Career Center

Academic Advisor or Senior Academic Advisor

College of Biological Sciences

Job Code: 9702AA, 9703AA, or 9704AA

The College of Biological Sciences is a college of approximately 2,200 undergraduate students pursuing degrees in the life sciences at the University of Minnesota. The college offers eight majors and ten minors to prepare students to solve biological problems facing our world. CBS Student Services is a team of 19 professional staff members; each contributing to the shared responsibility of advancing the mission and vision of the college. These staff serve students in three functional areas: academic advising, career coaching, and student engagement. The person in this role will join a team of nine others focused on academic advising, and will have a student caseload of about 275 undergraduate students, which includes students participating in the University Honors Program. This role reports to an Assistant Director for Academic Advising.

Regular in-person services resumed at the start of the Fall 2021 semester. The candidate selected will need to be located near the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. This position will primarily work out of the Molecular and Cellular Biology building, with possibility for 200 remote hours in an academic year.

For more information about working in CBS Student Services, visit: https://z.umn.edu/workingincbs.

If you have questions, please contact Charlie Ellis (cwellis@umn.edu)

Job code and salary offers are dependent on the candidate's experience, skills, and internal equity within the department. The budgeted salary range for this position is $48,000-49,000 for the 9702AA Academic Advisor position, $50,000-$54,000 for the 9703AA Academic Advisor position, and $56,000-$60,000 for the 9704AA Senior Academic Advisor position.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), women, LGBTQIA+ and gender nonconforming folks, people with disabilities, and members of other historically minoritized communities/groups are highly encouraged to apply.

Application Priority Deadline: It has now been extended from April 7, 2023 at 11:59PM to May 3, 2023 at 11:59PM. 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities for 9702AA Academic Advisor

Position Overview

• Someone new to the experience of academic advising and working with college students. Still learning/being introduced to advising experience. Focus is on advisor skill building and learning the role, such as how to have conversations with students.
• Works with moderate supervision (supervisor is reviewing work more regularly). Supervisor provides much more guidance, coaching, training, and shadowing for skill-development.
• Typically, AA2 would not have a lot of committee work and generally serves in a supportive role in projects (rather than independently leads project) or takes most work direction from the supervisor.

Academic Advising (65%)
The cornerstone of academic advising is the ability to build authentic relationships with individuals with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and identities. The responsibility of this role is to first build relationships, then utilize those relationships to holistically support and guide students throughout their undergrad career.  Level 2 advisors will focus on building confidence and competency in this area with the support of assistant directors and senior advisors in the unit.

Build authentic relationships with students as you:

• Connect with students through one-on-one appointments, drop-in advising, group advising, telephone and email communication
• Guide students through the process of formulating personalized educational plans and strategies for academic success that are reflective of their unique set of values, strengths, interests, and identities
• Learn and implement the CBS advising philosophy to foster student learning and success
• Help students build skills and make commitments that guide their educational plans, facilitate timely graduation, and make progress toward career goals
• Communicate the value of the liberal education curriculum within STEM
• Apply organizational and student development theory to guide students in reflection on their decisions and plans
• Champion the value of engagement in co-curricular experiences and how they connect to students’ academic and career goals
• Develop and utilize a holistic advising model to guide, challenge, and support students in becoming self-reliant and learning to make important reflective decisions about major, personal, and career aspirations
• Help students navigate policies and procedures and determine when exceptions may be appropriate
• Coach students on making registration choices that promote timely and realistic degree progress
• Gain knowledge on UMN specific resources and serve as a cultural navigator of the system of higher education
• Refer to campus resources, including how they contribute to retention and an outstanding student experience
• Continuously improve and develop advising practice through regular shadowing, both with supervisor and advising colleagues in the units

Technical competence is crucial in leveraging university-wide systems to provide excellent student support, make data-informed decisions, and focus efforts most efficiently. The person in this role will be trained in the many systems required to advise effectively.

