Department

School of Social Work

Duties & Responsibilities

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Social Work (SSW) welcomes applications for the position of Assistant Director of Graduate Advising. This position will work closely with the Master of Social Work (MSW) Advising Team, the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, program directors, faculty, and staff to foster an increasing sense of responsibility and empowerment for students as they progress towards successful completion of their program.

The primary purpose of the Assistant Director of Graduate Advising is to lead and support the success of MSW social work students from enrollment to graduation. The Assistant Director of Graduate Advising is responsible for facilitating student success by providing leadership to develop, implement, coordinate, and manage established retention-related initiatives and strategic goals of the university, school, program, and Office of Student Success.

General Responsibilities

The Assistant Director of Graduate Advising will provide holistic academic advising to an assigned caseload of students. They will facilitate efficient and effective advising-related internal processes and develop/enhance retention initiatives and programming to proactively address retention and student engagement. They will collaborate with the MSW Advising Team to implement student engagement programs for students on-campus and online and oversee the coordination of events, including synchronous and asynchronous new student orientation events held within the School of Social Work. The Assistant Director of Graduate Advising will play an integral role in the onboarding of new advising staff and will serve as a supervisor to the MSW Advising Team. They will provide coverage and act as a backup in areas related to student success in the absence of the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.

Typical Duties

Provide academic advising services to an assigned caseload of students

• Possess knowledge of the role of advising in supporting the mission of VCU and the SSW, academic and demographic profiles of VCU SSW students, curricula information for areas of advising specialization, graduation requirements and application procedures, and academic regulations, procedures, and deadlines
• Advise, assist, and monitor current students, individually and in groups, in academic areas such as navigating school and university general policies and procedures, time management, study strategies, degree requirements, educational policies, educational plans, course selection/registration, internship requirements, transfer information, and post-graduation options
• Advise and assist current students, individually and in groups, in areas related to social integration such as residential life, community engagement opportunities, and professional development opportunities
• Evaluate and proactively address student strengths and challenges related to professional development as a social worker (academic, administrative, personal)
• Refer students to appropriate academic and non-academic resources services at the school and university
• Communicate student advising issues and updates appropriately with relevant faculty, program directors, and administrators
• Contacting students after receipt of early alerts and midterm grades of D or F and conducting retention outreach for potential enrollment stop out
• Maintain current and accurate documentation of advising communication and information

Oversee MSW academic advising operations

• Develop efficient and effective advising-related internal processes
• Ongoing awareness and dissemination of advising-related resources and current policies and processes related to advising and degree requirements
• Collaborate with internal and external programs and offices to ensure an intentional student experience
• Coordinate and facilitate training and use of advising technology such as DegreeWorks, Navigate, eServices, and Banner
• Assist the advising team with effective case management strategies
• Mentor advisors to enhance their professional development and job satisfaction

Serve as a leader and liaison to the MSW advising team

• Provide supervision to the MSW Advising Team
• Provide procedural oversight for onboarding and training student success advisors in academic advising, including the development of training materials
• Provide leadership in the collaboration of the development of efficient and effective advising-related processes, to include program and office administrators and staff
• Assist advisors with challenges and responsibilities associated with their position
• Serve and provide leadership on program, school, and university committees that serve as opportunities to further enhance retention and overall student experience
• Provide coverage and act as a backup in the areas related to retention and advising, in the absence of the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

Develop retention initiatives and programming for MSW students

• Assist in the identification of strategies for proactively addressing potential retention issues, including the execution of university and school campaigns and the coordination of the school’s early advisory alert process
• Assist in the development of retention-related programming, such as workshops and panels related to financial literacy, wellness/self-care, time management, and activities that encourage student engagement
• Oversee the coordination of retention-related events, including synchronous and asynchronous new student orientation events, both online and on-campus
• Collaborate with the Office of Communications on content development, timeline, and accurate dissemination of retention-related student communications
• Track and report retention-related information such as attrition data

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work, education, professional counseling, psychology or related field
• 3-5 years of academic advising, student success, and/or retention-related experience
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a welcoming and supportive environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU
• Excellent written, interpersonal, and oral communication skills, including public speaking
• Ability to support and contribute to a dynamic and healthy team environment
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks concurrently and independently
• Ability to maintain confidential, accurate records and databases
• Excellent computer skills and experience with all Microsoft Office and Google Suite products, as well as various communication technologies including Google Apps, Zoom, and social media

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing academic advising and/or retention-related initiatives with social work students in a college or university setting
• Experience using university advising platforms, such as Navigate, DegreeWorks, Banner, etc.
• Experience planning and implementing retention and student success efforts such as supporting targeted population initiatives, new and continuing student orientation, commencement, and student programming
• Experience supervising staff, including providing guidance, feedback, and support for professional development
• Experience working with non-traditional students in an in-person and online degree program