New Student Leaders

New student leaders are critical student leadership positions that represent the University of Richmond to its incoming first-year, transfer, and exchange students and their families. We strive to assemble a dynamic team of students who are passionate about the University, can serve as a role model to their peers, and who have a genuine desire to work towards building an inclusive community.

The new student leader positions allow students to develop their leadership and professional development skills that further complement their University of Richmond experience. Descriptions of each position are listed below. All of these are paid positions. 

If you have questions about any of these questions, please contact us.

New Student Leader Positions

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  • Peer Academic Advisor (PA)

    Summer 2026 (June - August 2026)

    Peer Academic Advisors (PA) work with incoming Spiders throughout the summer months. PAs work with approximately 50 new students and will be asked to connect with them via e-mail, phone/text, and/or Zoom. The PA’s primary role is to answer questions, communicate important information and deadlines, explain university procedures, and help new students prepare for life on campus. In addition, PAs help students prepare for registration and work alongside faculty and staff academic advisors as they guide new students through the registration process. The weekly time commitment for this position is 8-10 hours from June through mid-August. PAs will be expected to attend all applicable training sessions.

    The process to recruit students for this position will begin during the spring semester.  Please contact Andrea Vest (Associate Director, Academic Advising Resource Center) with further questions.

    Note: Students who have a full-time UR Summer Research Fellowship or any student residing outside the U.S. during the Summer are not eligible for this position.

  • Orientation Advisor (OA)

    August 9 - 22, 2026

    Orientation Advisors guide our new Spiders throughout the New Spider Orientation and transition programs, helping to make sure students know where they are heading, providing resources and referrals, and building a welcoming and inclusive community.

    Please review the Orientation Advisor position description, that outlines responsibilities, remuneration, and dates of commitment.

    Applications are currently open and can be found here.  They must be submitted by Sunday, January 25 at 11:59pm to be considered for this opportunity.

    Note: students studying abroad in the fall semester are not eligible to serve as an OA.

  • WELL 100 Peer Instructor

    Fall 2026 Semester

    All incoming students will take WELL 100 in their first semester. WELL 100 is a 10-session course (meeting once per week for 75 minutes) on various health and well-being topics, as well as topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, sustainability, the value of the liberal arts, involvement and career exploration. The course is co-facilitated by a staff member, as well as a student (called a peer instructor).

    Students must have served (or be hired to serve) as an Orientation Advisor, Resident Assistant, or URWELL Peer Educators.  We will be hiring for this position in late spring once Orientation Advisors, Resident Assistants, and URWELL Peer Educators have been hired.