Baker Hall (CU Independent file photo/Matt Wessels)
The position of academic support resident will be phased by the end of the academic year and its responsibilities will be transferred to resident advisers, according to Paula Bland, director of residence life.
“We’ve found in the Residential Academic Programs that the RAs are playing a significant role in the academic programs, and helping students do a lot of what the ASRs do,” Bland said. “We’re going to add the academic support responsibilities into every RA’s role, so it won’t be just one person doing it, but every RA will be doing it.”
ASRs, similar to RAs, live in each residence hall and receive free room and board, Bland said. They are trained to help students with school-related concerns, assist them with time management and study skills, and aid in helping them find tutors.
The change in organization comes as part of greater shift in academic programs on campus, as the university aims for a more integrated approach to resident life that fits in its Flagship 2030 vision, Bland said.
“We really want to increase the amount of academic support and focus in our resident hall communities,” Bland said. “We’ve found as we move into this new direction of academic programs being integrated between academic life, we’re seeing RAs being needed to do more of the academic support.”
People working as ASRs have the opportunity to apply for an RA position, along with all RAs, at the end of the academic year, Bland said.
“We’re not saving any money and we’re going to add another RA position,” Bland said. “Essentially we’re changing it—we’re not taking away or decreasing the total amount of students, but the roles will be different.”
Davina Miller, an 18-year-old freshman open-option major living in Cheyenne Arapahoe, said that she thinks the change could be a good idea.
“I kind of look at the ASR as an RA, so it wouldn’t make much of a difference to me,” Miller said. “The ASRs are good at what they do and it’s nice to have them, but they’re kind of unnecessary because RAs could answer same questions.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Noah Wanebo at Noah.wanebo@colorado.edu.
