Academic Adviser - Public Health Sciences

Academic Adviser

The Department of Public Health Sciences at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA is seeking an Academic Adviser. The Public Health Sciences Academic Adviser provides comprehensive, proactive academic advising and student success support for students in Public Health Sciences graduate programs. This position focuses primarily on academic advising, degree progression, and career-aligned planning, while incorporating targeted student success interventions to promote retention, persistence, and timely graduation.

The role applies data-informed, evidence-based advising practices, collaborates with faculty and campus partners, and contributes to advising programming, recruitment, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Provide holistic, student-centered advising to Public Health Sciences students regarding:
• Course selection, registration, and scheduling
• Degree requirements and academic progress
• Experiential learning (research, internships, practicum opportunities)
• Monitor academic progress and maintain accurate student records.
• Interpret and apply University academic policies and ensure compliance.
• Develop individualized academic and career plans aligned with public health pathways.
• Conduct individual and group advising sessions.
• Participate in orientation, recruitment, and retention programming.
• Maintain subject matter expertise in Public Health Sciences curriculum and career outcomes.

• Identify students experiencing academic difficulty using performance indicators and early alerts.
• Develop and implement academic improvement and success plans.
• Conduct targeted outreach and follow-up with at-risk students.
• Connect students with campus resources (e.g. tutoring, counseling, financial support, disability services, etc.).
• Support development of student skills (study strategies, time management, academic planning).

• Develop and deliver programming such as:
• Academic success workshops
• Curriculum planning sessions
• Career exploration in public health
• Assist with orientation, onboarding, and transition programming.
• Create advising and student success materials and communications.

• Maintain advising documentation in student success platforms (Starfish).
• Track student engagement, persistence, and outcomes.
• Analyze data to inform advising practices and interventions.
• Contribute to reports, assessment efforts, and accreditation processes.

• Partner with faculty, academic units, and student support offices to coordinate student support.
• Participate in committees, working groups, and institutional initiatives.
• Serve as liaison between students, faculty, and administrative units.
• Serve as staff adviser to the Public Health student organization, PHASE.

• Experience in public health or health sciences education.
• Familiarity with experiential learning and career pathways in public health.
• Experience using early alert systems or student success technologies.
• Experience developing student success interventions or programming.

• Demonstrates the ability to proactively support student degree persistence through targeted advising, early identification of risk factors, and implementation of strategies that promote academic persistence.
• Applies expertise in curriculum requirements and academic policies to guide students toward timely degree completion through structured, personalized academic planning.
• Effectively builds and sustains student relationships through consistent advising interactions, proactive outreach, and engagement strategies that encourage student participation and connection.
• Delivers high-quality, student-centered advising experiences that reflect responsiveness, professionalism, and a commitment to continuous improvement based on student feedback.
• Utilizes data-informed approaches to design, implement, and assess intervention strategies that address academic challenges and improve student success outcomes.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to student-centered collaboration by working effectively with faculty, colleagues, and campus partners to support the success of Public Health Sciences students. Builds trusting relationships, communicates openly, and…