Academic Specialist

Position Summary

The Academic Specialist exists to be the college-embedded, high-touch connector that makes the First-Year Initiative (FYI) work in real life…not as an idea, but as a coordinated, proactive support system for first-year students. The primary function of the role is to combine a reduced caseload of proactive academic guidance with structured first-semester onboarding and first-year seminar delivery, while serving as the day-to-day liaison between the college and the FYI ecosystem (peer mentoring, referrals, early alerts, and campus partners).

Job Duties

Academic Advising and Coaching (50%)

Manage a reduced caseload (no more than 200 students) to provide proactive, holistic advising from admission through transition to major. Conduct one-on-one coaching sessions on goal setting, time management, and academic planning.

Early Academic Intervention & Referral Coordination (20%)

Coordinate interventions for students showing early signs of struggle. Serve as a connector between advisors, instructors, and support services (DASH, Care Team, etc). Assist students transitioning from pre-college or BMS programs to their academic colleges.

Teaching Responsibilities (15%)

Teach up to three sections of the First-Year Seminar (FYE-S) in Fall Semester, and Second-Year Seminars in the Spring semester. Integrating skill-building, identity development, and career exploration. Employ validating pedagogy and active learning practices.

Advisor Development, Training Support & Collaboration (15%)

• Collaborate with the college’s advising leadership and the FYI leadership to facilitate advisor coaching workshops and reflective practice sessions. Share effective student engagement and validation strategies.
• Use analytics and early alert systems to inform outreach. Participate in testing emerging student engagement tools. Provide feedback on functionality and student response.
• Collaborate with FYI leadership to align activities with UNO’s strategic goals and grant deliverables. Document and report student outcomes, trends, and success stories to inform institutional planning.

Required Qualifications

Master’s degree in education, social work, sociology, psychology, leadership or related field. 1-3 years of experience in advising or academic coaching, student success, case management, or comparable student-facing support, leading/teaching seminars, or group facilitation experience is preferred.