On-Campus Housing

Hall Advisor



Apartment | Community Development | Housing Areas | People to Know
Qualifications | Responsibilities | Rewards | Schedule | FAQ

The Hall Advisor position is a full-time staff position with the university. Residence Life does not hire couples as Hall Advisors. Openings for the Hall Advisor position are posted through the BYU Administrative and Staff Employment Services website, and all applications must be submitted online through this link. Employment Services accepts applications for posted positions only.

Often, the most rewarding aspect of the hall advisor position is the opportunity to influence the lives of college students. Because of the direct daily contact with a large number of students, a hall advisor can have a definite impact on their spiritual, academic, and developmental growth. The hall advisor's primary role is that of educator-a role supported by BYU and BYU Residence Life.

If you have further questions on the Hall Advisor position, please contact the Office of Residence Life at (801) 422-2810. A vacancy occurring in a specific on-campus area does not guarantee placement of a new hire in that area.


Apartment


Furnishings

The hall advisor's one-bedroom apartment comes furnished with refrigerator, stove, and curtains or blinds. In Heritage Halls, the hall advisor's office is located in the apartment living room and comes with office shelves, a desk, a chair, and a computer. Apartments may also come with bookshelves, a microwave, kitchen table and chairs, or a TV stand.

Hall advisors need to provide their own additional furnishings for the apartment. Flowers may be planted in pots on the patio.

Limited storage space is available, along with common laundry facilities shared by student residents.


Utilities

Utilities are included with the apartment. However, hall advisors who elect to get BYU long distance, BYU phone mail, or Ethernet for their personal telephone or computer pay for these items. The apartment includes one digital telephone, telephone jack, Ethernet port, and BYU cable.


Meals

A board plan (currently 20 meals per week) is provided for the Hall Advisor at the Cannon Commons cafeteria (Helaman Halls). These meals may be used at the employee’s discretion, including providing meals for family members – up to a total of 20 meals per week. Hall Advisors are expected to help monitor the quality of food and service provided for the resident tenants and to assist in fostering a sense of community by eating in the Residence Life dining facility.


In-Home Businesses

If you or your spouse has questions about operating an in-home business in the residence halls, please talk to the area management.


Helaman Halls Hall Advisor Apartment

The hall advisor apartment in Helaman Halls has two entrances. The front door opens from an outside patio to the living room side of the living room/kitchen area, while another door opens from the hall office into the kitchen.

The apartment is located on the ground floor, in the center of the building. The apartment bedroom is adjacent to the one of the building's main entrances. The hall office looks out into the building lobby on one side and the main corridor on the other.


Heritage Halls Hall Advisor Apartment

Hall advisor apartments in Heritage Halls (Upper Heritage, Lower Heritage, New Heritage) may be one of two different floor plans, depending on the area where the building is located. Buildings in upper Heritage have three stories and a basement, while buildings in lower Heritage have only two stories and a basement.

In both areas, the hall advisor apartment is located on the ground floor off the hall lobby and next to one student apartment. The apartment door, just inside the building front doors, also serves as an office door. There is no exterior entrance.

The hall advisor office is located in the front half of the living room. In lower Heritage, bookshelves divide the office and living room space. In upper Heritage, the office desk and shelves are along the wall next to the front door.


Wyview Park Hall Advisor Apartment

The hall advisor apartment in Wyview Park is a two-bedroom apartment. The apartment is located on the first floor on the end of the building. There is no specified office location for hall advisors at Wyview Park.


Parking

As full-time university employees, hall advisors can register for a faculty/staff parking permit that will allow them to park one vehicle at a time in faculty/staff parking areas on campus. State law requires that employees with staff parking permits register their car in the state of Utah.

The hall advisor also has one reserved parking space within the housing area near the hall advisor apartment. Once registered, additional cars may park in the on-campus parking lots.


