Guidance and Support Programs
 Despite the serenity of Maine and the beauty of the campus, student life at Colby can be demanding and stressful. Some students find college a time of uncertainty, of painful separation from home, or of intellectual and moral confusion.Family support can be particularly helpful during difficult times. In fact, some students who weren’t especially close to their parents during high school come to rely more heavily on their families for emotional support after they leave for college. Some students turn to the informal support network within their residence halls. Roommates and friends are invaluable sources of counsel and advice. Each hall is supervised by undergraduate community advisors, who are specially trained to help out when needed. When more structured assistance is called for, students can turn to any of a number of offices and counselors who are willing to listen and offer advice when appropriate. Each student receives a detailed brochure describing the personal and academic counseling services available. Counseling Services The Colby College Counseling Service is staffed by experienced licensed professional counselors. Counseling services are available to all students at no charge. Students can make an appointment to meet with a counselor online through their Colby Portals. A counselor is on call for emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whenever the College is in session, and can be reached by the nurse on duty at the health center or by campus security. Counseling Services information and records are kept confidential and are not shared with Health Services staff, parents, faculty, deans, or anyone else without specific written permission. The only exception is in cases when a counselor believes a student is a threat to him/herself or another person. The college years are a challenging time of self-discovery and personal development. Students seek counseling to address a wide variety of issues including, but not limited to, homesickness, adjustment to college, academic concerns, relationship problems, depression, anxiety and panic, issues with family and friends, body image and eating concerns, sexual orientation, issues of death and dying, concerns about alcohol and drug use. Counseling Services also provides a weekly meditation group which is open to all students. A consulting psychiatrist is on campus weekly. A counselor or medical practitioner may refer a student to the psychiatrist. Office of the Dean of Students This office is staffed by a number of professionals who assist students with all aspects of their lives at Colby. The staff encourages a campus environment that supports intellectual life and fosters personal growth as well as a sense of community among faculty and students. They provide academic and personal counseling and address cases of misconduct. Students with academic difficulties may take advantage of tutoring services and study-skills suggestions provided by this office. The Advising System Each new student is assigned a faculty advisor. Most faculty members advise five or fewer new students. Advisors deal primarily with academic questions. They review students’ course loads and help with schedules. Once students choose majors (either at the end of the first year or during sophomore year) they are assigned advisors within their major fields. The Advising Dean program supports and enhances Colby's commitment to first-rate, individual advising of students. Designed to complement Colby’s academic advising, the Advising Dean program ensures that all students have a point of contact for advice and counsel throughout their tenure at the College. Each student is assigned to one of five advising deans in the Dean of Students Office, from whom they may seek information and counseling concerning their lives as students at Colby. The advising deans are knowledgeable about issues and problems that arise for students and are good sources of information about College resources and policies. Advising deans offer general advising as well as referrals to other campus offices, and they help students and parents manage academic and non-academic situations as they arise, consulting extensively with faculty and staff across the College. Colby has no formal program for students with learning differences and does not treat such students differently from others in the admissions process. However, those students with learning differences who are admitted to Colby have several avenues of support, including services coordinated by the associate dean of students. Students with learning differences may be allowed several adjustments to academic procedures, including additional time on examinations, extensions on other assignments, and other variations in examination procedures. Religion and Pastoral Care at Colby Although Baptist beliefs were central to Colby life throughout its first century, the College’s founders insisted that the 1813 charter require no religious test for either faculty or students. Colby respects and supports the religious beliefs of all students while honoring the heritage of the College. Interdenominational Protestant services are held on religious holidays in Lorimer Chapel. Catholic Masses and Episcopal Eucharists are celebrated in the chapel. The Hillel Society on campus organizes religious and social gatherings for Jewish students. A modest-sized mosque also is available for Muslim students to pray. Students may obtain religious counseling from a Protestant minister, Catholic priest, or Jewish rabbi, all of whom are affiliated with the College. Referrals to leaders of other faiths are available through the chaplains. A directory of area churches and synagogues is distributed in the fall. If a student feels that his or her religious needs might not be met by resources on the Colby campus, he or she is encouraged to contact any one of the chaplains for information and help in finding an appropriate environment for worship. |