Professional Academic Advisor & Student Success Coach

Description

At Westminster College, we believe in immersive and enriching experiences that inspire creative thinking and problem solving. We believe in creating opportunities for several different paths to success over a lifetime and the potential to make an impact from wherever you are. For our students, we do this by providing real-world, hands-on learning opportunities, small class sizes, and talented professors dedicated to the individual. Our employees often remark that our tight-knit community creates an atmosphere fostering campus involvement that adapts to all interests. As a result, Westminster continues to be recognized for its excellence in higher education as one of the best small liberal arts colleges in the Midwest.

Member of a community of faculty advisors, academic coaches, and counselors, the academic advisor and student success coach 

· Assists students in their transition to Westminster 

· Facilitates students’ efforts to plan their degree

· Promotes engagement in an appropriate major for their interests and strengths

· Connects students with key campus resources and keeps them on track to graduate

· Helps students make the most of their experience at Westminster

· Helps students develop and implement goals in all areas of student development

· Works with the students to identify their needs and areas of growth

As a professional academic advisor, the person in this position supports a caseload of undeclared first- and second- year students. When the students declare their major, they get a faculty primary advisor. However, as a student success coach, the person in this position supports the assigned students until they graduate. As an employee at the Student Success Center, the PAASSC responds to walk-in student needs and performs collaborative administrative tasks. Reporting to the Associate Dean of Student Success, the PAASSC is committed to building student-centered relationships that support achievement. The PAASCC develops and implements advising and coaching strategies to enhance student performance and persistence.

Requirements

Essential Functions:

• Advise students regarding academic requirements including evaluating incoming credit, creating customized course schedule, and assisting the student with course registration
• Use a life-coaching mindset to help the student adjust to college and thrive throughout their academic career
• Provide holistic advising and coaching that focus on exploration, discovery, and goal setting in the context of Westminster’s concept for student development
• Manage summer advising for incoming students, including content development for orientation
• Develop advising-related communication for incoming students and oversee their preregistration once they tuition deposit
• Assist with development, coordination, and assessment of programming for incoming students’ welcome events during New Student Week
• Actively track and monitor integrated student success and retention benchmarks and perform outreach intervention when students are off-track
• Use the early alert system and support the Student Persistence Team
• Keep accurate and detailed advisee records
• Partner and communicate effectively with key campus offices, such as the Office of Academic Affairs, Student Life, Reeves Library etc.
• Other duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s preferred, especially in Education, Counseling, and related fields. For candidates with a Bachelor’s degree, at least 3 years of experience working with students in an academic capacity.

Experience: 3 years of experience with academic advising and counseling; Knowledge of educational theory and principles, and experience in practical application of counseling techniques in a college advising environment.

Skills:

• Strong ability to learn fast, analyze, apply, and explain information about departmental and college courses and majors and policies, procedures, and requirements 
• Demonstrated skills in judgment and decision-making, problem solving and in assisting students develop these skills as well
• Strong ability in reasoning and developing original ideas to solve problems
• Skills and abilities in conflict resolution, exercising sound judgement, tact, cultural sensitivity, and diplomacy
• Ability to identify and develop appropriate strategies in relation to specific student populations and meet the needs of various groups and individuals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including active listening
• Proven tact and diplomacy in working with diverse populations, including parents, students, faculty, campus administrators, and the public
• Ability to learn and use proficiently office computer technology (including internet technology and web-based systems) and campus administrative computing systems, and the ability to update and maintain those skills as required
• Proven ability to multi-task. Skill in organizing work and prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines
• Ability to take appropriate initiative, work independently, and exercise professional judgment
• Demonstrated referral and liaison skills and recognition and maintenance of confidentiality
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision options
• Health Savings Account and/or Flex Spending Account
• Supplemental options: Short-term disability, Hospitalization, Accident, and Critical Illness
• Stand-alone EAP program
• Life, AD&D, and long-term disability
• Retirement 403(b) plan
• Tuition remission or exchange programs
• Sick and Vacation time
• Paid Holidays (15 each year)

Westminster College encourages and gives full consideration to all applicants for admission, financial aid, and employment. The College is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The College does not discriminate in access to, treatment of, or employment in, its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, veteran status, marital status, disability, or genetic information.

Inquiries about compliance with this prohibition should be directed to:

Associate Vice President & Chief HR Officer/Title IX Coordinator

501 Westminster Ave, Washington West, 2nd floor

Fulton, MO 65251

HR@Westminster-mo.edu

573-592-5226