Temporary Academic Advisor

About the role

The primary purpose of the position would be to provide academic advising to the majors within a specific department or degree program. The academic advisor will help the program coordinator and faculty ensure that students in the major take full advantage of academic support opportunities and that student experience no unnecessary obstacles to degree completion. The position will help improve retention and graduation rates.

Responsibilities

• Academic Advising-45%: Assisting the student with the selection of their courses each semester and providing them with their Alternative PINS once they have been properly advised. Completing appropriate student paperwork, such as requests for course waivers/substitutions, course overloads, permission to take courses at other institutions, course repeats, etc.
• Monitoring the progress of majors toward graduation and intervening with majors to encourage registration, appropriate course selection, use of available academic support and other resources, timely application for graduation, etc.
• Completing the process of clearing students for graduation.
• Consultation/Communication -15%: Serving as the initial point of contact for any student who declares their major within the advisor’s department. Responding to inquiries from prospective students and majors via email, phone, in-person, or campus visitations. Assisting students with the declaration of major process, including providing advice to those who are unable to declare their major due to their GPA or other issues.
• Processing declarations of major, entering the appropriate information into Banner, including the assignment of a faculty mentor and notifying the appropriate faculty mentor and department chair of any new majors.
• Reviewing transcripts, certifications, or other official forms identifying approved academic credit and evaluating the course equivalencies for the university core curriculum and the degree program.
• Developing an academic degree plan for each student, which provides a clear path to earning a degree in their chosen major.
• Providing guidance to any online majors to assist them in understanding online degree completion programs and with the process of completing necessary lower-level courses at other institutions.
• Creating and maintaining a student folder for each student, which contains all appropriate documents and advising records.
• Problem Solving-15%: Providing guidance to students experiencing academic difficulty or other problems. Creating a success plan for each student in academic difficulty. Assisting students with making contacts with faculty as needed for help or advice. Assisting students with making the appropriate contacts or providing referrals to appropriate offices such as Financial Aid or the Center for Personal Development. Monitoring and documenting the progress of students in academic difficulty. Advising and assisting students who wish to withdraw from a course or from the university.
• Acting as a liaison between the department and students, as well as other appropriate units within the university, such as Admissions, the Registrar, Catalog Officer, etc.
• Attending all department meetings to provide information and support to the department in the areas of academic advising, student concerns, and potential course scheduling, curriculum, or catalog issues.
• Attending academic advisor meetings and reporting back to appropriate units.
• Working with the Registrar and other appropriate units to stay current on advising policies and curriculum issues.
• Serving on departmental and university committees as assigned.
• Records/Retention-15%: Maintaining records on majors and advisor interactions with majors using appropriate software. Providing reports on majors, cohorts, and other advising or enrollment issues as requested.
• Participating in programs designed to recruit and retain students and majors, such as the Fall Preview, Spring Open House, Majors Fair, First Steps, and Return2FSU.
• Maintaining records of contacts at these events.
• Following up with potential students and majors to encourage them to apply.
• Developing departmental advising materials, such as curriculum guides and newsletters, as needed.
• Engaging in any other academic advising-related activities assigned by the Department Chair.

Requirements

• An earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution preferably in the degree program to which they are assigned.
• Some work experience in higher education, preferably in academic advising, counseling admissions, enrollment management or student affairs.

Qualifications

• Requires the ability to use a personal computer to complete duties and knowledge of Microsoft Office products (WORD, PowerPoint, Excel), as well as other related student management software.
• Must have excellent interpersonal and customer service skills; be able to manage a wide variety of records, files, and reports.
• Must have personal and professional attributes to include punctuality, diligence, commitment, integrity, teamwork, and confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in academic advising.
• Master’s Degree.