Imagine choosing between your dream summer internship and a year-long job on campus. While it doesn’t seem like the two would correlate, several community advisors could have to make that very decision in the coming months.

A bill was introduced to the Inter-Residence Hall Association on Feb. 2 that dealt with a new starting date for advisor training in regards to the 2017-18 academic year.

The bill was unanimously passed by IRHA to be sent up to their higher power, the Department of Residence. If the DOR votes to enact the bill, the implications could be extensive for returning and new advisors.

The proposed training start date listed in the bill is Aug. 1. This is a few days earlier than the 2016-17 starting date, which was Aug. 4.

The 2015-16 starting date was Aug. 6. This pattern has many CA’s worried that training could be continuously moved up each year.

Many students choose to be employed over the summer or accept internships that have an assigned start and end date. Multiple Iowa State programs require internships to graduate, which leaves students with few options. 

Any students that have non-negotiable summer employment would be unable to begin training on the set date. Subsequently, this would also leave them unable to apply, or reapply, to be an advisor.

Alysa Cheng, junior in statistics, is a CA for Wallace Hall. She said that the new training date doesn’t interfere with her current summer plans, but she sees no reason in beginning training a week earlier.

“The training last year was adequate, and there’s no need to spend additional time in it,” Cheng said.

Cheng went on to say that she learned more of the skills for being an advisor while on the job, versus in training.

Training for advisors is a thorough process, covering how to handle situations that they may have never been in before. Drug and alcohol violations, enforcing quiet hours and handling pets are just a few of these situations.

However, training also covers more personal issues. Harassment, sexual assault and mental health are all discussed throughout training.

Cheng said that training is “beneficial and necessary for a successful year.”

Training also includes staff bonding sessions, both formal and informal, which ensures a smooth transition from training to classes. If there’s a strong relationship among CA’s, the halls themselves tend to be stronger.

Along with summer internships and jobs, Iowa State offers summer classes which end on Aug. 4. Advisors may be able to get an exception for this issue, but they would still be under the stress of juggling summer finals and missed training dates.

The first day of classes for the 2017-18 academic year is set for Aug. 21, while move in day for freshman begins Aug. 14. This would cause CA’s to move in towards the end of July, cutting greatly into an individual’s summer.

“It’s sad to see a lot of very qualified, returning CA’s who can’t return simply because they have to choose between being a CA or developing their professional career,” Cheng said.

A group of current advisors have sent a petition to the DOR to move the start date back. An official decision has yet to be reached.