creativity and sustainability.

A Stepping Stone for Future Success
Serving as an RA isn’t just about helping others—it’s about self-growth too. Through the program, students develop crucial soft skills like conflict resolution, teamwork, and public speaking, which help them navigate their university experience and future careers. Many RAs go on to participate in Ashoka’s Early Leadership Programme (ELP), which places them in permanent roles across the university. All nine participants in the program’s first two years were former RAs, showing how this experience shapes their present and their future as well.