Academic Success Coach & Advisor

About the role

The Academic Success Coach will work together to build a program to support undergraduate and/or graduate students in achieving their academic, professional, and personal goals. These individuals will provide comprehensive advising services utilizing a Field of Study/appreciative advising approach to incoming first-year, undeclared students, and transfer students and ensure a supportive learning environment for all students.

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized and small-group academic advising to a caseload of incoming first-year, undeclared students, assisting with purpose discernment, course selection, degree planning, and registration.
• Collaborate with faculty advisors once students declare a major.
• Serve as a central point of contact, connecting students with appropriate campus resources such as tutoring, counseling, financial aid, and career services.
• Empower students to make the most of the college environment by helping them navigate institutional systems and connect with mentors, faculty, and campus opportunities.
• Help students interpret academic policies and procedures, including general education requirements, major selection, and institutional expectations. Provide input to College leadership regarding potential revisions to ineffective policies and practices.
• Aid students in understanding how Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Enrollment, prior learning, and transfer credits apply to degree requirements.
• Guide students through the process of requesting course substitutions or credit evaluations when needed.
• Monitor students placed on academic warning or probation and work closely with them to develop strategies for improvement.
• Adjust course schedules for students on academic warning prior to the start of each semester, based on final grade postings and academic standing.
• Assist with summer and spring registration for new students, including regular outreach to students in the onboarding process to provide support and guidance.
• Develop and facilitate workshops or orientation sessions tailored to the needs of first-year students.
• Maintain accurate records of student interactions using advising software or institutional systems.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to support student retention and success initiatives.
• Participate in ongoing training and professional development to stay informed about advising best practices and institutional updates.
• Manage or assist with SSC programming, which may include Peer Tutoring, or the retention program, RC Success.
• Perform other tasks as assigned to support the ongoing success of the Student Success Center and of Roanoke College.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in education, counseling, student affairs, or any related liberal arts field.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Commitment to student development and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong customer service orientation with a genuine passion for supporting student success.
• Proficiency in advanced Microsoft Office applications, including Teams and CoPilot.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends when necessary.

Skills and Abilities

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, or related discipline.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in an educational setting is preferred.
• Prior experience in academic advising.
• Knowledge of academic policies and degree requirements at the collegiate level.
• Familiarity with student information systems (e.g., Self-Service, Colleague, Navigate) though training will be provided.