Academic Advisor I or II

Position Details

Classification Title: Academic Advisor I
Working Title: Academic Advisor I or II
Brief Position Overview: At MSU, academic advisors play a key role in student success, retention, and timely degree completion. Academic advisors are guides, mentors, and educators who encourage personal development and lifelong learning, and who share information about curricula, resources, and engagement opportunities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide holistic academic advising for students focused on classes, academic program selection, academic and career goals, and individual student needs
• Participate in all orientations and new and prospective student programming
• Learn and communicate complex information to students and other stakeholders
• Refer students to appropriate campus and community resources
• Conduct student outreach and interventions to assist with advising, registration, and retention efforts
• Collaborate with and maintain open communication with campus partners
• Utilize advising and registration software and clearly document student advising interactions

Required Qualifications

• Academic Advisor I: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working one-on-one and in small groups with students or clients combined with a demonstrated ability to build rapport with a diverse group of constituents. Demonstrated competence working in fast-paced environments while maintaining a positive and professional attitude. Demonstrated competence maintaining records with a high degree of accuracy and close attention to detail.
• Academic Advisor II: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working directly with undergraduate college students in an academic or student support setting combined with a demonstrated ability to build rapport with a diverse group of constituents. Demonstrated competence working in fast-paced environments while maintaining a positive and professional attitude. Demonstrated competence maintaining records with a high degree of accuracy and close attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Academic Advisor I: Demonstrated knowledge of higher education curricula, policies, and procedures. Demonstrated knowledge of higher education offices and resources that support student success. Experience with advising and registration programs and software.
• Academic Advisor II: Master’s Degree in related field. Academic advising experience within a college or university setting. Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of academic advising and student development theory. Experience working with advising and registration programs such as DegreeWorks, EAB Navigate, Banner, and/or relational database.

Special Requirements/Additional Information

• The successful candidate will possess strong interpersonal skills and an enthusiasm to work with and guide students as they discover and attain their academic and career goals. Create positive rapport and strong working relationships with colleagues throughout the MSU community, including administrators, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders. Possess strong written and oral communication skills and an ability to communicate complex information effectively with a wide range of individuals. Be able to have candid conversations and be able to troubleshoot problems. Effectively manage and maintain confidential information. Have proven ability to work independently and in a team environment. Represent the department, college and university in a professional and courteous manner. Actively pursue training and professional development opportunities. Assist with assessment and continuous improvement efforts.