Each first-year student at Bates has an advising team made up of 4 individuals: 2 professional advisors and 2 peer advisors:

Academic Advisor (a member of the faculty)

Student Support Advisor (SSA) (a Student Affairs professional staff member)

Junior Advisor or Transfer Community Advisor (a student peer who lives with you in your residential First-Year Center or Transfer Community)

First-Year Seminar Writing Course-Attached Tutor (W-CAT) (a student peer who is connected to your FYS and can assist you with assignments and navigating First-Year Experience Workshops)

More information is below:

Academic Advisor: Until a student declares a major (no later than March 1 of their second year), their pre-major academic advisor is most often their First-Year Seminar instructor. Once a student declares a major, a faculty member within that academic unit becomes their academic advisor. The academic advisor helps students explore the curriculum to discover their interests and to fulfill requirements.

Student Support Advisor (SSA): The Student Support Advisor supports student success by ensuring they know whom to go to when they need guidance, assistance, or just someone to talk to. Students are assigned a Student Support Advisor prior to their matriculation and remain with their advisor for the duration of their enrollment at Bates. Student Support Advisors respond to student concerns as they arise and are the primary point of contact for personal or social concerns. While First-Year Seminar (FYS) instructors and major advisors provide the primary academic advising for students, Student Support Advisors are an additional point of contact and support for students who have concerns or questions about their academic requirements or who may be struggling academically.

Residential Junior Advisor (JA): All first-year students live within First-Year Centers in the residence halls. Each FYC has an assigned junior advisor (a residential advisor often a sophomore or junior) who serves as a key peer resource to assist students in navigating opportunities at Bates. Most common questions about residence life at Bates, e.g., housing accommodation, roommate information, etc., are answered at the Residence Life website.

Residential Transfer Community Advisor (Transfer CA): At Bates, all incoming transfer students live within a Transfer Community in the residence halls. Each community has an assigned Transfer CA who serves as a key peer resource to assist students in navigating opportunities at Bates. Most common questions about residence life at Bates, e.g., housing accommodation, roommate information, etc., are answered at the Residence Life website.

Writing Course-Attached Tutor (W-CAT): At Bates, all first-year students enroll in a First-Year Seminar (FYS) during their Fall semester. Each FYS includes a peer writing tutor, who is a sophomore, junior, or senior who serves as a key resource to assist students in developing their writing and communication skills within the FYS. First-year students can meet with their FYS W-CAT throughout the Fall semester to review FYS assignments with them as well as to get assistance on the First-Year Experience Workshops, which are tethered to the FYS. The W-CATs are part of the student staff at the Student Writing and Language Center, which is part of the Peer Learning Commons. The Peer Learning Commons is on the Ground Level of Ladd Library.