Director of Pathway Advising for Language, Culture, and Meaning & Advising Training and Development

About the role

Portland State University is Oregon’s most affordable public research university, located in the heart of one of America’s most dynamic cities. Our mission to “let knowledge serve the city” reflects our dedication to turning ideas into action — in Portland and around the world. The city is our campus, giving students unmatched access to career connections, a vibrant cultural scene and hands-on learning experiences with hundreds of community partners. More than 20,000 students from all backgrounds bring diverse perspectives to our classrooms and campus life, from the tree-lined Park Blocks to the bustling Urban Plaza and state-of-the-art science labs. We are proud of our world-class faculty, groundbreaking research and international reputation for excellence in sustainability, community engagement and innovation.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the AVP for Undergraduate Academic Advising, the Director of Pathway Advising for Language, Culture, and Meaning & Advising Training and Development will serve on the AVP’s leadership team and work collaboratively with colleagues from the Office of Academic Affairs, academic departments in their Pathway and across Pathways, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and community colleges in the state of Oregon. Pathway Advising Directors oversee Pathway-specific advising and retention initiatives, serve as the direct supervisor for all professional Academic and Career Advisors in their Pathway, collaborate with the AVP and advisors to delegate duties in their Pathway, provide direct service delivery to students, develop communication plans for faculty, advisors, and students in their Pathway, ensure timely student outreach occurs, and use data analytics for decision-making and reporting in collaboration with the AVP. In addition to these Pathway duties and responsibilities, this position will provide leadership for Advising Training and Development within the PSU advising community.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a relevant field with a minimum of 2 years of higher education experience with increasing responsibility in the area of student success, retention, and/or advising.
• Evident understanding of the student experience at urban research universities and current best practices in advising, student success, and retention.
• Demonstrated success at relationship-building and collaborating with a diverse range of campus constituencies and partners outside of the university setting.
• 2 years of experience in teaching and/or training and development in higher education.
• Working knowledge and a strong understanding of the applicability of current technology to inform advising and student success practices and to make decisions impacting staff and students.
• Demonstrated strong organizational, writing, speaking, presentation, leadership, and supervisory skills.
• Clear commitment to multicultural competency and initiatives to advance the success of historically underrepresented student groups.
• Strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in the fulfillment of position responsibilities.
• Successful completion of a background check.

Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field with a minimum of 4 years of higher education experience with increasing responsibility in the area of student success, retention, and/or advising.
• Demonstrated ability to improve retention and degree completion rates for undergraduate students.
• Demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning and professional development.
• Experience coordinating the work of professional and faculty advisors and advising activities.

Skills

• Create an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates differences.
• Function and communicate effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds.
• Seek opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse,