Academic Advising Specialist

Bethel University; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 46,000 - 48,175; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Generous time off

Job summary

Bethel University invites applications for Academic Advising Specialists who assist graduate and seminary students in navigating their academic journeys. The role combines personalized guidance, strategic planning, and proactive outreach to promote graduation and a strong sense of belonging.

You will work with faculty and campus partners to craft individualized degree plans, monitor progress, and connect students with resources, while ensuring FERPA-compliant records and a seamless student

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required; Master’s degree in a related discipline preferred.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills with sensitivity to distressed students.
• Ability to communicate and retain complex information clearly and warmly.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and inquiries with strong organizational skills.
• Experience collaborating with faculty, staff, and diverse departments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary contact for new students, guiding enrollment and documenting communications.
• Collaborate with academic departments to build individualized academic plans and schedules.
• Develop degree plans and monitor progress to keep students on track for graduation.
• Support new student orientation and transition programming.
• Advise on registration, policies, graduation requirements, petitions, and appeals.
• Partner with Admissions, Student Life, Financial Aid, and other offices to ensure a seamless student experience.

Skills

Critical thinking

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Organizational skills

Collaboration

Multitasking

Bilingual preferred

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree in related discipline preferred

Job description

Our Academic Advising Specialists at Bethel University serve as trusted advisors and advocates for our graduate and seminary students throughout their academic journey. This role combines personalized student support, strategic academic planning, and proactive outreach to help students overcome challenges, stay on track toward graduation, and experience a strong sense of belonging within the Bethel community.

Working closely with faculty and campus partners, you'll provide individualized guidance, coordinate academic plans, connect students with resources, and help remove barriers to student success. If you're passionate about student success, enjoy building meaningful relationships, and thrive in a collaborative environment, we'd love to meet you.

What you'll do

Welcome & Support New Students

• Serve as the primary point of contact for new students, documenting communication and guiding students through successful enrollment.
• Collaborate with academic departments to build individualized academic plans and course schedules for incoming students.
• Develop personalized academic plans and semester schedules in collaboration with academic departments.
• Support new student orientation and transition programming.
• Participate in enrollment events and collaborate with Student Life to foster community and student engagement.

Guide Academic Success

• Create and maintain individualized degree plans that keep students on track for graduation.
• Conduct degree audits and monitor academic progress.
• Advise students on registration, university policies, graduation requirements, petitions, and appeals.
• Collaborate with faculty, department chairs, and academic leaders to resolve complex advising situations.
• Identify and proactively support students experiencing academic or personal challenges.
• Develop success plans for students on academic probation or those identified through Early Alert systems.
• Serve as a liaison when personal or family emergencies impact student engagement.
• Implement outreach strategies that encourage persistence, re-engagement, and graduation.
• Partner with Admissions, Student Life, Financial Aid, the Registrar, Inclusive Excellence, and the Business Office to provide a seamless student experience.
• Maintain accurate and confidential student records while ensuring FERPA compliance.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by helping evaluate advising practices and student success outcomes.
• Stay current on advising best practices, university policies, and academic programs.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in a related discipline preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong critical thinking and the ability to solve problems independently
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to provide individualized service to students in distress
• Ability to communicate and retain complex information with warmth and clarity
• Outstanding customer service skills are required, with demonstrated ability in human relations and conflict management
• Strong organizational skills for managing complex degree tracking and documentation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, and diverse administrative departments
• Position requires the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, dealing with frequent interruptions, and responding to a high volume of inquiries
• Ability to connect with students in a variety of methods, phone, in person, and online
• Languages: Bilingual skills preferred to support our diverse student population.
• Previous Experience in student support services, admissions, or academic advising preferred

Other Duties:

The essential functions, tasks and responsibilities of this position may change from time to time. Bethel University reserves the right to add or omit duties and responsibilities at the discretion of the University or its leadership. Additional tasks or duties required of the position, will be communicated to the incumbent with specificity to ensure the employee may perform their role with complete understanding. This job description is intended to describe the general level of work being performed; it is not intended to be all-inclusive.

Sponsorship Restrictions:

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Travel:

This position does not require travel.

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as desktop and/or laptop computers, photocopiers and smartphones.

The work environment involves working for a suburban, Christian university in which all employees are expected to have a demonstrated commitment and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a commitment to the mission and values of the University, and an agreement to abide by all University policies.

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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. The job requires extended periods of sitting and traversing the Bethel Campus on a regular basis. Reasonable accommodations may be made to ensure people are able to perform the essential functions.

Expected Hours of Work:

Typically, days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, with the expectation to work specific schedules and hours as identified and communicated by management. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. This is a 40 hour per week, 12 months per year position.

Bethel is committed to offering meaningful benefits to our employees including health insurance, retirement plans, and a generous time off package. Learn more about these offerings here.

EEO Statement:

Bethel University’s Christ-centered mission includes a commitment to equal educational opportunity and equal employment opportunity. Bethel does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, familial status, or age in its admissions, educational programs, or employment practices.

Pay Range:

46,000 - 48,175 USD per year (Bethel University)