Graduate Program

College Student Affairs

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

Spring 2024

Thesis Director

Jon K. Coleman

Thesis Committee Member

Mona Y. Davenport

Thesis Committee Member

Jeremy D. Alexander

Abstract

Burnout among Resident Assistants is very common due to the physically and emotionally demanding nature of the position (Stoner, 2017). For RAs of color, experiencing racism on campus and the barriers to higher education BIPOC individuals face can push them towards burnout more quickly (Jackson, 2012; Hotchkins & Dancy, 2017; Harper et al., 2011). While a multitude of research has been done on RA burnout, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding the BIPOC RA experience of burnout. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to examine how burnout in BIPOC RAs could be connected to their race. The findings suggest that burnout among participants was not related to their race, but feeling unprepared to handle distressing incidents, sensing a lack of support from upper-level Housing professionals, and seeing a lack of appreciation from their residents contributed to their burnout.

Download

Share

COinS