Academic Advisor

Academic Advisor

This position will provide academic advising for undergraduates in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources (DFER) undergraduate programs, initially specializing in Forest Management. The position reports directly to the Associate Head of Student Success, but must work closely with academic program coordinators, and college and student services personnel.

Duties include:

• Direct Academic & Career Advising:
  Provide high-quality, developmental academic advising to undergraduate students through one-on-one and group appointments (both in-person and virtual). Support students in the selection and development of a sequence of courses aligned with their area of interest; cross-train in advising for other majors within DFER to ensure departmental coverage. Provide career advising to help students transition into their chosen profession, identifying and encouraging participation in relevant extracurricular and professional development opportunities.
  
  Maintain active, responsive communication with prospective and current students through email, virtual platforms, and in-person meetings.
• Academic Programming:
  Provide student support programming from the time students transition into the major until they graduate. Plan and execute orientation programming for new, Change of Degree Objective (CODA), and transfer students. Contribute to the development of a strong sense of community among students in the major and the department; organize and staff key events such as recruitment fairs, Parents Weekend, and graduation.
  
  Highlight DFER student accomplishments at the department, college, and university levels.
• Strategic Coordination:
  Coordinate with other professional advisors, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs (ADUP), and faculty program coordinators to plan and implement group advising sessions. Facilitate and maintain connections with complementary academic programs across campus; connect students as appropriate with courses and high-impact experiences such as study abroad. Support student participation in professional development activities, such as the departmental Job Fair, and encourage students and alumni to participate in job placement surveys.
• Administration & Record Keeping:
  Maintain appropriate, confidential student records regarding academic progress, degree audits, and advising notes in compliance with university standards.

Other tasks and responsibilities may be assigned based on the needs of the organization and evolving priorities.

Qualifications

Minimum

Education and Experience:

Master's degree in a field relevant to academic advising or to curricula in DFER.

Other

Required Qualifications:

Science background. Excellent interpersonal and communication (written and oral) skills. Must enjoy working with students at all stages of their academic careers and be dedicated to service and furthering each student's success. Highly organized, able to work with a team, and willing to back-stop other team members. Eager to coordinate and communicate within advising and across advising teams in the college, with department and college academic leadership, and with department faculty.

Self-starter but able to seek help when needed. Skilled computer user and able to acquire and evaluate information from university software.

Preferred Qualifications:

Familiarity with Forestry or other disciplines within DFER to enable cross-curricular advising. Work experience in an academic or student services unit in a comprehensive public university. Academic advising background.