Community Advisors - Life at Colby - Colby College, Waterville, ME

As a residential campus, Colby College’s 27 residence halls are what students call home while achieving their academic pursuits. The Office of Campus Life and its Hall Staff team plays an integral part in this residential experience.

As a team, we provide a safe, inclusive, and supportive living environment that integrates the academic, creative, and cultural dimensions of college life. We promote an engaging residential community that fosters connections, personal growth, civility, and student success.

The Community Advisor (CA) position is an important student leadership and employment position that is dedicated to helping accomplish this goal.

Community Advisors work directly with an Area Residence Director (ARD) and the Director of Residential Education to create cohesive living and learning environments within the residence halls.

Important Things To Know About Hall Staff

An environment for all. Diversity and inclusion are more than just buzzwords. We value it and seek students from all backgrounds and identities for this important leadership role.
Quality is key. Campus Life has high expectations, and it shows in our work. We’ll hold you to those same expectations because of your role in helping to lead Hall Staff.
Leaders in the making. Regardless of where you fall on the leadership spectrum, we offer countless opportunities for our team to develop the necessary skills to be successful as student leaders and in future careers.
A flexible approach. Your week will largely be unstructured and certain times of the academic year will require more than others. A large part of your job is non-scheduled, spontaneous, and will be determined by the needs of your Community Advisor team and neighborhood community.
It’s all about our residents. You will be responsible for a residential area of approximately 25-60 residents. As a member of our team, what we do and why we do it is to provide the very best to our 2,200 total residents on campus.

What Does A Community Advisor Do?

A Community Advisor (CA) is an essential leader within the residential community. A CA is a person who genuinely cares about others, inspires respect, role models positive behaviors, and communicates well with others while helping to create an inclusive community environment within their building.

When life hands you lemons, CAs help make lemonade. CAs provide a supportive presence and are there to assist residents with personal and academic concerns, and to help resolve conflicts that may arise in a room or on the floor.
Connecting the dots. CAs serve as a resource and help point students experiencing academic, personal, health, and/or challenging concerns in the right direction for support.
Expanding awareness. CAs must challenge themselves to achieve higher levels of awareness surrounding their own identities and perceptions, and encourage their community to do the same through engaging in conversations on diversity and multiculturalism to create inclusive communities.
Keep on learning. Learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom. CAs participate in training throughout the year. This training helps CAs to continue to learn and grow in the position.
There’s always something to do on campus. In addition to bonding with individual residents, CAs plan and implement programs for residents to learn and engage with one another.
Who you gonna call? CAs are part of a duty rotation on weekends to ensure a safe, healthy, and secure residential environment across campus. They partner with CER and Security to accomplish this.
Setting the tone. As a CA, you will work towards ensuring the community upholds standards of respect and agreed upon community expectations, as well as encouraging a culture of accountability.

Wondering If You’re An Ideal Candidate?

Students that can check the boxes for each of the criteria below represent the qualifications needed to be a Community Advisor.

Full Time Student. You must plan to be a full time student for the 2021-2022 academic year and plan to live on campus (this position cannot be remote).
Getting good grades. You must have a minimum 2.50 cumulative and semester grade point average.
In good standing. CA candidates must be in good student conduct standing. Any involvement in any conduct or legal investigation process may impact your eligibility and ability to remain on staff.
150%. You are willing to go the extra mile for others and see value in enhancing your own skills to be successful in the position and for the future.

Compensation & Perks

Compensation for the position includes a $5,000 stipend paid bi-weekly throughout the academic year. Important Note: Community Advisors not on campus during Jan Plan will not be paid for that time, thereby decreasing the overall stipend by the total number of Jan Plan weeks.

Outside of monetary compensation, CAs can also expect:

Placement in a designated single bedroom
To get a leg-up on others and gain the necessary skills for future success. In fact, the skills you’ll develop and enhance are exactly what employers are looking for from college graduates (National Association of Colleges & Employers – NACE)
- Communication with others
- Ability to work in a team
- Ability to make decisions and problem solve
- Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work
- Ability to positively influence others

Important Selection Process Dates

February 3, 2022 – Applications made available

February 9, 2022 – Student Leader Information Session (7:30PM)

February 15, 2022 – Student Leader Information Session (4:30PM)

February 17, 2022 – Applications deadline (11:59PM)

February 26, 2022 – March 9, 2022 – Interviews

March 18, 2022 – Selection Process Decisions Announced via email

APPLY TO BE AN ADVISOR

Contact The Office of Campus Life

207-859-4280 or [email protected]