Academic Advisor II

About the role

The Academic Advisor II plays a vital role in maximizing undergraduate student retention by building relationships with students and clarifying procedures and academic requirements for specific programs or majors.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with students to understand and develop realistic and attainable educational and academic goals and provides input on related majors, minors, future education and career options that best align with goals.
• Educates students about and prepares and assists them with full array of academic processes (e.g., registration, add/drop, Q drops, withdrawals, change of curriculum submissions, etc.) by sharing university and college policies, program requirements, transfer credit decisions, etc.
• Reviews student’s academic record and counsel students regarding core and degree course selection and implication of selected courses and/or exception requests.
• Provides input on probationary decisions.
• Creates and maintains updated relevant records and notes (e.g., student contact, advisor notes).
• Delivers Student Success and Retention Strategies Consistently engages student population utilizing various outreach methods (e.g., in-person and online) to cultivate a professional relationship to keep students informed of critical and relevant personal, academic and professional deadlines, updates, information and events.
• Proactively shares with students available academic, professional, and health and wellness resources (e.g., Academic Success Center, Career Center, Student Organizations, Counseling & Psychological Services, Disability Resources, etc.).
• May refer students with identified needs as appropriate.
• Actively monitors students’ progress through the program by reviewing and assessing academic records to determine status of progression, completion of degree requirements as well as identifying and referring those students in which additional intervention and guidance may be recommended to reaching academic goals.
• Leads the planning and/or delivery of various department related advising, student success, retention events and academic campaigns (e.g., New Student Conference, 1st semester advising, inquiries from prospective students).
• Affirms individual students' stage of academic development and promotes their growth by determining suitable developmental tasks.
• Assists in training of and sharing of information for new staff members and student workers within the academic advising department.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of advising or related experience.
• Knowledge of: NACADA’s Core Values of Academic Advising. Theories relevant to academic advising. Academic Advising models, approaches, and strategies. Professional standards and guidelines for academic advising. Expected student learning outcomes of academic advising. Expected student success outcomes of academic advising. Curriculum, degree programs, and other academic requirements and options, to include changes and revisions over time. Critical partners for academic advisors and their role in the advising process. Campus and community resources that support student success. Project management principles and processes. Professional standards and guidelines for coaching, coaching models, and methods and techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of coaching.
• Skill in: Discussing and referring students to appropriate campus resources for mental health issues. Conducting research and developing and delivering training, to include: Advising tools and strategies, campus resources, and relevant updates for faculty and staff. Supervising student employees to assist with administrative advising duties and programming.
• Proficiency level of novice in the following skills, using the novice to expert model (i.e., novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, expert): Discussing and referring students to appropriate campus resources for mental health issues. Conducting research and developing and delivering training, to include: Advising tools and strategies, campus resources, and relevant updates for faculty and staff. Supervising student employees to assist with administrative advising duties and programming.
• Proficiency level of advanced beginner in the following skills, using the novice to expert model (i.e., novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, expert): Articulating a personal philosophy of academic advising in alignment with NACADA models, strategies, and approaches. Communicating in a respectful, and confidential manner using various communication approaches and modalities. Promoting student understanding of the purpose and underlying rationale of the curriculum to set expectations for student learning. Facilitating problem-solving, decision-making, and meaning-making for students through the advising process. Identifying high-risk indicators, as reported by faculty, to ensure student success. Engaging in ongoing assessment and development of self and the advising practice. Planning and/or delivering various department related advising, student success, retention events and academic campaigns.
• Proficiency level of competent in the following skills, using the novice to expert model (i.e., novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, expert): Guiding, coaching, and/or mentoring students. Collaborating with critical partners. Planning and conducting advising interactions to achieve student learning and student success outcomes, operating within your scope of authority, and connecting students to resources. Demonstrating high standards in advising. Facilitating planning and goal setting, both short-term and long-term, to achieve individual learning targets and enable future readiness for students through the advising process. Observing and identifying trends in the impact of academic advising on student learning outcomes through data review. Using appropriate academic advising technologies to support students, including providing reports for advising initiatives and special populations.

Skills

• Knowledge of: Texas A&M University’s history, mission, vision, values, and culture. The history and role of academic advising in higher education and at Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University policies, procedures, rules, and regulations relevant to academic advising. Legal guidelines of advising practice, including privacy regulations and confidentiality. The characteristics, needs, and experiences of major and emerging student populations. How environments are created and maintained in advising interactions for major and emerging student populations. Resources and effective, appropriate responses to address mental health issues that may affect the well-being of students. Information technology applicable to relevant advising roles. Training methods and techniques for planning, designing, developing and delivering instructional content that is engaging, effective, relevant, and applicable to achieve desired learning outcomes.
• Skill in: Conducting research and developing and delivering training, to include topics within the field of academic advising, including organizing activities for professional development.