New Student Advisor

Waukesha County Technical College; Village of Pewaukee (WI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Robust benefits package

Generous time off and holidays

ETF retirement system eligibility

Tuition reimbursement/waiver

Job summary

Waukesha County Technical College is seeking a New Student Advisor to guide incoming students through their first semester, connecting them with registration, financial aid basics, and orientation resources. The role emphasizes proactive outreach, relationship-building, and careful documentation within FERPA guidelines.

The position supports the Advising team, offers full-time, benefits-eligible employment, and requires a Bachelor’s degree plus two years of related experience in higher

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Communication, Social Science, Social Services, or related field required.
• Two years of experience in advising, orientation, student services, or first-year experience role in higher education preferred.
• Experience working with FERPA and student records is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned caseload of new students during their first semester, providing proactive outreach, registration support, and orientation to college resources and expectations.
• Provide guidance on initial course selection, placement, financial aid basics, and program requirements during the first-semester transition period.
• Identify students showing early signs of risk through the early alert protocol and apply intervention methods to address attendance, academic, or personal barriers.
• Build rapport quickly with new students to establish trust and engagement during a high-stakes transition period.
• Execute the warm handoff process transitioning each student to their ongoing Advisor as their first semester concludes.
• Coordinate with Admissions, Financial Aid, and Orientation staff to ensure a consistent new-student experience.
• Maintain accurate case management records and documentation in compliance with FERPA.
• Participate in college-wide orientation, retention, and first-year experience initiatives as assigned.
• Maintain current professional knowledge of first-year experience and retention theory through professional education and activities.

Skills

Registration knowledge

Financial aid basics

Academic program requirements

Rapport building

Communication skills

Time management

Case management systems

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Education, Communication, Social Science, Social Services, or related field

Job description

The New Student Advisor provides proactive, high-touch academic and transitional guidance to new students during their first semester at the College, connecting them to registration, financial aid, orientation, and early academic planning support. This work is central to establishing early engagement, addressing barriers before they affect persistence, and preparing students for a successful transition to ongoing advising support beyond their first semester.

This position description should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It is intended to identify the major responsibilities and requirements of the job. The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated on this description.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage an assigned caseload of new students during their first semester, providing proactive outreach, registration support, and orientation to college resources and expectations.
• Provide guidance on initial course selection, placement, financial aid basics, and program requirements during the critical first-semester transition period.
• Identify students showing early signs of risk through the early alert protocol; apply timely, defined intervention methods to address attendance, academic, or personal barriers.
• Build rapport quickly with new students to establish trust and engagement during a high-stakes transition period.
• Execute the warm handoff process transitioning each student to their ongoing Advisor as their first semester concludes, ensuring continuity of support and documentation.
• Coordinate with Admissions, Financial Aid, and Orientation staff to ensure a consistent, well-supported new-student experience.
• Maintain accurate case management records and documentation in compliance with FERPA.
• Participate in college-wide orientation, retention, and first-year experience initiatives as assigned.
• Maintain current professional knowledge of first-year experience and retention theory through professional education and activities.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Working knowledge of registration processes, financial aid basics, and academic program requirements.
• Ability to build rapport quickly with new students and establish trust during a high-stakes transition period.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage time and prioritize across multiple concurrent student needs within a single semester.
• Ability to use case management technology systems to document and track student interactions.
• Collaborative, team-oriented approach to working across campus departments.
• Ability to manage an assigned caseload

EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Communication, Social Science, Social Services, or a related field.
• Two (2) years of experience in advising, orientation, student services, or a related first-year experience role in higher education.

The New Student Advisor supports the Advising team and is fulltime and benefit eligible.

Hours

Hours are Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some evenings and weekends will be required. Flexibility may be needed based on department/College needs.

Candidates who advance in the hiring process will be invited to participate in an initial virtual interview on November 23. Candidates selected to move forward will be invited to an on-campus interview on December 2 or 3.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive Benefits Package including health, dental, vision, life, long-term disability, supplemental life, flex spending accounts, and much more
• Generous time off and holiday schedule
• Eligibility in the Wisconsin Retirement System (ETF)
• Opportunities for professional growth and development (including tuition reimbursement, tuition waiver)
• Well-being activities to support personal and professional well-being
• Collaborative and supportive team environment

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and maintain that authorization through employment. Verification of employment eligibility will be required upon hire. WCTC does not provide employment-based visa sponsorship.