[Hiring] Academic Advisor @American Public University System

Role Description

Academic Advisors serve to guide, encourage, and inform students of recommended academic options to progress through their academic programs. Academic Advisors interact with students through a variety of remote means – email, phone, chat, and others to help students identify and meet their educational goals.

Professional Academic Advisors, who form the majority of the AMU/APU Academic Advising Department, are critical-thinking student services professionals who use exceptional communication and analytical skills to guide, influence and encourage students through their academic journeys. Advisors are quick-thinking multitaskers who must excel in a variety of roles on a daily basis:

• Analyst
• Cheerleader
• Diplomat
• Clerical specialist
• Subject matter expert
• Effective communicator

The role requires a daily willingness to review students’ individual situations to determine optimal solutions and to adjudicate student’s requests to waive policy. This requires the advisor to have the ability to counsel students against a particular course of action, even if doing so will not always be well received by the student.

Advisors participate within the University and across industry in multiple ways (e.g., Committees, technical task forces, authors and presenters for the National Academic Advising Association [NACADA]). APUS encourages continuing professional development and education for all advising staff.

Must be able to work the following shift:

• Monday – Thursday 11:30am-8pm EST
• Friday 8am-4:30pm EST

Primary Responsibilities:

• Friendly and helpful student communication and outreach
• Effectively build relationships with prospective, current, and/or returning students by representing the university through various communication channels.
• Initiate and respond to student communications concerning academic advising, academic programs, APUS policies, campus and form navigation, and other student questions/concerns.
• Communicate with students remotely, primarily via phone, chat, and email, at any point during their enrollment cycle at APUS.
• Conduct student outreach aimed at providing friendly and helpful advice/directive on next steps.
• Clearly document all student interactions.
• Warm, high quality, and friendly communication, removes obstacles, and work with other departments on the student’s behalf.
• Timely and accurate processing of degree changes and program adds.
• Review student degree plan change requests to assess credit impact, time to completion, student planning, and other relevant factors to determine and advise a recommended path in each case.
• Exceptional academic advising utilizing different academic advising strategies.
• Keep supervisor and peers abreast of notable trends in student behavior.
• Maintain knowledge of and provide advising for distinct populations or programs.
• Encourage, motivate, and guide students towards the successful completion of their program or academic goals.
• Meet department expectations and service level agreements around delivering adequate and timely service to students.
• Continuously review processes and policies and recommend improvements or changes when necessary.
• Engage in professional development activities as needed.
• Participate in department committees, task forces, university organizations, or industry organizations (NACADA).
• Interact with other University departments on behalf of students.
• Meet department level expectations as outlined in the Academic Advisor Expectations documents.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Candidates must hold a conferred Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Bilingual English/Spanish highly preferred.
• Effective interpersonal skills – influencing, persuasion, elicitation, and listening.
• Understanding of student development theory.
• Excellent student and customer service skills.
• Ability to effectively advise in ambiguous and unstructured scenarios.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Rational and objective decision making.
• Ability to navigate multiple systems and adjust quickly to ongoing technology changes.
• Optimism and positivity.
• Creativity.
• Critical Thinking.
• Problem Solving.
• Ability to adjust quickly to changes.
• One year of professional office experience, preferably in a collegiate or academic advising setting.
• Impeccable representational skills, knowledge of undergraduate and graduate student development theory, and knowledge of theory and best practices in academic advising are competitive advantages.
• Demonstrated experience in influencing, informing, and persuading students on complex academic matters are pluses.
• Prior experience working with students from a wide variety of cultural, socioeconomic and academic backgrounds is desirable.

Requirements

• Per the US Department of Education Program Integrity Rules, postsecondary institutions that participate in the student financial assistance programs pursuant to Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) are barred from providing incentive payments to any person or entity engaged in student recruiting and/or admissions activities.

Company Description

American Public University System (APUS) is an Online University based in Charles Town, WV. Our University has over 100,000 students. Our emphasis is educating our nation’s military and public services communities with quality and affordable education. APUS provides partnership and commitment in helping students realize the dream of a higher education and the opportunities that brings.

It is the policy of American Public University System (APUS) to afford equal opportunity to all qualified persons. We treat all qualified individuals equally as to their recruitment, hiring, assignments, advancements, compensation, and all other terms and conditions of employment. APUS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, or sensory disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Pay Transparency: If you are a resident of a state with designated pay transparency requirements and this role is available remotely, you may be eligible to receive additional information about the compensation and benefits for this role, which we will provide upon request. Please send an email to [email protected].