• Develop a high level of competency in the University’s student success tools (APLUS, APAS, Schedule Builder, PeopleSoft, etc.) as you:
• Conduct timely outreach to students as needs arise to meet student need, build relationships, and encourage timely degree completion
• Review student progress reports at key academic markers, such as probation, degree application, or major declaration to determine appropriate next steps for student success
• Maintain accurate records about student interactions in order to best support the student as they navigate campus, and engages a campus-wide wide effort to provide informed, nuanced student support

Program Development (15%)

• Design and implement student development activities in collaboration with supervisors and peers based on assessment data and best practices
• Contribute to select student services initiatives and programs by identifying needs, outcomes, and resources, and evaluating effectiveness
• Collaborate with faculty and campus staff to develop programs and plans to effectively deliver advising and support services to students
• Participate in Student Services efforts to improve retention rates, four-year graduation rates, and student satisfaction

CBS Student Services Collaborations (10%)

• CBS Student Services is a blended student affairs unit, and is most successful when the unit works collectively for the student's benefit
• Attend CBS Student Services staff meetings and engage in the broader work being done on behalf of CBS undergraduates
• Engage in cross-functional area collaborative projects
• Participate in college-wide functions to provide an excellent student experience

Professional Development & Service (10%)

• Commitment to ongoing social justice and racial equity work in order to identify, challenge, and remove barriers to access at the individual, community, and system level
• Engage in professional development and service activities related to the advising and student services profession, within the University of Minnesota community and beyond
• Continue professional development and scholarly activity in the field of academic advising to maintain knowledge of trends and best practices (e.g., membership in professional associations, attendance at conferences and seminars, write and publish articles, serve on teams and collaborate with other professional groups, etc.)
• Participate on Student Services, College and University-wide committees as requested 

Principal Duties and Responsibilities for 9703AA Academic Advisor

Academic Advising (65%)
The cornerstone of academic advising is the ability to build authentic relationships with individuals with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and identities. The responsibility of this role is to first build relationships, then utilize those relationships to holistically support and guide students throughout their undergrad career. 

Build authentic relationships with students as you:

• Connect with students through one-on-one appointments, drop-in advising, group advising, telephone and email communication 
• Guide students through the process of formulating personalized educational plans and strategies for academic success that are reflective of their unique set of values, strengths, interests, and identities
• Implement the CBS advising philosophy to foster student learning and success
• Help students build skills and make commitments that guide their educational plans, facilitate timely graduation, and make progress toward career goals
• Communicate the value of the liberal education curriculum within STEM
• Apply organizational and student development theory to guide students in reflection on their decisions and plans
• Champion the value of engagement in co-curricular experiences and how they connect to students’ academic and career goals
• Utilize a holistic advising model to guide, challenge, and support students in becoming self-reliant and learning to make important reflective decisions about major, personal, and career aspirations 
• Help students navigate policies and procedures and determine when exceptions may be appropriate 
• Coach students on making registration choices that promote timely and realistic degree progress
• Strategically refer to campus resources, including how they contribute to retention and an outstanding student experience
• Serve as a cultural navigator of the system of higher education

Technical competence is crucial in leveraging university-wide systems to provide excellent student support, make data-informed decisions, and focus efforts most efficiently. The person in this role will be trained in the many systems required to advise effectively.

• Develop a high level of competency in the University’s student success tools (APLUS, APAS, Schedule Builder, PeopleSoft, etc.) as you:
• Conduct timely outreach to students as needs arise to meet student need, build relationships, and encourage timely degree completion
• Review student progress reports at key academic markers, such as probation, degree application, or major declaration to determine appropriate next steps for student success
• Maintain accurate records about student interactions in order to best support the student as they navigate campus, and engages a campus-wide wide effort to provide informed, nuanced student support

Program Development & Management (15%)

