Student Success Advisor

Dalhousie University; Halifax; Hybrid; CAD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined benefit pension plan

Health and dental plans

Health spending account

Employee and family assistance program

Tuition assistance program

Job summary

Dalhousie University in Halifax invites applications for a Student Success Advisor within Student Affairs. Reporting to the Associate Director, this role promotes student success by helping students develop educational plans aligned with their goals and supports transitions.

The position requires an undergraduate degree with 3–5 years of experience in post-secondary advising, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work in person on campus.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required; 3–5 years of experience working with students in a post-secondary setting or equivalent.
• Strong academic and/or career advising or counseling experience.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building abilities.
• Ability to interact with diverse constituents and provide high-quality student support.
• Experience in program planning, assessment and/or event planning.

Responsibilities

• Provide holistic advising to the student population, considering academic and career goals, interests, and strengths throughout the student life cycle.
• Support students in transitions (into university and within programs), transfer students, and those considered “at risk” with a positive, strengths-based approach.
• Assist students in developing educational plans that support program selection, career exploration, strengths assessment, and goal identification.
• Enhance students’ awareness of educational and career resources and make referrals as appropriate.
• Facilitate development, implementation, and assessment of programs and services that promote student learning, development, and retention.
• Monitor student caseloads, analyze data, ensure proactive follow-up, and submit reports with accurate data collection.

Skills

Advising

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Diversity & Inclusion

Program planning

Education

Undergraduate degree in a related field

Job description

This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role.

Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.

Job Summary

Student Affairs collaborates with faculty, staff, and students to enhance the student experience through inclusive, student-centered support. Reporting to the Associate Director, Student Success Advising, the Student Success Advisor promotes student success and retention by helping students make informed decisions and develop meaningful educational plans aligned with their goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide holistic advising to the student population, taking into consideration students’ academic and career goals, interests, and strengths throughout the student life cycle.
• Support students in transition (into university and within programs), transfer students, and students considered “at risk” by taking a positive, strengths-based approach. Assist students in developing problem-solving and decision-making skills, and help them understand their responsibility for their academic progress.
• Assist students in developing educational plans that support program selection, career exploration, strengths assessment, and goal identification. Enhance students’ awareness of available educational and career resources, and make appropriate and purposeful referrals.
• Facilitate the development, implementation, and assessment of programs and services that promote student learning, development, and retention.
• Monitor student caseloads, analyze data, ensure proactive follow-up, identify process improvement opportunities, submit reports, and ensure accurate data collection.
• Establish rapport with students, groups, colleagues, and others in ways that acknowledge and respect differences in lived experiences.

Note

Due to operational requirements, the successful applicant is required to work in-person on campus.

Required Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a related field with three to five years’ experience working with students in a post-secondary setting (or equivalent combination of training and experience).
• Previous experience in academic and/or career advising or counseling.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills to interact with diverse constituents and to provide high quality support and service to students.

Assets

• Experience in program planning, assessment and/or event planning.

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie’s core and leadership competencies, in particular:

• Respect & Inclusion
• Adaptability
• Knowledge & Thinking Skills
• Communication
• Service

Additional Information

Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

• defined benefit pension plan
• health and dental plans
• health spending account
• employee and family assistance program
• tuition assistance program

Application Consideration

Applications from current university employees and external candidates are assessed concurrently. Current university employees will be given special consideration.

We sincerely appreciate all applications and note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the hiring department or People and Culture.

Diversity Statement

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity-deserving groups please review our Employment Equity information. If you require any support for the purpose of accommodation, such as technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and how we can be of assistance. Dalhousie University is committed to ensuring all candidates have full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed here.

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Documents Needed to Apply

Required Documents

• Résumé / Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Optional Documents

• Cover Letter