Student Development Advisor

Summary

The Student Development Advisor (SDA) assists students with developing their academic plans, consistent with their life, career, and educational goals. The SDA is expected to build and sustain ongoing relationships with the students to facilitate and enhance the student/college connection. May require the ability to work variable schedules including nights and weekends to facilitate events.

• Assist in planning and implementing all phases of outreach.
• Assist with the district-wide development of a relationship-based model of academic advising in support of the educational success of the student.
• Advise and assist students in understanding the requirements for all CR degree, continuing education, certificate and completion programs, developing academic timelines, and understanding transfer programs to four year institutions.
• Provide developmental academic advising to all students.
• Advise and assist students in becoming aware of their values, interests, abilities, and clarifying their academic goals.
• Assist students on Academic Probation and Dismissal to develop an academic plan to improve their standing
• Participate in high school recruitment and retention activities.
• Make referrals to campus and community resources.
• Make presentations, conduct orientations and workshops.
• Utilize ASSIST on-line and other articulation resources to ensure course equivalencies for the major, general education preparation, and appropriate placement in CR courses.
• Contribute to the program review process and to the identification, analysis, and assessment of student learning outcomes.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to meet the overall mission of the department.

Knowledge and Skills

• A caseload approach as used to provide counseling and advising services in a community college setting.
• Theory and practice related to student learning, retention, development and success.
• Theory and practice related to working with students of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and levels of academic preparation.
• Student support services such as financial aid, EOPS, counseling/advising, disabled student programs, transfer, career development/employment, testing, and tutoring.
• California Community College matriculation processes and requirements.
• The importance of college course articulation and the role it plays in the academic advisement of students.
• The California Master Plan for Higher Education, including an understanding of the unique role of the community college as defined in that plan.
• The process that students must go through in order to be ready to transfer from a community college to a four-year institution.
• Different learning styles and the implications of these styles when attempting to convey counseling and advising information to students.
• The role of transcript evaluation in creating meaningful educational plans for incoming transfer students.
• Basic career assessment, development, and employment processes and resources.

• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Lead discussions and make presentations to large and small groups.
• Demonstrate initiative, creativity, teamwork, conflict resolution/decision making skills
• Organize, retrieve, manage and present large amounts of informational details about college programs and course work.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to the needs and concerns of a diverse college population.
• Train peers in selected advising techniques and/or program information
• Prioritize assignments and carry projects to completion.
• Work well under pressure; learn quickly
• Maintain a flexible schedule with some evening shifts and campus rotations required
• Utilize a variety of computer software, including college data systems and internet.
• Advocate for all students
• Work ethically with confidential information.

• Requires ambulatory skills to retrieve work materials and files; to stand or sit at a counter for extended periods of time.
• Requires sufficient arm, hand, finger dexterity in order to operate keyboard, typewriter and other office equipment.
• Requires visual acuity to read words and numbers.
• Requires auditory ability to carry on conversations with…