Community Development


The mission of Residence Life is to "enable individuals to live, learn, work and grow in Gospel-centered communities." Learning to live as a member of a community is an important part of personal development for college-age adults. As students live away from home in a community setting, they must learn to respect others' needs and expectations, voice their own expectations and concerns about community life, and resolve differences and conflicts peacefully. Hall advisors have a major responsibility for facilitating community development as part of this learning process.


Community Development Training

Hall Advisors participate in extensive community development training to prepare to help communities develop within the residence halls. They learn about the role of the community in student development, natural community progression, developing healthy communities, and facilitating dialogue between individuals. Hall Advisors also learn about community standards, a program developed to help residents learn to live in a healthy community. They, in turn, are expected to train and support the Resident Assistants, who facilitate the community development process within the residence Halls.


Community Standards

Throughout the year, residents meet in apartment, floor, and hall groups with the resident assistants to establish standards for their living community. Residents also develop goals for their community and establish ways to approach concerns about community life. Resident assistants teach residents about living in a community and act as facilitators in the community standards process. Hall advisors play a vital role by preparing R.A.s to facilitate community development, and by continuing to teach and support R.A.s throughout the process.


Housing Areas


Helaman Halls

Helaman Halls are traditional room and board style facilities. Each hall contains student lounges, study rooms, shower and restroom areas, and laundry and storage facilities. It can accommodate students with disabilities.

Helaman Halls houses 1135 women and 916 men in nine buildings. Each building has three floors, with about 74 students and two resident assistants per floor.


Heritage Halls

Heritage Halls provides apartment-style housing for 938 women and 756 men. Traditional style apartments have a combination kitchen-dining-study room, three bedrooms (designed for two people each), and a bathroom. Newer apartments have a kitchen, living room, three bedrooms (designed for two people each, and two bathrooms with a hallway vanity. Apartments are furnished, except for bedding and kitchen items.

Heritage Halls has 14 traditional style halls with 60-75 students (including a resident assistant in each hall). Each traditional style hall has 10-14 apartments, a large lobby/living area, recreation room, laundry, and storage facilities. Heritage also has 4 new four-story halls, with 40-50 students (including a resident assistant) per floor. Each new hall has a large activity room on the first floor, with smaller activity rooms on the other three floors. They also have laundry and storage facilities in the basement, and music practice rooms throughout the building.


Wyview Park

Wyview Park provides apartment living for 775 Women and 526 men. A few apartments accommodate students with disabilities. Two and three bedroom apartments have both single and shared bedrooms, one bathroom, living room and kitchen. Apartments have beds, desks, drawers, living room and kitchen furniture; but residents provide their own bedding and kitchen items.

Wyview Park has thirty buildings with approximately 39 to 56 residents per building, and a resident assistant in most buildings. A central laundry and Creamery store are located in one facility, with a multi-purpose building just a few steps away where music practice rooms, wireless internet connections, study rooms, and church facilities are available.


People to Know


Hall Advisors

Hall advisors are responsible for 150-264 students living in one or more buildings in a housing area. They supervise resident assistants and advise hall councils for these buildings and live in one of the assigned buildings.


Resident Assistants

Resident assistants are responsible for 36-75 students living on their assigned floor (Helaman Halls, Heritage Halls) or in their assigned building (Heritage Halls, Wyview Park, & FLSR). Resident assistants live on the assigned floor or in the assigned building.


Hall Presidents

Hall presidents are the Residence Halls Association officers at the hall level. Hall presidents lead the hall council in organizing recognition and programming activities for hall residents. They also serve as members of the area council, which organizes recognition and programming for residents in the housing area. Hall presidents work closely with the hall advisor and resident assistants.


Area Management

Area management consists of managers and assistant managers for Helaman Halls, Heritage Halls, and Wyview Park. The FLSR is managed by the assistant director of Residence Life. Area management supervises the hall advisors and is responsible for all the students living in the housing area. Area management offices are located in the central building for each area.


