‘RAs are the first responders’: Dheeraj Sanghi on the RA Experience
At Ashoka University, the Resident Assistant (RA) Programme plays a central role in shaping the student residential experience, balancing care, responsibility, and community-building.
0
In this conversation, Dheeraj Sanghi, Dean of Student Affairs, reflects on what it truly means to be an RA, the responsibilities the role entails, and why it continues to be one of the most rewarding leadership opportunities on campus.
Q. What is something about being an RA that most students misunderstand until they become one?
RAship is a leadership position. You are responsible for a very large number of students, 30 to 40 students, solving their problems and all kinds of problems. I mean, even if you are not able to solve the problem directly, you put them in touch with the right person, and therefore you are responsible for a large number of students.
I think that is something which is very exciting for a lot of senior students.
Q. RAs are often the first responders to student life. What does a typical day actually look like in real life?
So RAs will meet people on the floor. They will try to find out if anybody has any issues, and whether those issues are because of stress, anxiety or other mental health issues, or just, you know, two roommates not getting along for some reason.
Who do they approach? They approach RA. I think that in that sense, RAs are the first responders, and they actually go through a lot of training to handle such cases. It is not that we put you in the deep sea without knowing how to handle these positions.
Q. If you had to describe the impact of an RA in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
It is leadership with fun. So you are responsible for students, but at the same time you are having a lot of fun. You are making a lot of new friends and generally, you know, hostel life is anyway fun, but you have so many people from different parts of life who look up to you to really take care of them.
Q. In one sentence, what message would you want to give to students who are looking to join the RA programme?
Leadership with fun—that is the phrase. So this is leadership with fun. And you know, you get your own single room. You have a much nicer place to stay. You get a small stipend, lot of advantages. And the amount of respect that you get in the student body is amazing.
