Prospective Student Academic Advisor, Student Success Centre

Position Overview

The Student Success Centre within Student and Enrolment Services is currently seeking a Full-time Limited Term (Project) Prospective Student, Academic Advisor for approximately 13 months.

As a member of a dynamic, student-centric team within the Student Success Centre, the Prospective Student Academic Advisor provides advising and program management support for a wide range of student cohorts served by the Student Success Centre, with primary focus on providing developmental and exploratory advising for newly admitted undergraduate students and students who have been accepted to Open Studies at the University.  Liaising with the Exploratory Advising team, this role will require specific detailed knowledge of academic rules and regulations, academic major and career exploration tools and techniques, and common transitional issues faced by new students, in addition to general knowledge of admission and transfer credit requirements.  

The Prospective Student Academic Advisor uses highly developed analytical skills and in-depth knowledge of University programs and regulations to develop and provide students with the necessary advising programs and services to guide them in making appropriate educational choices and decisions.
 
This position will require the Advisor to work with the newly admitted undergraduate and Open Studies population in assisting with clarifying university processes, rules and regulations, in defining academic interests and aptitudes, and in clarifying academic goals.  This position also liaises with Admissions and Recruitment within the Office of the Registrar, advisors based in the faculties and other student support units.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Development and Delivery of Advising Programs 

• Assist the Senior Specialist and the current Prospective Student Academic Advisor in developing plans and tactics to effectively serve the new Open Studies student population with advising programs and 1:1 assistance in the areas of academic and interest exploration, understanding of rules and regulations, and preparing for university level study.
• Assist Senior Specialist, Academic Advising, with the administration, hiring, training and supervision of the New Student Registration student staff, and provide continual feedback on how to enhance the NSRA program and provide better registration support for prospective students.
• In collaboration with colleagues in the Student Success Centre, the Office of the Registrar, and other stakeholders, regularly review and develop new resources as necessary to help students understand processes for transitioning to a degree from Open Studies.

Advising 

• Provide developmental, exploratory advising services to a large number of clients with various educational backgrounds. This includes meeting with individuals as well as small groups on an ongoing basis to build rapport, interpret University Calendar, degree requirements, and regulations, identify barriers to success, and set goals and develop action plans for academic success once admitted to the University.  This position also supports recruitment and conversion events held on campus for prospective and newly admitted students.
• Support International Student Services in assisting exchange students to navigate course selection and registration processes and connect with key faculty advising offices.
• Provide developmental, exploratory advising services to mature students who are returning to University after time away from education to assist them in accessing necessary resources on campus prior to arrival and to support their transition to university study.

Teamwork and Collaboration 

• Work within a team of advisors and independently and within established University policy and procedures to determine own priorities and deadlines.
• Collaborate with advising colleagues to recommend changes to streamline workflow and improve service delivery to students, with particular emphasis on prospective student advising, and is included in the design and development of advising processes.
• Remain current University rules and regulations, registration processes and University policies and procedures.
• Participate in and support all key departmental operations within the Student Success Centre including tracking and analyzing statistics, proper file documentation, departmental meetings, strategic planning, program assessment and participation at events as required. Understand and monitor institutional priorities, decisions and benchmarks.
• Participate in committees and working groups relating to student success and retention.
• Participate in cross-training to assist in other areas when needed and to meet Student Success Centre priorities.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Bachelor degree required; Masters degree Education, Student Affairs or related field preferred
• 3-5 years of experience providing academic and/or exploratory advising to undergraduate students in the context of two or more faculties or a centralized undergraduate advising office is required
• Advanced expertise of all aspects of university rules and regulations in relation to undergraduate student registration, curriculum sequencing, academic status and University policies and procedures including Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) is required
• Knowledge of admission criteria and degree program requirements for all faculties and their various programs as well as the selection criteria of limited enrolment faculties/programs required
• Advanced expertise in developmental advising and experience in supporting students with academic planning in relation to their interests, motivators, personal strengths and career goals along with familiarity with facilitating skills and interest inventories required
• Experience in conceptualizing, designing curriculum, and implementing programs and resources that assist exploratory students required
• Experience successfully handling a large student caseload with a positive student-centric attitude in a highly collaborative environment
• Demonstrated commitment to exceptional, proactive student service that upholds the credibility of the University in all areas of responsibility
• Outstanding interpersonal communication skills, including written, oral, one-on-one and workshop facilitation
• Strong critical thinking, judgement and decision making skills
• Abilities in problem identification, reasoning, and ability to develop original ideas to solve problems
• Demonstrated ability to be resourceful, creative, innovative, and flexible
• Ability to work effectively individually and as a member of cross-functional teams and consistently demonstrate strong negotiation, leadership and customer service skills and upholds the credibility of the University in all areas of responsibility
• Excellent computer skills including experience using technical advising tools (such as student information management systems like People Soft or Banner, Degree Audit software and Microsoft Office)

Application Deadline:  February 23, 2023

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist/Advisor Job Family, Phase 2.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.