Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising

Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising

The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health (SPH) is seeking a Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising. The Director leads academic advising for undergraduates pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) and oversees the student records team. This role provides direct advising, trains and develops a growing team of advisors and student records staff, advises a caseload of undergraduate students, and partners with faculty and campus offices to support student success.

The Director reports to the SPH Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and, as part of the University's Shared Advising Model, to the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Advising.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provides academic advising to BSPH students and prospective students, including a personal caseload of undergraduate students
• Supervises, trains, and mentors advising staff and student records staff; supports their professional development (e.g., NACADA credentialing)
• Champions identity-conscious, culturally responsive advising practices; monitors retention and success data to identify and address equity gaps
• Oversees key student success and retention processes, including onboarding, graduation certification, academic standing review (in conjunction with the Office of the Registrar), early progress reporting, mid-term grades, not-enrolled student outreach, and academic remediation efforts
• Builds a staffing and caseload model that keeps pace with BSPH's enrollment growth
• Strengthens partnerships with Admissions, Financial Aid, the SPH Director of BSPH Curriculum, the SPH Director of Educational Programs/Accreditation Initiatives, and faculty to create an integrated student support system
• Works directly with the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Advising on the University's Shared Advising Model transition
• Oversees projections of course demand for Public Health foundational and core courses each term as well as seat restrictions for all BSPH PUBHLT courses
• Develops new programs for student success (e.g., peer tutoring, study-skills support) as student needs evolve
• Contributes to a multi-year vision for advising staffing, systems, and space
• Maintains university and system-level engagement (People Soft, EAB/Pathways, Academic Advisement Report) and participates in relevant school and University committees
• Pursues continued professional development through NACADA or a comparable advising organization, including conferences, credentialing, and leadership development
• Oversees departmental workflow and communications. Proactively works to mitigate student issues before they escalate, partnering with the Associate Dean and Advising Team to resolve issues preventing students from graduating
• Builds EAB/Pathways Appointment Campaigns in the fall and spring to onboard internal transfers and incoming first-year students. Monitors the appointment availability and sends reminder messages to students
• Develops EAB/Pathways Appointment Campaigns in the fall and spring for special student populations (First Generation, Academic Alert/Probation) to keep students on track in their courses
• Works directly with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs on all aspects of advising and student records

Qualifications:

• A Master's degree and 8-10 years of undergraduate academic advising experience
• Knowledge of University Policy & Procedures and University Partners is preferred
• Knowledge of People Soft, EAB/Pathways, Perceptive Content, Qualtrics, Tableau, and Docu Sign recommended
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Prior leadership or supervisory experience is preferred
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills to enable clear communication with external constituents, students, faculty, and staff
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, time management, conflict management, ability to build rapport and trust
• Strong organizational skills and able to manage multiple priorities
• Ability to manage a diverse advising caseload
• Experience working with non-traditional students, underrepresented groups, and pre-health/pre-med populations
• Advisor training and/or…