Cornell University hosts several summer residential programs every year including Cornell’s Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program (PSSP); an invitation-only 4-week program designed to help admitted Cornell students prepare for their first year at Cornell. For more information on the program, please visit https://lsc.cornell.edu/pre-collegiate-summer-scholars-program/. To best support the program, Housing and Residential Life hires residential staff to oversee approximately 200 incoming freshmen students, which includes Resident Directors (RD) and Resident Advisors (RA). Additionally, the PSSP program hires Program Mentors (PM) and Course Assistants to provide academic support. These are hired through a different selection process overseen by PSSP directly.
The temporary full-time, live-in Resident Director (RD) position will manage the summer RAs (Resident Advisors) through opportunities to engage in supervision, direct student support, crisis and conduct management, housing operations, and most aspects of a residential experience in an accelerated timeframe to assure a safe, enjoyable experience for the students.
The RD position requires staff display, maturity, positive role modeling behavior, and good judgement at all times. Successful candidates should expect a fast-paced environment where they will be challenged to learn quickly and adapt to varying priorities based on what is occurring within the program. A successful RD will possess strong customer services skills and a solid work ethic to handle confidential information, effectively problem solve, make informed decisions, enforce policies and mediate potential conflict when dealing with staff, students and families. This supervisory position will have rotating responsibilities with other RDs, including office hours and on-call responsibilities, to successfully meet the needs of the students and adequately respond to potential crises, including physical and mental health crises.
During the summer, incumbents will gain practical experience in campus life, develop leadership abilities, and hone supervision skills, in addition to many other transferable skills that prepare them to excel in any future position in higher education.
Required Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
Time Commitment:
The position will be from June 16, 2026, through August 7, 2026. Selected candidates will be expected to be on campus and complete orientation staring on Monday June 15, 2026, and are expected to depart Saturday August 8, 2026, from provided housing. Compensation includes a $7,500 stipend to be paid out equally over the course of the program as well as a summer meal plan and single room housing within the program’s assigned residence hall. Please note that this position is not eligible for benefits or visa sponsorship.
Contact Information:
Questions may be directed to Associate Director Brandee Nicholson bfn22@cornell.edu.
While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.
University Job Title:
Temporary Student Services Specialist
Job Family:
Temporary Student Services
Level:
No Grade - Annual
Pay Rate Type:
Salary
Pay Range:
Refer to Posting Language
Remote Option Availability:
Onsite
Company:
Contact Name:
Bri Muscente
Contact Email:
bmm249@cornell.edu
Job Titles and Pay Ranges:
Non-Union Positions
Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:
Prior relevant work or industry experience
Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position
Unique applicable skills
Academic Discipline
To learn more about Cornell’s non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.
Union Positions
The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell’s union wages, see Union Pay Rates.
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2026-03-18