Learn English – What does RA mean

meaning-in-context

I read this sentence in a Service Encounter class.

Excuse me, are you an RA here at the residence hall?

What does RA mean?

Best Answer

In academia in the USA there are two uses of RA that are common: 1) Research Assistant, and 2) Resident/Residence Assistant (as Bill Franke suggested).

The context of the "residence hall" makes the first definition highly unlikely, as one can be a research assistant at a lab or for a professor - but not in a residence hall. Therefore we can conclude that they must have meant the #2 definition.

Resident/residence assistants are considered "community leaders" in college/University dormitories (on-campus housing), and are usually employed to help make sure basic rules are followed, keep bulletin boards updated, answer questions, be role models, etc.

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