Although the average Undergraduate Advisor has more residents this year compared to previous ones, most UGAs contacted by The Dartmouth say that the increase has not negatively affected their work.
According to Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman, each staff member oversees 20 to 30 first-year students or 40 to 50 upperclassmen. This year's freshman class consists of 1,125 students -- 50 more than the average class size -- leaving some UGAs faced with more students than usual.
Mike O'Donnell '02, a UGA in McCulloch Hall responsible for 40 students on two floors, told The Dartmouth, "I've been a UGA for three years now, and in reality, the formally outlined workload placed on us has decreased; programming guidelines and expectations that were complex and overwhelming ... in the past have been substantially reduced and loosened."
"I don't think that [dealing with more residents] is unreasonable or overwhelming ... the responsibilities that go along with it are entirely manageable and well worth it."
Catherine Buck '04, a UGA in Topliff, is unsure if she is overloaded and is anxious to see how she will fit meetings with her community director and floor residents into her schedule once school is in full-swing.
In comparison to other undergraduate programs in universities across the nation, the load of students Dartmouth's UGAs handle now falls in the mid-range, according to Redman.
Other changes to the residential advising system include "interactions" which UGAs are now expected to engage in every week -- hall meetings, dinner with residents or merely wandering the halls. These tasks require them to be present in their dorms, rather than busying themselves with paperwork and planning, as in previous years.
The Office of Residential Life also recently revamped their cluster councils to allow residents to create their own social events and has given them UGA credit cards or "pro cards."
ORL has also hired Community Directors to support the UGAs, oversee cluster councils and help resolve problems, should they arise, with individual students in each cluster.
With this extra aid and funding, UGAs are given more leeway in shaping the atmosphere of their designated floors. Some UGAs are even finding trouble deciding what to do with their funds.
"There are UGAs who want to create a community on their floor, but aren't really sure how to use the pro card," Buck said.
Due to the fact that the Choates and River clusters now consist of only first-year students, and Massachusetts Row is entirely upperclassmen, there are disparities in the number and grade level of students assigned to the UGAs.
Redman explained that UGAs are placed in their residential clusters according to preferences expressed during the selection process in the spring, as well as their skills and talents for working with varying populations.
The changes have not affected enthusiasm -- Buck, an '04 charged with advising a floor full of upperclassmen, said that she is still "stoked."
