Sr. Advisor, Academic - Coral Gables, United States - InsideHigherEd

Description

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General Description (Summary of Purpose and Function):

The Senior Academic Advisor serves as an educational resource to new, current, and transfer students by providing expert and specialized academic counseling to a diverse student population. He/she provides a range of academic advisement within a specified undergraduate academic department and/or the equivalent unit of a school or college. The Advisor assists students in their growth and development by constructing degree-compliant educational plans that are compatible with the student's professional and life goals. Advisors engage in a consistent process of personal contact with their advisees so that students are properly counseled to be self-directed, motivated, and responsible decision-makers. The Advisor assesses academic level, responds to student academic inquiries, assists in the resolution of individual academic problems, advises on academic program changes, advises and assists students in the development of class schedules.. The Advisor tracks advisees' advancement and provides case management to promote timely graduation, adhering to and upholding the University of Miami Advising Compact. Senior Academic Advisors report to the Miami Herbert Assistant Dean for Academic Advising.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serves as the first point of contact for educational advice. Assists students in exploring their interests and broad educational goals; recommends appropriate courses, cognates, majors, minors and more specific degree requirements in terms of students' stated preferences, interests, and aptitudes.

• Educates students about their academic requirements, research and career opportunities within their chosen field; helps students create, maintain, and edit a viable graduation plan; provides students information about graduate or professional school and guides them toward career planning and preparation resources.

• Designs and implements tools, methods, programs, and procedures to provide students with the highest-quality advising services.

• Employs the University Bulletin, the Cognate Search Engine, the Academic Calendar, written course descriptions, and other appropriate sources to answer student inquiries and resolve problems related to curriculum and course prerequisites. Helps students identify and match their interests to cognates, additional majors or degrees; connects students to appropriate individuals and Responsible Academic Units in other schools, colleges, or departments.

• Provides integrated analysis and consultation to students on complex academic and associated issues, some of which involve consideration of a student's wellbeing, health status, financial or other personal impediments; guides and supports students in making critical decisions. Where appropriate, refers students to other professional resources at the institution.

• Consistent with FERPA guidelines, consults and interacts with parents and families of students, health professionals, faculty, case workers, and others, to ensure 360° support for students' academic goals.

• Monitors and meets with students to review their progress toward their goals. Discusses with students grades and other performance indicators and assesses progress toward post-graduate goals/opportunities. Evaluates unique strengths and weaknesses in student's academic, career, and personal development and identifies the factors that enhance or prevent academic progress to provide appropriate guidance. Provides reports to deans and directors in school or college on student academic progress in individual cases and in the aggregate by class and by cohort.

• Reviews and confirms all educational transactions, such as course selection and registration, drop/adds, withdrawals, change of major, interschool transfers, and dual degrees.

• Interprets and provides rationale for the University's institutional policies, procedures, and requirements.

• Engages in continuing in-service training related to academic information and advisement procedures.

• Initiates and maintains the records of all interactions with students and manages the software for documenting, scheduling and recording all interactions.

• Serves as primary interface with the Student Success Collaborative/Campus Advising Resource (Navigate) within their school or college; trains others in the use of Navigate within their school or college; generates reports from Navigate for deans/directors overseeing the advising function within a school or college; designs and implements advising strategies based on data generated from Navigate for each individual student.

• Maintains correspondence with admitted students; writes and edits letters and supporting documents with information about orientations, meeting schedules, and advising guidelines for new and transfer students.

• Writes letters of recommendation for students and letters required for transient status.

• Coordinates with other organizational units to aid in resolution of academic problems.

• Assists faculty advisement, athletic coaches, and/or other counseling personnel by providing records, evaluations, interpretations, and other requested data, recommendations, and conclusions.

• Plans and participates in specific school functions such as new student orientation, open houses, workshops, and other school events and activities related to student onboarding, guidance and academic progress.

• Adheres to strict student confidentiality in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act; maintains professional integrity and confidentiality when corresponding/contacting students, parents, candidates, and officials within the University and at other institutions in the US and abroad.

• Performs supplemental administrative activities such as scheduling meetings and interviews, securing requested information, verifying and maintaining computerized data files, and preparing summary reports.

• Other duties as requested by the Assistant Dean for Advising.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• High quality decision making and judgment

• Skill in interviewing and counseling; high degree of emotional intelligence

• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

• Extensive knowledge of academic standards and policies, and of institutional resources

• Knowledge of student recruitment and retention issues.

• Ability to analyze course prerequisites, certification, and/or curriculum/graduation requirements.

• Ability to evaluate student transcripts and/or records.

• Strong interpersonal skills and public presentation skills.

• Strong organizational skills.

*Cover letter is required*

Education Requirements (Essential Requirements):

• Bachelor's degree; Master's degree preferred

Work Experience Requirements (Essential Requirements):

• Three to four years' of work experience in higher education required.

• Any appropriate combination of relevant education, certifications and/or work experience will be considered.