Assistant Director of Academic Advising

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The assistant director supports the mission of the Office of Academic Advising by helping students explore academic opportunities, identify goals, and implement plans to reach those goals. The assistant director assists with engaging a community of advising including faculty advisors, collaborative offices, peer academic advisors, and all undergraduate students through training, seminars, programs, events, and related initiatives. The assistant director advises undergraduate students across all disciplines and academic interests including but not limited to students expressing interest in health professions, law school, graduate school, undecided students, transfer students, students seeking area majors, overloads, and readmissions.

The assistant director contributes to the Peer Academic Advising Program and Academic Fellows and Mentors Societies. The assistant director will have responsibilities for health professions advising and may take a leadership role in other advising programming at the discretion of the director. The assistant director assists with research and implementation of best practices, policies, procedures and organizational tasks, and advising assessment. The assistant director assists the director of Academic Advising in administration of the Office of Academic Advising including strategic planning, some budget responsibilities, representing the department on various committees and work groups, and acting on behalf of the director or associate director(s) as requested.

Workplace Requirements

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration during normal business hours on Monday-Friday from 8:30-12pm and 1-5pm. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range : $56,000 - $59,000 annually contingent upon qualifications and experience

Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
  • Experience may not be substituted for the education requirement
• 2 years experience in student services/academic affairs experience

Skills :

• Excellent oral and written communication skills; excellent interpersonal and organizational skills; independence and initiative; proactive attitude
• Must be able to interact and collaborate with staff and faculty leaders, gain the trust and confidence, and provide training to Rice’s community of advising
• Must have the diplomacy, patience, and tact necessary to successfully address a wide range of interactions with administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members
• Must be able to handle routine interruptions

Preferences:

• Experience in academic advising, mentoring, tutoring, and/or instructional experience at a university
• Early alert intervention, program assessment
• Experience utilizing education technology platforms such as Navigate, Banner, Degree Works, Canvas, Slate
• Experience with Rice University faculty, staff, students and collaborative offices or an understanding of a residential, liberal arts college.

Essential Functions:

• Provides training, information sessions, and engagement of faculty advisors, collaborative offices, peer academic advisors, and community members
• Assist with assigned advising committee through letter writing, data collection and assessment
• Advises undergraduate students across a wide variety of interest and needs
• Assists with preparation and delivery of Orientation Week programming
• Prepares and provides presentations for administrators, faculty advisors, collaborative offices, and students during Orientation Week and throughout the academic year
• Researches and reports on current best and progressive practices for general and specialized areas of academic advising
• Assists with creating and distributing academic advising resources including information from peer schools, national associations, Rice academic departments and collaborative offices
• Advises students through individual appointments and centralized and residential college information sessions
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and the full inclusion of all qualified persons in the workplace. This commitment includes providing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities. For applicants with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.