• Design and implement student development activities based on assessment data and best practices
• Manage select student services initiatives and programs by identifying needs, outcomes, and resources, and evaluating effectiveness 
• Collaborate with faculty and campus staff to develop programs and plans to effectively deliver advising and support services to students
• Participate in Student Services efforts to improve retention rates, four-year graduation rates, and student satisfaction

CBS Student Services Collaborations (10%)

• CBS Student Services is a blended student affairs unit, and is most successful when the unit works collectively for the student's benefit
• Attend CBS Student Services staff meetings and engage in the broader work being done on behalf of CBS undergraduates
• Engage in cross-functional area collaborative projects
• Participate in college-wide functions to provide an excellent student experience

Professional Development & Service (10%) 

• Commitment to ongoing social justice and racial equity work in order to identify, challenge, and remove barriers to access at the individual, community, and system level
• Engage in professional development and service activities related to the advising and student services profession, within the University of Minnesota community and beyond 
• Continue professional development and scholarly activity in the field of academic advising to maintain knowledge of trends and best practices (e.g., membership in professional associations, attendance at conferences and seminars, write and publish articles, serve on teams and collaborate with other professional groups, etc.)
• Participate on Student Services, College and University-wide committees as requested

Principal Duties and Responsibilities for 9704AA Senior Academic Advisor

Position Overview:

Senior advisors are recognized as experts within CBS Student Services and provide input for the direction of academic advising programs. By leveraging their expertise and depth of knowledge, senior advisors engage in advising practices that are highly nuanced and develop/implement plans to meet the needs of individuals and groups of students. They interpret internal and external issues, solve complex problems, and work independently to recommend solutions and effective practices. 

Academic Advising (65%):

The cornerstone of academic advising is the ability to build authentic relationships with individuals with varied backgrounds, perspectives, and identities. The responsibility of this role is to first build relationships, then utilize those relationships to holistically support and guide students throughout their undergrad career. 

• Connect with students through one-on-one appointments, drop-in advising, group advising, telephone and email communication.
• Guide students through the process of formulating personalized educational plans and strategies for academic success that are reflective of their unique set of values, strengths, interests, and identities with a thorough and nuanced understanding of curricular options, requirements, and engagement opportunities. 
• Implement the CBS advising philosophy to foster student learning and success. 
• Mentor students in the development of nuanced decision making skills and make commitments that guide their educational plans, facilitate timely graduation, and make progress toward career goals. 
• Communicate the value of the liberal education curriculum within STEM. 
• Apply organizational and student development theory to guide students in reflection on their decisions and plans. 
• Champion the value of engagement in co-curricular experiences and how they connect to students’ academic and career goals. 
• Utilize a holistic advising model to guide, challenge, and support students in becoming self-reliant and learning to make important reflective decisions about major, personal, and career aspirations. 
• Help students navigate policies and procedures and utilize an in-depth understanding of university policies, college procedures and practices, program requirements, and resources to determine when exceptions may be appropriate. 
• Escalate ideas for policy and procedural changes as needed through the appropriate channels.
• Coach students on making registration choices that promote timely and realistic degree progress. 
• Strategically refer to campus resources, including how they contribute to retention and an outstanding student experience. 
• Serve as a cultural navigator of the system of higher education. 
• Demonstrates expertise in working effectively with students with diverse needs and backgrounds by adapting advising strategies within appropriate cultural contexts. 

Technical competence is crucial in leveraging university-wide systems to provide excellent student support, make data-informed decisions, and focus efforts most efficiently. Demonstrate a mastery of the University’s student success tools (APLUS, APAS, Schedule Builder, PeopleSoft, etc.) as you: 

• Conduct timely outreach to students as needs arise to meet student need, build relationships, and encourage timely degree completion. 
• Review student progress reports at key academic markers, such as probation, degree application, or major declaration to determine appropriate next steps for student success. 
• Maintain accurate records about student interactions in order to best support the student as they navigate campus, and engages a campus-wide wide effort to provide informed, nuanced student support. 