Residence Life Administration

Residence Life administration includes a director, an assistant director, and the area managers. Directors oversee the overall operations of Residence Life, including on-campus, off-campus, and family housing. They also direct and coordinate area management. Residence Life administration offices are located in the Student Auxiliary Services Building at the north end of campus.


Qualifications


Education and Experience


Professionalism


Dress Standards

Hall Advisors are expected to observe high standards in modesty, taste, judgment and appropriateness of dress and grooming, in line with the Dress & Grooming Standards found in the BYU Employee Handbook.



Health


Family Status

Responsibilities


Student Development


Resident Leadership


Safety And Security


Physical Facilities


Reporting


Other Responsibilities


Rewards


The hall advisor position offers many opportunities for professional development. Hall advisors develop and refine interpersonal skills in public relations, counseling, mediation, and conflict resolution. As a supervisor of 2-6 resident assistants and as advisors to student leaders, hall advisors expand skills in interviewing, training, and personnel supervision. Hall advisors also sharpen computer skills, participate in emergency training, and attend professional development seminars throughout the year.

The hall advisor position also offers many intangible rewards. Hall advisors have the opportunity to mentor students at a pivotal point in their lives, helping them develop values and skills they will carry into their homes and communities following the university experience. Often, hall advisors receive thank-you notes from former students for the way they have touched their lives.

Although hall advisors get to know between 150-264 students each year, they still have time to counsel with many students on an individual basis. Helping students weather personal crises is a rewarding experience. A hall advisor may spend many hours with a student who is struggling academically, emotionally, or spiritually-counseling the student and helping him or her gain access to university services. Hall advisors find joy in seeing these students overcome challenges and reach their goals.

Being a hall advisor can be physically, emotionally, and spiritually demanding, but it offers many opportunities for personal and professional growth. Skills developed in this position provide invaluable experience for many of life's opportunities.


Schedule



Day On-Call Hours On-Duty Hours
Monday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m - 7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 10:00p.m.
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunday On-Duty 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Hall advisors have a set day off each week (on Wednesday or Thursday from midnight to midnight). They also take every other weekend off from Friday at 5:00 p.m. to Sunday at 5:00 p.m.

A Typical Day in the Life of a Hall Advisor

7:00 a.m. Your daughter wakes you up saying, "I'm hungry." You make breakfast for the family, get dressed, and straighten the house.
8:30 a.m. You get your daughter dressed and the two of you go to the grocery store. On the way to the car, one of your hall presidents sees you and runs over to say that she can't make the hall council meeting that night because she has a date. You set up a time to meet with her individually. You also make a mental note to talk to her at the meeting about planning effectively.
9:30 a.m. You are unloading your groceries. Some of the young men from your men's hall see you and come over to help. You have been trying to reach one of them for a week. Once inside you ask if he can stay a minute. You tell him you are concerned because the back door of his building was propped open several times in the last two weeks. You explain that this is a fire code violation and needs to stop. He says he lost his keys and hates going around to the front of the building to get in. You issue him a temporary key and write up a charge slip for his lost key. You make a note to yourself to submit a lock change when you go to staff meeting.
11:30 a.m. You and your daughter meet your husband for lunch at the Cannon Commons.
12:30 p.m. You put your daughter down for a nap, and then make a few phone calls to the R.A.s and hall presidents to remind them about tonight's fire drill. You decide to lie down and rest for a few minutes.
1:50 p.m. Your babysitter arrives and you gather your planner, cell phone, and rove log for the Tuesday staff meeting. Before going into the meeting, you see the note about the lock change and grab a key request form the area office.
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Staff Meeting
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. R.A. Class. Shortly after class starts, your cell phone rings. The call is from a resident who is locked out of her room and wearing only a towel. You quickly run over to the hall to open the door, and make sure she has her keys before returning to class. When class ends you hand off the cell phone to the on-duty R.A.
5:00 p.m. You return home, pay the babysitter, and go to the Cannon Commons for dinner with your family.
6:50 p.m. You leave your daughter with your husband and meet the R.A.s outside to coordinate for the fire drill.
7:00 p.m. The R.A.s begin the fire drill. You take roll as the residents exit.
7:30 p.m. The fire drill is completed. You turn in the fire drill reports and return home to finish the agenda for the R.A./hall council meeting.
8:00 p.m. You meet with the R.A.s and hall council. You plan an upcoming activity and excuse the hall council. You review mediation skills with the R.A.s and discuss hall concerns, including an outbreak of prank wars. You distribute duty sheets for next week's cleaning inspections.
9:00 p.m. You sit at your computer to work on a project for Friday's TEAM meeting. A resident from one of your women's halls stops by to talk about a conflict with her roommates. She feels like they don't accept her. There have been several disputes in the last week. You coach her on how to peacefully resolve a conflict. She asks for your help with an apartment meeting.
10:00 p.m. You hand off the cell phone and remind the R.A. to watch for pranks.
11:00 p.m. You go to bed.
1:00 a.m. Screaming outside your window wakes you up. You look out and see a large group of students running and sliding through puddles in a sudden downpour. You throw on some clothes and go outside. When you finally get their attention, you remind them that quiet hours began at 11 p.m. and that some of their friends in the hall have early classes and are trying to sleep. They apologize and quiet down.

