Campuswide Honors Peer Academic Advisor Job Description
The Peer Academic Advisor (PAA) position exists in all academic schools at UCI and in the Campuswide Honors Collegium (CHC). You can review the general campus PAA job description on the UCI Academic Advising website. Read further on this page to learn about the unique aspects of the Campuswide Honors PAA position that make it one of our highest paid and most coveted leadership positions.
Honors PAA Job Description
Honors PAAs work together with the Honors staff, faculty, and leadership team to help support CHC students’ academic and personal development as well as to enhance their sense of belonging to the CHC’s close-knit community. PAAs in the upcoming application cycle will serve for the entire 2025-2026 academic year and are expected to participate in the training offered during Spring Quarter 2025 and prior to Welcome Week in September 2025, in preparation for Welcome Week activities. CHC may also offer optional paid work hours during Summer 2025.
Honors PAAs hold office hours and advise students about UCI, the CHC, and various campus resources. Honors PAAs work as a team to develop and implement various forms of advising outreach and special projects with a focus on success, belonging, and retention in the CHC.
The CHC will consider applications for the Lead Honors PAA role from returning PAAs
Honors-Specific Roles and Responsibilities
General campus PAA roles and responsibilities can be viewed on the campus PAA Job Description web page. The following are additional roles and responsibilities specific to Honors PAAs:
- Assist in the orientation of new Honors students, specifically through group meetings during Welcome Week.
- Provide information to students regarding Honors curriculum and policies, such as the Honors petitions for exceptions process and the Honors research and thesis process.
- Facilitate connection to and communication with other groups of honors students (including commuters, second years, upper-division students, transfer students, etc.) through student interaction, advising, and various outreach initiatives.
- Attend all CHSC meetings and be a positive and involved member of the Honors community.
- Provide assistance for CHC special projects and plan and implement your own.
- Co-coordinate and assist with events planned in the honors housing facilities or by the Campuswide Honors Student Council (CHSC), Celebrate UCI, and other programs as required.
Honors-Specific Eligibility
Basic Eligibility requirements for the PAA position can be viewed on the campus Become a Peer Academic Advisor web page.
Applicants for the 2025-2026 Honors PAA position should also meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a current Campuswide Honors student in good standing, with a minimum GPA of 3.2
- Must intend to hold the Honors Peer Academic Advisor position for the full academic year
- Must enroll at UCI as a full-time student each quarter for the 2025-2026 school year.
Honors-Specific Preferred Qualifications
Selection criteria for the PAA position can be viewed on the campus Become a Peer Academic Advisor web page. The following are additional preferred (not required) qualifications specific to the Honors PAA position:
- A genuine desire to help others
- Experience using Honors services and resources and attending Honors-sponsored events
- Familiarity with and completion of/plan to complete all honors course sequences and research
- Have clearly demonstrated teamwork and leadership skills, particularly within the CHC community
- Experience as a mentor, teacher, or advisor
Mandatory Training and Time Commitments
General campus PAA training and time commitments can be viewed on the campus PAA Job Description web page. The following are additional training and time commitments specific to Honors PAAs. All are required unless specifically marked as OPTIONAL.
Spring 2025
The “Additional hours” mentioned in the general campus PAA Mandatory Training and Time Commitments will be spent shadowing current PAAs, creating an Honors PAA team introduction video, and participating in CHC community events.
Summer 2025
- July 9, 10, 14, and 15: OPTIONAL work opportunity to support CHC students at New Student Orientation (SPOP) sessions 1 and 2.
- Early-Mid August: Honors PAAs work together in-person or remotely to:
- Schedule all Welcome Week new student group meetings
- Prepare content for Campuswide Honors Summer Mailing
- Other tasks as needed
- Week BEFORE Welcome Week (M-Th): Participate in mandatory CHC-specific training in the Honors Office and finalize plans for Welcome Week events (20 hours).
Welcome Week 2025
Work a total of 20 hours comprised of tasks on the campus PAA Job Description web page as well as
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- Welcome Week new student group meetings
- Campuswide Honors Dean’s Welcomes
- Drop-ins
- CHC Beach Day
Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026
During their 10 hours/week Honors PAAs also
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- Attend and participate in CHSC meetings (Wednesdays from 5-6 p.m. when not attending All PAA Meetings)
- Attend and rotate leading meetings with the Honors Advisors (weekly)
- Attend and rotate leading meetings with the Honors PAA team (weekly)
- Help with campus-wide events during the year, such as Celebrate UCI.
Application Questions?
Attend the general campus PAA program information session on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 4pm on Zoom. Access the link and view previous information session recordings on the campus PAA Job Description web page.
For additional information about eligibility and the application process, please review the campus PAA Application FAQ page.
We strongly encourage you to contact a current Honors PAA honors.paa@uci.edu if you have questions or would like to talk more about what this position entails. For additional information, you may also contact Christina Treble at honors@uci.edu.
Now all that is left is to apply!