Wilson College tests new advising system

With the beginning of the 2001-02 academic year, Wilson College and its advisers launched the first Resident Community Adviser program to replace the RA/MAA program. With two months under their belts, the advisers are cautiously optimistic, and students of the college seem to be responding well.

This departure from the traditional residential advising program — like those established in the University's four other colleges — is the end result of what began as an idea by Wilson's advising team to revamp the student guidance program by combining the roles of the RA and the Minority Affairs Adviser.

Wilson assistant master Sakura Handa explained, "Instead of having an RA/MAA distinction for advisers, the RCAs take on an intimate, one-on-one role in the dorms, as well as becoming mentors for students who have minority concerns within the college."

The fundamental change in responsibility has, so far, seemed beneficial, and the program appears to be functioning well.

Indeed, according to Xiaochin Yan '02, an RCA this year and a Wilson College MAA last year, the change has already had an impact that she said will likely increase in coming years.

"I think the system is much more conducive to team work, community building, and while it probably takes more thinking and adjustment from the previous program, I think given some time, it has great potential to be an effective structure for building sub-communities within the college," Yan said.

Jordan Heller '02, also Wilson RCA this year and an RA last year, expressed a similar sentiment.

"I've been very happy with how the RCA program has worked out so far," Heller said. "The RCAs each have a small group of freshman advisees called 'closest contacts,' but we also encourage other nearby freshmen and sophomores to think of us as their advisers."

With RCA advising, it is hoped that enough of a communication line will develop within the college that students will feel free to speak with whichever of the advisers with whom they feel most comfortable. According to both Yan and Heller, so far student reaction has been largely positive.

"From what I've seen, the advisees have been pretty happy with the system," Yan said. "There were questions in the beginning of the year as to why Wilson has RCAs, not just RAs, but I think the community aspect we're trying to push for, where each advisee has not one but four or five close advisers and all 16 Wilson advisers to go to, has worked out very well."

Heller also stressed both apparent student satisfaction and a new sense of community he said is emerging within the college.

"The students I've interacted with seem comfortable, not just with their own RCA but with other RCAs as well," she said. "These relationships also facilitate contact between freshmen and sophomores throughout the building. I'm really pleased with the sense of community that's developing."

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Concerns were voiced at the start of the program that in the transition to the new system, the role of the MAA would be lost, or at least significantly diminished. This worry is certainly not one lost on program leaders, according to Handa.

"Everyone has been concerned about the MAA role from the beginning, but I think the people chosen for the role this year will lead very strongly in also being an MAA in their own right, to break down the distinctions being made between the two jobs," Handa said.

Though kinks and questions remain to be worked out, it seems a general consensus exists about the success of the program's first quarter. It is a success that Handa attributes entirely to the advisers involved.

"The biggest surprise for me was the people who were in charge of choosing the teams of RCAs did such a good job picking people who work well together and feel very gung-ho about this being their project," she said. "I just feel very, very blessed that we have such a great group of people."