What this is
Dan Oltersdorf started ResidentAssistant.com in 1998 as “the Rx for RAs,” and ran it for more than twenty years. It became a place where RAs shared program ideas, bulletin boards, door decs, games, advice and templates. The domain is back, and the ideas are here again so RAs can keep using them. Read the history.
A static site, built to last
The old site ran on forms, scripts and databases, which need constant upkeep and can be attacked. This one is plain pages: no accounts, no sign-ups, no database. The only form is a simple contact form handled by an outside service. That makes it fast, cheap to host and low-maintenance, so it can stay online for the community.
What’s on the site
- The final 2013 version of the site, plus the Joomla-era pages and the original 1998–2005 site.
- Program ideas, bulletin boards, door decs, games, advice, and downloadable flyers and templates.
What you should know
- Older pages are kept as written. Dates, prices and campus details may have changed, and each older page says which version of the site it came from.
- Some features are gone. The old logins, forms, discussion boards and newsletter sign-ups don’t work. Use the new search to find things instead. Some old links point to copies on the Internet Archive.
- Privacy. Email addresses and personal details were removed. Contributor credits show a first name and last initial.
- Today’s resources. For current training, associations and communities, see RA resources today.
About Dan
Dan Oltersdorf is a first-generation college student who became an RA because the job paid his room and board, and who saw lives change in that role. As an undergraduate he founded ResidentAssistant.com in 1998 and ran it, along with ReslifePro.com, into the late 2010s.
He earned a master’s degree in higher education and stayed in student housing as, in his words, “a professional RA.” He became Campus Advantage’s first employee, building its resident experience and People & Culture programs, and later led Centricity as President.
Today he is based in Denver, with more than 25 years in growth, people and customer experience.
Credits, copyright and privacy
The site includes work shared by many RAs and staff over the years. If you contributed something and want it credited differently or removed, please contact us. This site does not use cookies or tracking. The contact form is processed by Formspree, and search runs entirely in your browser.
Suggest a resource or report a problem
Use the contact form. It’s the same simple form used on danoltersdorf.com.