Cane Navigator (Academic Advisor) - Arts & Sciences

University of Miami; McArthur Township (OH); On-site; USD 50,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cane Navigator (Academic Advisor) at University of Miami supports undergraduate student success by providing proactive, holistic academic advising that promotes learning, persistence, progression, and timely graduation.

This role reports to an Associate or Assistant Director of Cane Navigation and collaborates with academic units, faculty, and campus partners to support students throughout their undergraduate experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred.
• Minimum 1 year advising, counseling, and/or customer service experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of undergraduate curricula, degree requirements, general education, and institutional policies.
• Ability to build sustained advising relationships across student lifecycle.
• Willingness to collaborate with faculty and campus partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive, developmental academic advising that supports undergraduate student learning, persistence, progression, and timely graduation.
• Establish and maintain advising relationships from before a student’s first term through graduation.
• Guide students in setting goals and connecting them to curricular, co-curricular, and experiential learning opportunities.
• Educate students on high-impact practices and experiential learning opportunities.
• Navigate curriculum requirements and support degree progression.
• Document advising interactions using technologies and track student engagement.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Student advising

Reflective conversations

FERPA awareness

Collaboration

Detail-oriented

Professional boundaries

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s Degree preferred

Tools

EAB Navigate

Job description

The Cane Navigator (Academic Advisor) supports undergraduate student success by providing proactive, holistic academic advising that promotes student learning, persistence, progression, and timely graduation. Through intentional advising relationships and excellent attention to detail, Cane Navigators guide students in understanding program requirements, institutional policies, and degree pathways while supporting informed academic decision‑making. This role reports to an Associate or Assistant Director of Cane Navigation and collaborates closely with academic units, faculty, and campus partners to support students throughout their undergraduate experience.

CORE JOB FUNCTIONS

Academic Advising Practice & Student Learning

• Provide proactive, developmental academic advising that supports undergraduate student learning, persistence, progression, and timely graduation, grounded in best practices and advising theory.
• Establish and maintain sustained advising relationships beginning prior to a student’s first term, serving as the primary academic advisor for assigned students throughout their undergraduate experience and supporting informed academic decision‑making.
• Engage students in reflective conversations to help them clarify academic, professional, and personal goals and connect those goals to curricular, co‑curricular, and experiential learning opportunities.
• Educate students on high‑impact practices and experiential learning opportunities (e.g., study abroad, undergraduate research, internships) and support intentional integration of these experiences into their academic plans.

Academic Planning, Policies, & Institutional Knowledge

• Guide students in understanding and navigating curriculum requirements, including majors, minors, general education, degree progression, and institutional academic policies and procedures.
• Develop, monitor, and update individualized academic plans and degree records; regularly assess student progress and engagement to support timely degree completion.
• Investigate and resolve academic issues including registration errors, prerequisite checks, course substitutions, and permission requests in accordance with institutional policy.
• Maintain current knowledge of the academic bulletin, academic calendar, institutional resources, and programs to ensure accurate and consistent advising guidance.

Student Support, Referral, & Advocacy

• Identify academic, personal, and institutional barriers to student success and support students through coordinated referrals to appropriate campus partners, following up as needed to promote continuity of care and student progress.
• Partner collaboratively with academic and non‑academic units (e.g., Counseling Center, Housing and Residential Life, International Student and Scholar Services, Veteran Resource Center) to support holistic student success.
• Interact with families, faculty, and campus partners in accordance with FERPA and institutional guidelines to support student outcomes while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

Assessment, Technology, & Professional Practice

• Utilize advising technologies, data dashboards, and student success platforms (e.g., EAB Navigate) to document advising interactions, track student engagement, and inform proactive outreach strategies.
• Contribute to unit goals by meeting established advising benchmarks, assessment measures, and service expectations in support of institutional student success priorities.
• Participate in ongoing training, assessment, and professional development to strengthen advising competencies and remain current with evolving best practices in the academic advising profession.
• Complete career‑related training (e.g., Career Champion) and intentionally integrate career development conversations into academic advising practice.

Professional Responsibility

• Adhere to University and unit‑level policies, exercise sound professional judgment, and perform other duties as assigned in support of student success and advising operations.
• This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

Salary range: $50,000-$54,000

CORE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred

Certification and Licensing: Not Applicable

Experience: Minimum of 1 year of experience in advising, counseling, and/or customer service is preferred. Any relevant education, certifications and/or work experience may be considered.

Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes: Knowledge of academic advising as a teaching and learning practice that supports student development, decision‑making, persistence, and timely degree completion. Understanding of undergraduate curricula, degree requirements, general education, and institutional academic policies and procedures. Knowledge of student development theory, advising approaches, and strategies that inform effective academic advising practice. Familiarity with institutional resources, services, and campus partners that support student success and holistic well‑being. Understanding of legal and ethical guidelines relevant to academic advising practice, including FERPA and professional boundaries. Awareness of the diverse identities, experiences, and needs of undergraduate student populations. Ability to build and sustain intentional advising relationships grounded in trust, care, and professionalism. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to engage students in reflective, goal‑oriented conversations. Ability to guide students in interpreting academic requirements, policies, and degree pathways to support informed decision‑making. Ability to handle challenging or sensitive situations with composure, sound judgment, and empathy. Commitment to student success, learning, and equitable educational outcomes. Demonstrated care, empathy, and respect for students while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries. Collaborative mindset and willingness to partner with faculty and campus colleagues in support of students. Openness to feedback, continuous learning, and professional growth within the academic advising profession. Attention to detail, accountability, and consistency in advising practice. Adaptability and resilience when navigating change, ambiguity, or complex student situations. Commitment to upholding institutional values, policies, and professional standards.

The University of Miami is recognized as one of the nation’s premier research institutions and academic health systems and is among the largest employers in South Florida. With more than 20,000 faculty and staff, the University is committed to excellence and guided by a mission to positively impact the lives of students, patients, and communities locally and globally. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where every individual feels valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully. United by shared values, the University community works together to build an environment defined by purpose, collaboration, and service. The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.

Job Status: Full time Employee Type: Staff

The mission of the University of Miami is to transform lives through education, research, innovation, and service. A vibrant and diverse academic and healthcare community, the University of Miami and the University of Miami Health System ("UHealth") have rapidly progressed to become one of the nation’s top research universities and academic medical centers in the nation. The University comprises 12 schools and colleges serving undergraduate and graduate students in more than 350 majors and programs. Visit welcome.miami.edu/about-um to learn more about our points of pride. The University ranks No. 55 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Colleges list and ranked No. 49 in the 2022 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is ranked the #1 eye hospital in the USA and offers some of the nation's premiere eye doctors to treat every eye condition for adults. Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer, part of the Miller School of Medicine, received the prestigious National Cancer Institute designation in 2019. The University of Miami and UHealth have also ranked among the Forbes Best Employers and Best Employers for Women on several occasions, most recently in 2022. With more than 17,000 faculty and staff, the University strives for excellence, and is driven by a powerful mission to transform and impact the lives of its students, patients, members of the community, and people across the globe.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law.