Academic Advisor

Academic Advisor Position Description

Serves as the primary advisor for a caseload of first-year undergraduate students in the School of Arts & Letters, as well as a portion of students from other schools. The advisor seeks to effectively partner with the schools they serve to positively impact academic thriving and student success through counseling first‑year and at‑risk students.

Alignment with Theological Positions:
The person who fills this position must be someone who personally agrees with Biola’s Articles of Faith and Statement of Biblical Principles and who is supportive of the positions taken by Biola as contained in its Eschatology Teaching Position. As such, this person may not speak against or act in a manner inconsistent with these positions during the course of their employment at Biola.

Academic Advising

This position reports to the Director of Academic Advising & Success.

Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of one year of experience in advising or related academic functions within higher education.

Non‑exempt (02), full‑time – 40 hours/week, 12 months per year. This position requires personal attendance at Biola’s campus in La Mirada, California, but will consider a limited hybrid/flexible work arrangement in the summer months.

• Serves as the academic advisor for all first-year students in their caseload through the end of students’ first academic year. Meets regularly with first-year students to assess and discuss courses, academic performance, degree progress/timeline, connections to career, and any unique program requirements.
• Conducts required advising for first-year students during registration periods and ensures students register on time for appropriate courses. Conducts outreach to non-registered students.
• Serves as an academic advisor to assigned probation students. Establishes academic goals, provides coaching, and evaluates academic progress via faculty feedback. Provides feedback to students in a timely and appropriate fashion. Refers students to campus resources as needed.
• Ensures the effectiveness of the advising process by maintaining up-to-date digital advising notes for all advising appointments and correspondence.
• Supervises 1-2 Peer Academic Advisors under the direction of the Senior Academic Advisor, maximizing the impact of this student role for the benefit of students and campus partners.

• Provides advising and registration for incoming students from the time of “confirmed” status through the start of the semester. Works closely with Admissions to manage the matriculation of new students, the Registrar’s Office regarding transfer coursework, and academic departments with course sequencing and availability.

• Partners as a liaison to faculty in their assigned school(s) to assist with registration/academic advising events and information sharing of any curricular, software, policy, or system changes that impact advising.
• Serves as a supplemental academic advisor to students in cooperation with faculty advisors in the development and clarification of educational plans and graduation timelines.
• Serves as a bridge, building connections between first year students and faculty in their program.
• Partners with school leadership and faculty to gain expertise on the curricular pathways, requirements, and resources in their given program.
• Assists with other tasks and duties that support the Academic Advising program.

• Passionate about the academic success of all students.
• Exceptional interpersonal/advising skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to multitask.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for interacting with diverse clients and team members.
• Ability to learn and use complex computer‑based systems and multi-faceted software and database management systems.
• Google Workspace proficiency: familiarity with Google products including Gmail, Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides, Google Drive and Google Meet.
• Commitment to Christian higher education.
• Confidentiality:
  Handling sensitive information with discretion.

• Genuine interest in and/or experience with the subjects taught in the School of Fine Arts and Communication (Music, Art, Theatre, Communication, Journalism, Public Relations). Strong multicultural competencies and ability to work with diverse populations.
• Knowledge of higher education policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of academic advising and counseling techniques for higher education programs.

Hiring Range: $24.33 - 27.00 per hour