Description

Academic Services Professional
Working Title:  Academic Advisor
College of Engineering, Design and Computing
Position Number: 00783930 Job Code: 2248

Nature of Work

This full-time professional exempt position advises a caseload of diverse students to ensure successful progress toward achieving their degree.  This position primarily advises computer science students, but the successful candidate will be expected to gain a general knowledge of the curriculum for each program within the college, including bioengineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.  This position collaborates with a network of advisors, faculty, and staff to provide advising and student success services to students in the College of Engineering, Design and Computing.   The Academic Advisor has four areas of responsibility: student advising, outreach and engagement, student services, and program operations.  This position will assist with outreach efforts to recruit and retain high quality students into computer science and other engineering degree programs.  This position will also assist with student success initiatives that help to retain high quality students, connect them to campus services and resources, and provide opportunities for successful transition into employment and being a connected alumni. The Academic Advisor will ensure compliance with all internal/external policies and procedures and will collaborate with key stakeholders in the college and the University of Colorado Denver as a whole. The position will utilize technology extensively to support and implement the college’s service delivery model, including transfer credit platforms, degree audit system; advising by phone, email and other technologies.

Professional Field: Advising, higher education administration, counseling

Supervision Received:  Supervised and evaluated by the chair of the Computer Science and Engineering Department with inputs from the college’s associate dean of education.

Supervision Exercised: No supervisory role; however, this position may direct tasks for student hourly positions.

Examples of Work Performed

Advising

• Provide administrative and academic advising support to prospective, current and transfer students.
• Advise students at key points in time to discuss academic progress as it relates to degree requirements and student interests, point out critical deadlines, and gather feedback regarding overall program experience.
• Analyze and evaluate the needs of the student, accurately assess each situation, determine appropriate information and referrals, exercise discretion to resolve issues, and tailor messaging to fit each unique situation.
• Coach students through academic difficulties, developing a growth mindset and improving academic beliefs and behaviors to achieve success.
• Direct students to resources within the University that provide assistance in making career and academic major choices.
• Ensure the effectiveness of the advising process by maintaining electronic advising notes for advisees and using information in the Navigate system to advise students appropriately.
• Maintain office hours and provide students with relevant alternatives for advising support.

Track and monitor student success and satisfactory academic progress, including students’ probation/suspension status, registration and exceptions to policy requests.
• Oversee advising documents and manage degree audit documentation.

• Acquire an in-depth understanding of program requirements and curriculum progression for computer science programs, and a broad-based knowledge of program requirements and curriculum progression for all other engineering programs in the college.

• Seek to continually assess and improve the level of advising within the college and work to implement campus-level advising initiatives.

Outreach and Engagement

• Engage with high schools, community colleges, CU Denver diversity/community outreach programs, industry and other organizations to recruit new students into the college, but more specifically into computer science programs.
• Assist with the marketing and communication of computer science programs to students.
• Assist student organizations in the planning of student-run events.
Participate in various outreach and recruitment events, including open houses, annual engineering internship and job fair, block party, convocation, pre-collegiate fairs, prospective student information sessions, Transfer Thursdays, new student orientation, career fairs, commencement, and industry partner events.

Student Success Services

Collaborate with student resource offices to support student success initiatives, such as new and transfer student orientations, peer-mentoring, tutoring, internships, scholarships, and career services.Contribute to the development and dissemination of information for sessions and workshops for new freshmen, transfers, non-traditional, veteran and international students.  Serve as a staff liaison for CU Denver administrative offices, campus programs and university-wide services relevant to student success.Contribute to the development of a standardized communication plan for prospective students.

Program Operations

• Assist with the development of Computer Science Plus (CS+) program partnerships to help students maximize the benefit of free electives in their chosen specialization and guide students toward earning dual degrees, minors, and other certifications.
• In coordination with the college’s communications and outreach manager, assist in the development of new print, digital and social media campaigns for prospective students and community and industry partners.
Assist in maintaining the website and bulletin board content and coordinate updates to ensure relevant student information is always up-to-date.
• Represent the college on various campus advising and student success committees and working groups as needed (i.e., Advisor Network, Degree Audit, Academic Success Task Force, etc.).
Collaborate with the ESSN team and engineering department administrative personnel to track and report pre-engineering program data; maintain student files, advising reports and notes, program documents, correspondence, and reports.
• Participate in a community of practice to develop and disseminate best practices, guidelines, and strategies that contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and enhances our processes, procedures, resources and published content.
• Perform other related work, as assigned and/or required by the nature and scope of the position.
• Collect, analyze, and use data to project student enrollment, track student progress, generate insights about student success, identify potential risk for dropping out, and suggest and create program improvements.
• Work collaboratively with other advisors, faculty and staff representatives to provide timely and accurate information regarding academic requirements. 
• May assist freshman students in the transition to university life by teaching or participating in the college success course (UNIV 1110).

This description is a summary only and is describing the general level of work being performed, it is not intended to be all-inclusive. The duties of this position may change from time to time and/or based on business need. We reserve the right to add or delete duties and responsibilities at the discretion of the supervisor and/or hiring authority.

Salary and Benefits:

The salary range for this position has been established at $ $36,993 - $47,055.  

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

The above salary range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

This position is not eligible for overtime compensation.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Benefits: https://www.cu.edu/employee-services/benefits

Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125

Diversity and Equity:

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@ucdenver.edu.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors’ degree in psychology, counseling, counselor education, engineering, or relevant field.
• One year of professional advising/counseling experience. 

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in higher education, psychology, counseling, counselor education, engineering, or relevant field.
• Professional experience with academic admissions and recruitment processes.
• Professional experience that demonstrates an understanding of the needs of a diverse student population in a multicultural environment.
• Proven experience working with enrollment management programs that included orientation, probation and suspension, articulation and transfer student initiatives, and other recruitment and retention activities.
• Professional experience that demonstrates strong working/operating knowledge of student information system, preferably CU-SIS, and Microsoft Office Suite including: Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Previous experience working in a computer science, engineering or related STEM program.

Job Category: Academic Services
Primary Location: Denver
Schedule: Full-time
Posting Date: May 27, 2021
Unposting Date: Ongoing