Frequently Asked Questions


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What resources are available to help me with student problems or concerns?

Hall advisors act as resources and coordinate services for students with problems or concerns. You will receive training on how to deal with typical student issues and crisis situations. The area manager and assistant manager for your housing area are experienced in dealing with student problems and are your primary resource. You also refer students to ecclesiastical leaders, Academic Advisement, the Counseling and Career Center, International Student Services, University Police, and the Honor Code Office.

What is the hall advisor's responsibility in advising student programming councils?

BYU, like other colleges and universities, has a Residence Hall Association made up of on-campus student leaders that plan student activities. At the hall level, there is a hall council made up of student leaders who live in that hall and plan activities for hall residents. The councils include a hall president, floor presidents, and other positions such as recognition specialist and publicity chair. The hall advisor advises the hall council and trains council members in their responsibilities.

How many hours will I work?

The Hall Advisor position is 40 hours per week. However, the nature of this job tends to make the hours fluctuate a bit from week to week. During cleaning inspections or a week involving crisis with students, you may end up working more than 40 hours. But another week (usually only in the second half of the semester) you may only work 30 hours.

What are on-duty, on-call, and emergency hours really like?

On-duty hours (3-5 p.m. and 7-10 or 11 p.m. on weekdays; 7-10 or 11 p.m. on weekends) are spent actively working with residents and resident assistants, attending meetings, completing paperwork, conducting cleaning inspections, etc. Hall advisors must remain in the housing area during on-duty time.

On-call hours (10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. on weekdays; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekends) mean that if you are at home, you respond to the needs of the residents as they occur. What is this really like? Usually, it is residents with questions, so you can be talking on the phone with a resident while doing the dishes in the morning or folding the laundry. Most needs that arise during on-call hours are quickly and easily taken care of. Meetings may also be scheduled during on-call hours.

Emergency on-call seems to mean in the middle of the night, or on your day or weekend off. These are usually serious incidents that occur with residents and can take several hours to resolve. Emergency incidents also require that the hall advisor write an incident report and follow-up with area management the next day. Such incidents include medical emergencies, members of the opposite sex being found in the bedroom of a resident, broken windows, suicide attempts, etc.

How does time off work?

Hall advisors get one day a week and every other weekend off. The weekend off begins Friday at 5 p.m. and ends with on-duty time on Sunday night. Hall advisors work every Sunday.

Time off is administered according to university policy. With approval from the area manager, vacation and sick time may be used as accrued. Both vacation and sick hours begin accumulating as soon as you are officially hired (3.7 hours of each per pay period). Sick leave may only be used for health reasons. There is no maternity leave. You use your accrued sick and vacation leave during this time.

