Academic Advisor & Retention Specialist, College of Humanities

Academic Advisor & Retention Specialist, College of Humanities

Posting Number
: req
26050
Department
:
Humanities Administration
Location
:
Tucson Campus, Tucson, AZ

The College of Humanities is seeking a committed Academic Advisor and Retention Specialist to support undergraduate students. This in‑person position runs Monday‑Friday, 8 am‑5 pm, with occasional nights, weekends, and travel required.

Key responsibilities include:

• Serve as the Academic Advising Center advisor for first‑year, transfer and continuing students with a focus on retention initiatives.
• Develop and deliver retention programs for College of Humanities student populations.
• Collaborate with Student Data and Retention Analyst to retrieve and interpret data, driving proactive advising and program development.
• Consult with COH departments and faculty to implement an intervention model that identifies students needing academic or social support and connects them to campus resources.
• Provide guided, multi‑term degree plans for each student during course selection.
• Maintain plans of study and track progress to degree completion via UAccess.
• Maintain and update student records efficiently and punctually.
• Assist students with navigating university, college, and program‑level policies, including petitions, schedule changes, and academic eligibility.
• Collaborate on planning, implementation, and instruction of the first‑year success course for Humanities majors.
• Assist with oversight of the COH Peer Mentors program.
• Evaluate and apply transfer credit from other academic institutions.
• Assess students’ academic preparation and promote growth by determining suitable developmental tasks.
• Participate in special projects and professional development to stay current on advising practices.
• Maintain knowledge of curriculum, prerequisites, critical courses, and course difficulty.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal and relationship‑building skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Working knowledge of job‑related functions and industry best practices.
• Ability to exercise latitude in determining objectives and approaches to assignments.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Discretion in handling confidential information.
• Capacity to learn and master new software and online reporting tools quickly.
• Knowledge of academic advising principles, theories, and concepts, and the ability to apply them in practice.
• Knowledge of student development theory and student success practices, including outreach and resource connection.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Previous experience working in higher education advising.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Extensive experience with student development and its application in higher education retention initiatives and programming.
• Experience working with staff, faculty, administrators, and students from a variety of academic disciplines and experiences.
• Knowledge of University of Arizona colleges and university structure.

Benefits

The University of Arizona offers comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, tuition reduction for employees and qualified family members, retirement plans, and access to recreational and cultural activities.