Leadership Opportunities
The following opportunities are either volunteer or include a small stipend. All of these opportunities will help students gain valuable leadership experience.
First-Year Fellows
First-Year Fellows are upper-class students who live in first-year residence halls to increase first-year student academic success through coaching and mentoring. They further serve as guides to connect students to appropriate academic resources on campus; they provide tips and education to assist in the academic preparedness and acclimation of first-year students to college life.
As part of the program, all First-Year Fellows live in a single room in a first year living area and will receive a $500 stipend that is paid in two installments ($250 each) to term bills, one payment in the fall semester and the other in the spring. Students can contact the First-Year Fellows by emailing freshmanfellows@gmail.com.
The application for the 2024-2025 academic year is now open!
D’Lions
The D’Lion organization was founded in 1957-58 and is one of the oldest, continuous student organizations on campus. It has a proud history of supporting students and engaging in community service with the City of Rochester.
The D’Lions live throughout first-year areas and help to make students living in these areas feel like the University of Rochester is home. Our Mission Statement: D’Lions of the University of Rochester helps first-year students acclimate to college through building relationships and connecting students to community resources and events for a balanced college experience. Check out our Instagram @rochesterdlions.
We are happy to share that the opportunity to become a D’lion is here! Applications are live!
Come learn more info and get to know current D’Lions at our Meet and Greet on February 3rd 12pm-1pm in Friel Lounge located in the Susan B Anthony Residence Hall.
Students with questions may contact the D'Lions Rochesterdlions@gmail.com or their Advisor Ryan Pallas rpallas@ur.rochester.edu.
Upper-Class EcoReps
The Upper-Class EcoReps are a group of students on campus with a passion for sustainability who participate in a one-credit class during the semester as well as engaging with our first-year program and other environmental organizations on campus. The Upper-Class EcoRep program allows students to continue engaging with sustainability throughout their collegiate career through in-class lectures, activities, and student-led projects throughout the year.
The Upper-Class EcoReps also serve as student mentors to the First Year program and have the option of focusing on environmental education or project-based learning on separate tracks. If you are interested in learning about new topics within sustainability, engaging in meaningful discussion with your peers, and developing leadership skills as an ambassador for sustainability on campus, consider applying for Upper-Class EcoReps!
If you have any questions about the program, please contact urecoreps@gmail.com or visit the EcoRep website.
Residence Hall Association
The RHA serves to represent residence halls and all on-campus students by developing leaders and maintaining an inclusive community through co-sponsorship, student recognition, and additional support services. We work closely with Hall Council and the Special Interest Housing organizations.
We promote and support advocacy within residential life organizations to improve the quality of the undergraduate residential experience.
We work with residential life to ensure standardization and efficiency of processes between residential life and residential life organizations.
If you have any questions about RHA or would like to apply please contact leadershipga@ur.rochester.edu or visit the RHA website.
Leadership Representatives
The University of Rochester has seven student-led Area Leadership councils. Each council is served by student leadership representatives who are dedicated to enhancing the community and the residents' living and learning experience through intentional programming efforts. They also act as an advocate on behalf of the hall to improve the living conditions in their community.
There will be two leadership council members per residential council who serves as a connection between the Residence Hall Association and the leadership ambassador’s residential community to make on-campus life ever better.
Area Councils are your opportunity to lead where you live! Each area on campus has an Area Council that is dedicated to enhancing the community experience within the residence halls through planning events and advocating for hall improvements. Responsibilities include:
- Attending General Assembly (weekly)
- Attending their assigned (or appointed) Committee (weekly)
- Running one large, area wide program
- Will meet with advisor weekly during this semester until the event is over.
- Meeting no less than bi-weekly with advisor all year to discuss how to increase spirit and appreciation of the area.
- Implementation of one sprit/recognition initiative (i.e., merchandise item, hall beautification, mural creation, etc.) per year
- Upper-class areas will help advertise their area during housing selection.
- Attending one RA staff meeting (for each staff if multiple) as necessary to get RA feedback on sprit, recognition, and advocacy *
- Assisting with RA’s large-scale programs in the area (optional)
Students who are nominated will receive their application via email. Students must submit their applications in early September. All accepted students must be able to attend the mandatory leadership training.
Students who are interested in becoming leadership ambassadors can apply online. Applications are CLOSED for the 2023-2024 academic year.