Academic Advisor, The Hub (Student Success Center), College of Arts and Sciences

Job Description

The Academic Advisor will provide advising for undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) programs. The position will manage an advising caseload through accurate record-keeping and, when appropriate, connect students to faculty advisors/mentors, tutors, support services, and other resources to ensure students receive the personal assistance and resources necessary to progress in and complete their studies successfully. The Academic Advisor will develop and maintain strong communication channels with academic departments in the College and with various student support divisions.

The position will be responsible for providing comprehensive support to CAS students in areas including new transfer processes, success and retention strategies, distance student success strategies, student progress monitoring, and the implementation of intervention strategies to assist in their success. This may include individual advisement, group advisement, and regular participation in New Student Orientation. The Academic Advisor will address student academic inquiries, assist in resolving individual academic issues, and coordinate with multiple academic units in processing student requests and resolving academic problems.

Responsibilities

Student Support

Direct student support through effective advising caseload management, proactive engagement, anticipation of obstacles, and regular contact with advisees. Responsibilities include:

• Manage a caseload of students in designated program areas; proactively engage with caseload of students during semester; anticipate potential obstacles for student success and respond accordingly for respective caseload; meet with a caseload of students each semester during designated advising times; address needs of each individual student during advising session; topics that must be covered throughout each semester include discussing major requirements, selecting or changing a concentration (if applicable), degree progression, selecting or changing a minor (if applicable) course registration, understanding of relevant university policies and procedures, and making appropriate referrals;
• Communicate efficiently and appropriately in a timely manner with other departmental and faculty advisors regarding student caseloads; connect students with co-curricular and extracurricular activities to become engaged in the UTC and Chattanooga communities; support students with completion of graduation requirements and make appropriate referrals for necessary paperwork and commencement planning; create/update academic plan for all students within caseload; keep records of all advising sessions using the Navigate platform; serve as a pathfinder to teach students how to access resources, find answers to questions and resolve issues; and provide professional, courteous service to students seeking support within the Hub.

Programming/Service

Participate in career-readiness & success programming within the College of Arts and Sciences; participate in seminars/group advisement; and assist with pre-registration of incoming first-year and transfer students, present information sessions, and assist students with registration during New Student and Transfer Student orientation sessions.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with students and faculty of all cultural backgrounds and experience levels.
• Attentiveness to detail with strong organization skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple requests and handle them in an efficient and timely manner.
• Ability to thoroughly understand and abide by federal and university guidelines regarding student confidentiality requirements.
• Proficient use of computers and knowledge of various software programs.