Senior advisors are recognized as experts within CBS Student Services and utilize this expertise to train/mentor advising colleagues and engage with the broader advising community. The person in this role will also use their advising knowledge and familiarity with University systems to drive innovation in the advising unit. 

• Collaborate with Assistant Director for Academic advising for training/onboarding new staff serving as a resource during the transition into the unit. 
• Utilize advising expertise to mentor advising colleagues in specific advising tasks, policies and systems, complex case consultations, and the development of nuanced decision-making skills. 
• Perform a leadership role in college-wide and/or university-wide committees to develop strategies to effectively meet students' advising needs. 

Program Development & Management (15%) 

Works under general supervision but is given the latitude to make decisions on projects that they are accountable for delivering on; decisions may involve selecting an approach from among alternatives, timing when certain tasks should be performed, determining how to best use available resources, and other similar choices. 

• Lead the design and implementation of student development activities based on assessment data and best practices. This includes delegating tasks to colleagues supporting the project. 
• Manage select student services initiatives and programs by identifying needs, outcomes, and resources, and evaluating effectiveness. 
• Coordinate collaborations with faculty and campus staff to develop programs and plans to effectively deliver advising and support services to students.
• Participate in Student Services efforts to improve retention rates, four-year graduation rates, and student satisfaction. 

CBS Student Services Collaborations (10%) 

• CBS Student Services is a blended student affairs unit, and is most successful when the unit works collectively for the student good. 
• Attend and contribute to CBS Student Services staff meetings and engage in the broader work being done on behalf of CBS undergraduates. 
• Engage in cross-functional area collaborative projects. 
• Participate in college-wide functions to provide an excellent student experience. 

Professional Development & Service (10%) 

• Commitment to ongoing social justice and racial equity work in order to identify, challenge, and remove barriers to access at the individual, community, and system level. 
• Engage in professional development and service activities related to the advising and student services profession, within the University of Minnesota community and beyond. 
• Continue professional development and scholarly activity in the field of academic advising to maintain knowledge of trends and best practices. 
• Participate on Student Services, College and University-wide committees as requested. 

Qualifications for 9702AA, 9703AA, 9704AA

Academic Advisor 9702AA:

• Minimum Qualifications
  • BA/BS degree plus at least two years of relevant experience, or master's degree.
  • Previous experience in an educational setting performing academic advising or student support activities
  • Evidence of effective relationship-building, team-building, and oral/written communication skills
  • Ability to effectively communicate across race, class, and culture
  • Demonstrated commitment to fostering student learning and applying organizational/student development theory to work with students
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Previous academic advising experience
  • Familiarity with the challenges and opportunities of working with STEM students
  • Knowledge of assessment best practices

Academic Advisor 9703AA:

• Minimum Qualifications
  • BA/BS degree plus at least four years of relevant experience, or master's degree plus two years of relevant experience
  • Previous experience in an educational setting performing academic advising or student support activities
  • Evidence of effective relationship-building, team-building, and oral/written communication skills
  • Ability to effectively communicate across race, class, and culture
  • Demonstrated commitment to fostering student learning and applying organizational/student development theory to work with students
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Previous academic advising experience
  • Familiarity with the challenges and opportunities of working with STEM students
  • Knowledge of assessment best practices

Senior Academic Advisor 9704AA: 

• Minimum Qualifications
  • BA/BA degree plust at least five years of relevant experience, or master's degree plus at least three years of relevant experience
  • Previous experience in an educational setting performing academic advising or student support activities
  • Evidence of effective relationship-building, team building, and oral/written communication skills
  • Ability to effectively communication across race, class, and culture
  • Demonstrated commitment to fostering student learning and applying organizations/student development theory to work with students
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's degree in higher education and student affairs, college student personnel psychology, counseling, social work, or field trasnferrable to advising
  • Previous academic advising experience
  • Familiarity with the challenges and opportunities of working with STEM students
  • Knowledge of assessment best practices

About University of Minnesota Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.

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