An important thing to remember in considering time off is that hall advisors live at their workplace. So, unlike an 8 a.m.-5 p.m. office job, a hall advisor is still at work even on a day off. Residents will approach you with problems or concerns as you are getting the groceries out of the car or sitting outside with your spouse. You will soon realize that privacy is not one of the benefits of the position.

When can I take vacation time?

In most situations, Hall Advisors can use accrued vacation days during the following periods: (1) after all students have checked out at the Christmas break (Hall Advisors must return prior to winter semester orientation); and, (2) the first through the third week of May. (Some exceptions may occur due to program needs.) Overnight absences from the hall are permitted on the Hall Advisor’s regularly scheduled weekend off duty. Approval from area management must be received before any other overnight absences are taken.

Many people have the impression that hall advisors have lots of free time. In reality, hall advisor's responsibilities are spread throughout the day, so you need to plan free time for yourself and your family.

How does family time work in with the hall advisor schedule?

Family time can be anytime during on-call hours or time off. However, when you need exclusive family time, you may need to plan to go somewhere else (like the park) or you will still be interacting with residents as their needs arise.

Many people have the impression that hall advisors have lots of free time. In reality, hall advisor's responsibilities are spread throughout the day, so you need to plan free time for yourself and your family.

Can I keep my child/children with me for most of my work responsibilities?

This really depends on the age, personality, and needs of your child/children. An infant who is not yet crawling may be content to sit beside you and play with toys while you meet with residents, conduct cleaning inspections, or do paperwork. An older child may be less content to sit still and may demand your attention while you need to focus on work. Residents need your attention, and when you are on duty they are your first priority.

While most residents enjoy the presence of a child, a hall advisor also must be careful not to impose the child on residents or R.A.s since they have other responsibilities.

When will I need to arrange for childcare?

You will always need childcare for meetings and interviews. Often, you will only have a few hours to find a baby-sitter for a meeting that has come up unexpectedly, so it is helpful to have a number of people you can call on with short notice.

You will also need childcare on short notice for emergency situations when you need both hands and all your faculties around you. This may include dealing with a prank, accident, or fire alarm, or counseling with students.

During heavy work periods, such as the beginning and end of semesters when students check in and out, and during resident assistant and conference assistant training, you may need to arrange full-time childcare. Depending on the age, personality, and needs of your children, you may also need childcare during on-duty time.

How will this position affect my family life and my relationship with my spouse?

If your spouse and children enjoy the residents, having your family at work can be a fun aspect of the job. However, you also don't have a lot of privacy. In some halls, the walls are very thin and normal conversations in your living room can be heard in the hall lobby. Couple and family time is frequently interrupted by phone calls or student emergencies.

The impact of this position on your relationship with your spouse often depends on how supportive your spouse is of you working. For many couples, the most difficult adjustment is an adjustment to the interruptions and lack of privacy that come with having the hall advisor working out of the home.

Your spouse will be more supportive if he or she realizes from the beginning that being a hall advisor is a full-time job, and that you won't have time to do things that you would normally do at home if you weren't working-like cooking, cleaning, and childcare. This position can make many couples rethink their family roles. Responsibilities such as childcare, house cleaning, errands, etc., may have to be rethought and perhaps reassigned.

How does taking classes work with the hall advisor schedule?

Because the hall advisor position is full-time, you are only allowed to take a maximum of six credit hours during both fall and winter semesters, and three credit hours during both spring and summer terms. Classes may not be taken during on-duty hours. All classes need to be approved in advance by area management. To complete a degree, you need to apply and be accepted through the admissions office as a student.

Even though you may take six credits per semester, you may not be able to fulfill all your school and job responsibilities with six credits. You need to make sure your class workload does not overburden you. Taking three credits may be plenty, especially with a family.