Academic Advisor

Essential Duties and Responsibilities Include:

• Assists students in navigating non-cognitive barriers to achieve academic success. Implements and assists with specific outreach initiatives that enhance the retention of students. Subscribes to the philosophy of a team approach to provide proactive, appreciative academic and career advising. Maintains an understanding of and adapts to emerging technologies and their impact on academic programs.
• Works with the Academic Division Dean and lead faculty members, ensuring curriculum changes are appropriately made to advising sheets and the College Catalog.
• Provides academic and career advising to all students, with a specific assignment to, and concentration on, advising students in a specific division/population. Assists with classroom-based group advising and virtual student advising, as well as helping family members best understand how to help and coach their student to navigate the college experience.
• Remains knowledgeable of advising practices, procedures, processes, academic programs, and College services. Specifically remains current in College practices, procedures, and policies associated with courses and academic programs. Maintains a comprehensive understanding of admissions and financial aid.
• Assists with the implementation and coordination of a case management approach to advising, retention, student success, and completion initiatives.
• Provides career and academic guidance and referrals to appropriate campus services when encountering academic, life, or development issues. These areas include course selection, academic planning, career development, support services, transfer opportunities, and College practices, policies, and procedures. Conducts and analyzes student career assessments. Clarifies students' goals. Helps create, and proactively maintain, a personalized student academic and career advising plan to help students reach those goals.
• Provides students with information about job, internship, and volunteer opportunities. Assists students with the development of resumes, cover letters, and other job search correspondence as they progress through their chosen academic program.
• Works with at-risk, probation, and previously dismissed students. Develops Academic Improvement Plan for probation and dismissed students, and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) plan for students who require SAP for access to financial aid.
• Remains current with academic program offerings and new program options. Evaluate and recommend improvements for academic program offerings and initiatives. Familiar with National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) practices.
• Coordinates institutional career development efforts including career fairs and job placement in coordination with the Academic Enrollment Advisor for the division. Coordinates with the Academic Enrollment Advisor to track overall data on career services.
• Advises individual students on job searches, resume writing, job interviewing, etc. Develop programs and initiatives, including programming and classroom visits, that cover career skills such as Resume Writing Workshops and job Interview Workshops. Works with academic programs to support and provide such programming and advising.
• Serves as the point person with representatives from Ohio Means Jobs. Posts job opportunities with Ohio Means Job. Updates the job post bulletin board on campus with jobs from Ohio Means Jobs.
• Engages in career exploration and career advising with students using O*NET Interest Profiler, Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, In Demand Careers List, and other career exploration resources.
• Updates student records and maintains confidential student information. Actively collaborates to develop student learning outcomes assessments to enhance the responsiveness of academic and career advising efforts. Compiles and reports relevant data to assist in the assessment of academic and career advising services and programs.
• Adheres to ethical standards including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines and is knowledgeable about appropriate federal, state, and college policies, practices, and procedures.
• Works collaboratively to ensure an environment that is focused on student success and completion. Provides exceptional customer service for all current and prospective students.
• Performs duties as assigned.

Education and/or Work Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in college student personnel, business, communications, human relations, social services, education, or related area required.
• Masters degree preferred
• Experience in higher education, academic advising, or related field preferred.

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to advise a variety of students, including students interested in distance learning opportunities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of college degree program requirements and understanding of curriculum.
• Excellent verbal, written, and oral communication skills; active listening skills to accurately interpret what others are saying; ability to articulate.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate one-on-one, in small groups, and in classroom situations.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a dynamic, changing environment required.
• Demonstrated ability to work with a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff.
• Ability to work as a team player and collaborate with colleagues.
• Effective problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage a high volume of fast-paced student appointments, especially during high-traffic advising seasons and scheduled walk-in advising events.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite software with emphasis on Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Statement of Commitment:

As part of Terra State Community Colleges ongoing commitment in providing the highest quality education and training to our students, faculty, staff and community, the College will:

• Educate students by means of free, open, and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth.
• Equip students with an opportunity to develop the intellectual skills they need to reach their own, informed conclusions.
• Not require, favor, disfavor, or prohibit speech or lawful assembly.
• Create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth, and tolerates the differences in opinion that naturally occur in a public higher education community.
• Treat all faculty, staff, and students as individuals, will hold them to equal standards, and provide them equality of opportunity, with regard to those individuals race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.