Academic Advisor

Columbia International; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia International University in Columbia, SC is seeking an Academic Advisor to work with on-campus undergraduate students, focusing mainly on freshmen. The advisor will help plan each semester to ensure degree progress and timely graduation, and will perform advising in person at the campus.

The position requires on-site presence, frequent office hours, and collaboration with faculty and other departments to support student success and retention.

Qualifications

• Advising undergraduate students, especially freshmen.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills required.
• Familiarity with FERPA and university policies.
• Ability to coordinate with faculty and campus departments.
• Experience supporting student retention efforts.

Responsibilities

• Advise students (primarily freshmen) regarding degree completion requirements and University policies through office hours and appointments, email and phone communication
• Assist new incoming students with first-time registration
• Assist freshmen in planning and registration each semester. Provide support and facilitate transition to faculty advisors for upperclassmen
• Host drop-in advising sessions in the student center several times each semester
• Proactively reach out to current students to help them identify available University resources, address other academic needs, and offer encouragement to increase retention and degree completion rates
• Assist admissions office with the development of suggested course sequence options for new students, with the help of academic deans
• Review academic progress of current students to ensure progress toward degree completion
• Assist in developing services and processes that enhance the student experience and support student retention and achievement
• Collaborate with faculty and other University departments to support students and resolve student issues
• Design social media posts publicizing deadlines and events; work with Student Development to post and make chapel announcements
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Student advising

Communication skills

Registration planning

FERPA knowledge

Collaboration with faculty

Retention strategies

Job description

The Academic Advisor is responsible for working with on-campus undergraduate students at Columbia International University throughout their educational journey, focusing mainly on freshmen. The advisor helps students plan each semester, preparing to successfully complete their degree program by making sure that they are meeting all the necessary graduation requirements in a timely manner. This is an on-site (not remote) position.

Responsibilities

Primary duties:

• Advise students (primarily freshmen) regarding degree completion requirements and University policies through office hours and appointments, email and phone communication
• Assist new incoming students with first-time registration
• Assist freshmen in planning and registration each semester. Provide support and facilitate transition to faculty advisors for upperclassmen
• Host drop-in advising sessions in the student center several times each semester
• Proactively reach out to current students to help them identify available University resources, address other academic needs, and offer encouragement to increase retention and degree completion rates
• Assist admissions office with the development of suggested course sequence options for new students, with the help of academic deans
• Review academic progress of current students to ensure progress toward degree completion
• Assist in developing services and processes that enhance the student experience and support student retention and achievement
• Collaborate with faculty and other University departments to support students and resolve student issues
• Design social media posts publicizing deadlines and events; work with Student Development to post and make chapel announcements
• Other duties as assigned

Policies and Procedures:

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act [FERPA];
• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers [AACRAO] records retention guidelines;
• Catalogs, curricular requirements and policies/procedures of all schools within the University;
• Registration and records functions of the University Registrar’s Office;
• Accreditation requirements [ABHE, ATS, SACS, and CACREP];
• Department of Education standards necessary to support the Financial Aid office; and
• Compliance requirements for the NCCAA.

Customer Service: Provide on-call, quality assistance to students, in areas such as:

• Registration, enrollment verification, and website information;
• Academic petitions, faculty directed studies, Acadeum and transfer credit;
• Granting third-parties access to student records, FERPA restrictions and releases,
• Graduation, grades, transcript requests, room reservations, and telephone call/email routing, etc.

Project Management: Execute tasks in areas as assigned such as:

• Understand how registration and record processes integrate with and affect the processes of other University departments.
• Attend staff meetings and other duties as assigned.