Academic Advisor

American Public University System, Inc.; Charles Town (WV); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Academic Advisor at APUS provides guidance to students online, helping them navigate degree requirements, policies, and resources while supporting their educational goals. This role emphasizes proactive, personalized advising across channels, maintaining records, and collaborating across university departments to ensure student success.

Bachelor's degree required and strong communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Must have completed Bachelor's degree.
• Ability to work independently in an online environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building abilities.
• Excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide warm, high-quality, student-focused service across multiple channels.
• Engage with students to understand goals, answer questions, and support progress.
• Encourage and guide students toward academic and professional goals.
• Advise on degree requirements, course selection, planning, policies, and resources.
• Document student interactions and advising activities in university systems.
• Identify trends and barriers to improve policies and processes.
• Participate in professional development and university initiatives.

Skills

Excellent communication

Strong interpersonal skills

Critical thinking

Problem-solving

Online independence

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Academic Advisor
American Military University/American Public University
Online/Remote

The Academic Advisor serves as a primary source of guidance and support for students throughout their academic experience at APUS, helping them make informed decisions, navigate University requirements and processes, overcome barriers, and maintain progress toward their educational and professional goals. Through proactive, personalized advising, Academic Advisors build meaningful relationships, identify solutions, connect students with appropriate resources, and collaborate across the University to support student success and program completion.

Must be able to work one of the following shifts:

Monday – Thursday 11:30am-8pm EST and Friday 8am-4:30pm EST

• Monday- Thursday 9:30am-6pm, EST and Friday 8am-4:30pm, EST

Academic Advisors play a critical role in helping students successfully navigate their academic journey and make progress toward their educational, professional, and personal goals. Advisors build meaningful relationships with students, understand their individual goals and circumstances, and provide personalized support throughout the student experience. Using strong communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, they help students understand academic requirements, navigate University policies and processes, overcome barriers, and make informed decisions about their path forward.

Advisors proactively engage students, celebrate their progress and accomplishments, connect them with appropriate resources, and collaborate across the University to resolve complex situations. They maintain a strong understanding of University programs, policies, procedures, systems, and resources to identify solutions that balance student needs with academic requirements while providing accurate, consistent, and student-focused service throughout their time at the University.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide warm, high-quality, student-focused service across multiple communication channels, including in person, email, phone, chat, text, social media, webinars, and other virtual platforms.


• Proactively engage with students to understand their goals, answer questions, identify barriers, provide clear next steps, and support continued academic progress.


• Encourage, motivate, and guide students toward the successful completion of their academic and professional goals.


• Provide accurate academic advising related to degree requirements, course selection, academic planning, University policies and procedures, campus navigation, forms, and available student resources


• Encourage, motivate, and guide students toward the successful completion of their academic and professional goals.


• Evaluate individual student situations using critical thinking and sound judgment to identify options, recommend solutions, and collaborate with other University departments on the student’s behalf when needed.


• Review and process degree changes and other academic requests accurately and timely, considering credit impact, time to completion, student goals, and other relevant factors.


• Utilize appropriate advising approaches based on the individual needs and circumstances of each student.


• Maintain knowledge of University programs, policies, procedures, systems, and resources, including requirements specific to assigned programs or student populations.


• Accurately and thoroughly document student interactions and advising activities in appropriate University systems.


• Identify and communicate student trends, recurring barriers, and opportunities to improve policies, processes, outreach, and the overall student experience.


• Participate in ongoing professional development, training, departmental committees, task forces, University initiatives, and other opportunities that support continued growth and organizational goals.


• Completed Bachelor's degree is required.


• Ability to work independently in an online environment with remote leadership, exercise sound judgment, appropriately elevate concerns, and maintain regular communication with Academic Advising leadership.


• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.


• Strong interpersonal skills, including active listening, relationship building, influencing, and communicating effectively with diverse audiences.


• Excellent student service skills with a positive, student-focused approach.


• Strong critical thinking, decision-making, and creative problem-solving skills, including the ability to effectively advise and identify solutions in complex, ambiguous, or unstructured situations.


• Ability to navigate multiple systems, learn new technologies, and adapt quickly to changing processes, priorities, and expectations

Per the US Department of Education Program Integrity Rules, postsecondary institutions that participate in the student financial assistance programs pursuant to Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) are barred from providing incentive payments to any person or entity engaged in student recruiting and/or admissions activities.

About Us:

American Public University System (APUS) is an Online University based in Charles Town, WV. Our University has over 100,000 students. Our emphasis is educating our nation’s military and public services communities with quality and affordable education. APUS provides partnership and commitment in helping students realize the dream of a higher education and the opportunities that brings.

It is the policy of American Public University System (APUS) to afford equal opportunity to all qualified persons. We treat all qualified individuals equally as to their recruitment, hiring, assignments, advancements, compensation, and all other terms and conditions of employment. American Public University System (APUS) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, or sensory disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Pay Transparency

If you are a resident of a state with designated pay transparency requirements and this role is available remotely, you may be eligible to receive additional information about the compensation and benefits for this role, which we will provide upon request.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.