Professional Advisor

Employer: Kentucky State University
Location: Main Campus, Frankfort, KY, US

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Employment Type: Full Time
Institution Type: Four-Year Institution

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Job Details
Organization

TITLE: Professional Advisor I

DEPARTMENT: Student Success Center

REPORTS TO: Director of Student Success

CLASSIFICATION: Staff-12 months

EFFECTIVE DATE: TBD

STANDARD WORK HOURS: 37.5 hours per week

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Full-Time 

EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

LOCATION: 100% in-person

JOB SUMMARY:

The Student Success Center at KSU serves all students to provide seamless, robust, focused, and comprehensive educational support. The Advisor will join a team of outstanding individuals with diverse professional and personal backgrounds in the Student Success Center who form a high-functioning community of practice. The Advisor will provide personalized, one-on-one support in navigating the road to academic success, and staying on track towards timely degree completion. Additionally, Advisors may provide instruction for KSU seminar courses and assist with retention programming efforts.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Meet with students individually or in groups to provide academic advising and guidance. Assist students in selecting appropriate courses, understanding degree requirements, and creating academic plans that align with their interests and goals.

Stay updated on the institution's academic policies, program requirements, and degree pathways. Help students navigate through the curriculum and ensure they are aware of any prerequisite courses, core requirements, and elective options.

Assist students in developing semester-by-semester course schedules that align with their academic goals, ensure timely progress towards graduation, and consider factors such as prerequisites, course availability, and any specific program requirements.

Collaborate with other campus departments or resources, such as tutoring centers, career services, or mental health services, to connect students with additional support services that can enhance their academic success.

Track students' academic progress, such as monitoring grades, attendance, and credits earned. Identify any academic challenges or concerns and develop strategies to address them, including referring students to appropriate resources for additional assistance.

Interpret and explain institutional academic policies and procedures to students. Help students understand regulations regarding course add/drop, withdrawal, academic standing, and transfer credits.

Provide guidance and support to students in exploring their personal and career interests. Help students identify potential career paths, discuss major/minor options, and explore opportunities for internships, research, or other experiential learning experiences.

Participate in orientation programs and assist new students in navigating the academic environment, understanding institutional resources, and registering for their first semester of classes.

Keep accurate and up-to-date records of student interactions, advising sessions, and academic plans. Utilize advising software or information systems to document student progress and communicate with relevant stakeholders.

Maintain current knowledge of student development theories, best practices in academic advising, and relevant institutional policies or programs.

Represent the Advising Office and/or the Center for Student Success at open houses, admission events, and other functions as necessary.

Performs other site and position specific functions as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Superior listening and critical thinking skills

Experience with retention data collection and reporting

Working knowledge of best practices in postsecondary academic advising and retention strategies

Candidates should have the ability to become knowledgeable of the range of varied student services available, enrollment services, academic policies, requirements, and procedures of Kentucky State University

Strong interpersonal/human relations skills essential

Ability to initiate and maintain professional relationships with diverse groups, demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of a diverse student population including low-income, first-generation, students of color, disabled, underrepresented, older and non-traditional, and international students

Must have excellent verbal and written communication

Ability to maintain confidentiality is essential

Must have attention to detail

Basic skills in productivity software (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel)

Ability to collect, analyze and report retention related data.

Must be able to multi-task, prioritize, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines

Must have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and possess excellent organizational skills

Ability to interpret and communicate university policies and procedures and associated federal and state regulations

Work staggered hours including evening hours during the work week as needed

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

This position does not have supervisory responsibility.

OTHER DUTIES:

Perform related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Master's degree (preferred)

1-2 years’ experience working in Higher Education

Licensing and Certifications: NA

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work is normally performed in a typical interior and/or office work environment.

No or very limited physical effort required.

No or very limited exposure to physical risk.

KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The functions, qualifications, knowledge/skills, and physical requirements listed in this job description represent the essential duties of the job, which the incumbent must be able to perform either with or without reasonable accommodation. The Job Functions listed do not necessarily include all activities that the individual may perform.

Our Mission

Kentucky State University is the state's unique, small, liberal studies institution with the lowest student-faculty ratio in the state system. The University shall serve as a residential institution with a range of traditional collegiate programs appropriate to its unique role.

Geographic Region
Kentucky State University's geographic region shall be state-wide for its liberal studies mission, its land grant functions, and its service to state government. In addition, Kentucky State University's primary service area for commuting students shall be for Franklin and contiguous counties.

Institutional Admission Standards
Kentucky State University shall admit students to the institution under selective admission standards to which exceed the minimum guidelines established by the Council on Higher Education, with only limited exceptions. Institutional policy for admitting under-prepared students, including the removal of academic deficiencies within a specified time frame. Through this approach, the University seeks to provide broad access and high-quality programs.

Degree Levels
Selected associate and baccalaureate degree programs shall be oriented toward liberal studies and selected career opportunities related to state government services. Kentucky State University shall offer selected master's degree programs based on demonstrated need, with priority given to a public administration curriculum to meet the needs of state government.

Strategic Directions/Program Priorities
The University shall focus on liberal studies programming. Drawing upon its African-American heritage, the University will promote the values and methods of interdisciplinary and multicultural education in its liberal studies offerings. All students shall participate in common curricula that explore the liberal studies. Drawing upon the multicultural strengths of the University, emphasis shall be placed on preparing minority students for careers in education and in other selected professions including business, computer science, nursing, human services, and public services. These strategic priorities translate into a core of liberal arts baccalaureate degree programs, in addition to degree programs at the associate [A], baccalaureate [B], and master's [M] levels that may include the following: education [B]; business [B]; computer science [A,B]; nursing [A]; home economics [B]; human services [B]; and public administration [B,M].

Enhancement of Instruction
The University shall emphasize teaching. Meeting student needs shall be paramount. The University shall focus on the needs of its students, which include, but are not limited to, full-time and part-time residential students, commuting students from its primary service area, and state governmental employees.

Service and Research Functions
Kentucky State University, as the 1890 land grant institution in the system, shall carry out its responsibilities under federal law and participate fully in appropriate U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, in accord with the mission of the University.

Kentucky State University shall be the major repository for the collection of books, records, and artifacts relative to the history and status of African-American citizens of the Commonwealth and elsewhere. The University shall make such materials available for casual and scholarly study.

Kentucky State University shall focus on meeting the applied research and service needs of state government.

Collaborative Ventures
The priority master's degree program offered by Kentucky State University shall be carefully articulated with related doctoral programs offered by the doctoral-granting institutions in the system. The University shall develop and employ telecommunication resources to communicate with other institutions in the fulfillment of its mission. Curriculum development shall emphasize the transfer of credits form other institutions toward degree completion.

Kentucky State University shall promote cost effectiveness in academic programming and institutional management. Strategic planning resulting in the elimination of duplicative or non-productive programs is essential while the development of carefully selected new programs compatible with the mission is appropriate. Measures of quality and performance shall be the foundation of the University's accountability system which promotes the continuous improvement of programs and services.

Efficiency and Effectiveness
Kentucky State University shall promote cost effectiveness in academic programming and institutional management. Strategic planning resulting in the elimination of duplicative or non-productive programs is essential while the development of carefully selected new programs compatible with the mission is appropriate. Measures of quality and performance shall be the foundation of the University's accountability system which promotes the continuous improvement of programs and services.

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