Undergraduate Advisor

About the role

The UC Santa Barbara Department of Music is a dynamic community of distinguished faculty performers, composers, and scholars, talented and promising graduate and undergraduate students, and a dedicated team of professional staff. We are a multi-faceted department with a fully established research and professional programs with degrees in composition, musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, and multiple areas of music performance. The department also puts on a wide range of productions from large operas to small world music series ensembles and student recitals. For more information about our department, please visit htps://www.music.ucsb.edu

Under direction, the Undergraduate Advisor manages all aspects of the undergraduate program in the Department of Music, exercising independent judgment, high levels of professionalism and strong analytical skills at all times. Manages all matters related to advising and curriculum development for 21 different degree emphases offered through two degree programs: the BA in Music Studies and the BM in musical performance. Is knowledgeable of current university policies and procedures, and interprets regulations from various administrative offices for students, staff and faculty. Serves as key liaison with the College of Letters and Science, Office of Admissions, Office of the Registrar, Counseling and Career Services, and Orientation Programs. Manages all aspects of student auditions, admissions, and outreach and recruitment activities. The Undergraduate Advisor is expected to be strongly committed to the undergraduate program and the welfare of the students.

Responsibilities

• 25% Academic Advising
  • Manages all aspects related to undergraduate advising.
  • Provides individual academic advising to music majors regarding major requirements, academic planning, course requirements, academic problems, transfer work, graduation, internship placement and sponsorship, graduate school, and career opportunities.
  • Discusses major requirements and course offerings with potential student majors.
  • Meets with transfer students and EAP students to discuss their transfer work.
  • Exercises independent judgment with respect to accepting courses from other institutions toward departmental major requirements.
  • Reviews and recommends action on petitions for graduation matters, requirement substitutions and waivers, independent studies and internships.
  • Processes and approves change of major petitions, routes copies of petitions to Letters and Science, Registrar's Office and other departments as needed.
  • Maintains all undergraduate student files.
  • Drafts memos and letters from the Chair and/or Faculty Undergraduate Advisor.
  • Responsible for all correspondence, surveys, statistics, publications and files pertaining to the undergraduate program.
  • Keeps faculty informed of changes in campus policies and procedures.
  • Advises faculty on the need to develop, update, and implement departmental policies and procedures as they relate to the administration of the undergraduate program.
  • Conducts initial in-depth interviews with new majors, including transfer students.
  • Using independent judgment, advises and assists in developing a study program for students.
  • Apprises students of department and university programs (particularly honors programs, internships and independent studies), degree requirements and course schedules.
  • Evaluates and determines eligibility of students declaring to the music major.
  • Provides advice and information to undergraduates on filling out petitions.
  • Evaluates student needs and exercises independent judgment in referring students for further assistance to department faculty advisor, College of Letters and Science, Office of Admissions, Registrar, Financial Aid, EOP, Counseling and Career Services, CLAS, or the Ombud's office.
  • Monitors student academic progress, identifies and advises those with academic problems.
  • Performs progress checks to keep students aware of progress toward their degree.
  • Responsible for department clearance of graduating majors, verifying that all requirements leading to the BA/BM in Music have been fulfilled.
  • Runs degree audits and checks results against the new electronic audits performed by Academic Advising Assistant.
  • Liaisons with Registrar on all graduation clearance problems.
  • Coordinates the nomination and selection of the student recipients of the department's 10+ undergraduate awards and scholarships on an annual basis.
  • Manages the Music Minor Program; advises students on requirements; performs minor clearances and submits the necessary documentation.
• 35% Instructional Administration
  • Produces the quarterly schedule of classes, working closely with the MSO, graduate advisor, and Office of the Registrar.
  • Completes the quarterly IRAL (Instructional Resources Audit List), and manages the ordering of textbooks.
  • Serves on departmental Undergraduate Committee.
  • Arranges meetings, creates the agenda, provides supporting data for petitions and topics under discussion, takes an active part in discussions, makes suggestions for changing various policies within the department as necessary and notes discrepancies between past and present actions.
  • Takes and distributes minutes.
  • Is responsible for transmitting any policy recommendations to the appropriate departmental committees and, upon approval, initiates the necessary memos or forms required by other agencies and/or offices on campus.
  • In consultation with the Committee, develops procedures and methods to implement final decisions, and reports back when and if further action is required.
  • Maintains an accurate and up-to-date course list suggesting discontinuance of courses no longer offered, making sure the course pre-requisites are for the purpose of keeping the UCSB general catalogue current.
  • Receives, and maintains records of, all placement and audition results for incoming students.
  • Acts as a resource to Department Chair and other faculty in the area of undergraduate student affairs and questions of curricular procedures.
  • Identifies problems and suggests possible solutions.
  • Serves as departmental Education Abroad Advisor; reviews and approves EAP students' study plans.
  • Reviews courses proposed by EAP study centers for the appropriateness to major and conformance to unit policies.
  • Works closely with the Office of Relations with Schools and other information offices in talking with prospective students and counselors for high schools and other colleges.
  • Serves as a liaison to all community college advisors, and works closely with the Office of Admission on articulation agreements.
  • Within departmental policy, develops articulation agreements on major requirements in conjunction with the Office of