Sr. Student Success Advisor (Center for Leadership Education)

The Whiting School of Engineering's Center for Educational Leadership is seeking a Sr. Student Success Advisor to support undergraduate and graduate students in developing clear, effective, and audience-centered communication skills across academic and professional contexts at their Technical Communication Lab. The Lab serves students from a wide range of disciplines, with particular emphasis on STEM communication. The Sr. Student Success Advisor will work closely with students in one-on-one and small-group settings, providing feedback on a variety of materials, including policy briefs, white papers, research articles, reports, presentations, and professional application documents.

This Sr. Student Success Advisor supports students with navigating through complex academic milestones and challenges during the student experience journey. The role focuses on ensuring that students' progress on schedule, with positive outcomes, enrichment experiences and overall academic success. The position may also oversee graduate assistants in support of program activities.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Academic Advising

• Provide holistic small group advising to pre-identified students and, on a limited as-needed basis, individual advising, that prioritizes students’ knowledge of the specialized pathways and skill-building needs, including pre-med.
• Manage the collaboration with the internal advising offices and support to ensure students have tailored academic advising and success coaching, and holistic health professional guidance and application support.
• Stay abreast of current and national trends of URG, first-generation, and/or limited-income college students pursuing careers in the health professions. Remain current in the field of pre- health advising, AAMC holistic review practices, and medical school admissions.
• With the purpose of facilitating student success and retention, track student progress by running reports, analyzing student data, and communicating with students regarding registration, grades, and graduation. Troubleshoot problems with registration and refer students to support services to facilitate success.
• Advise undergraduates on academic opportunities and requirements, policies and procedures.
• Provide early interventions identifying and communicating with at-risk students identified by faculty in each academic term.
• Facilitate referrals as appropriate.

Success Coaching

• Support the success of designated students, by providing year-round proactive coaching and guidance throughout their undergraduate careers that address self-care, socio-emotional well-being, career-related issues including major choice, internships, full- time employment, graduate school opportunities, and other postbaccalaureate positions.
• Proactively monitor student progress and performance, analyze problem areas, forecast solutions, and conduct intervention strategies.
• Possesses current-state knowledge of assigned students’ experiences through high-contact methods that mirror year in school and/or current students’ needs.
• Track advisees’ progress via the university’s comprehensive intervention system, including tracking advisee use of academic support services.
• Make timely referrals for personal or academic issues as appropriate and engage on-going contact with faculty as needed.

Programming & Collaboration

• Collaborate with appropriate faculty, campus partners, and students to develop programs, services, or opportunities to support the success of students within designated area of oversight.
• Work closely with key campus partners (Student Outreach Services, Life Design, Financial Aid, Student Life, Residential Life) to ensure that this role functions effectively in connecting advisees to campus resources.
• Participate on divisional committees, as requested.
• Work with the Life Design, Alumni Relations, and other stakeholders to enhance student participation in high-impact learning experiences, such as undergraduate research, internships, and service learning.
• Collaborate with students, faculty and/or staff to develop and facilitate out-of-classroom educational experiences that support the needs of students within a designated area of oversight.

Supervision & training

• Hire, train and supervise graduate assistants to support programming (event coordination) and program administration (logistical outlines, procurement, budget, etc.) and program communications, as requested by Program leadership.
• Hire, train and supervise undergraduate student interns, as requested by Program leadership.
• Perform other related duties as requested.

In addition to the duties described above

• Supporting students across multiple areas of communication, including
• • Technical and professional writing
  • Scientific communication
  • Document design and data visualization
  • Oral presentations and public speaking
  • Job application materials and interview preparation
• Providing individualized consultations on writing, presentations, and professional communication
• Offering constructive feedback on organization, clarity, concision, and audience awareness
• Supporting students at all stages of the writing and revision process
• Assisting with argument development, use of evidence, and document design
• Maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment in the Lab
• Completing brief session reports and contributing to ongoing program assessment

To apply, please submit

• A cover letter describing your experience with writing instruction or tutoring
• A curriculum vitae or resume
• A sample of your professional or technical writing
• (Optional) A sample of written feedback provided to a student or writer

• Master's Degree in Counseling, Higher Education, a health-related field or science required.

• Five years’ experience in advising, mentoring or guiding college students.

• Ph.D. in Technical Communication, Rhetoric and Composition, English, Communication, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience teaching or tutoring writing.
• Student-centered educators.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to work with students from diverse disciplinary and cultural backgrounds.
• Experience outside academia is especially valued.
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural environment.

• Must be available and willing to work some evenings / weekends as required for events and programming.

• Ability to use appropriate judgment when dealing with sensitive issues.

• Extensive knowledge and experience managing holistic advising, assessment, academic and student affairs collaborations, diversity, and inclusion. In particular, ability to influence societal and workplace attitudes that honor principles to create a more inclusive community.
• Exceptional interpersonal, oral, public speaking, writing, and listening skills.

• Demonstrated experience developing, articulating, operationalizing, and assessing strategic priorities.

• Proven ability to cultivate trust and credibility with colleagues and to build positive and effective relationships.
• Proven track record of establishing strategic relationships to strengthen program and service delivery

Competencies

• Pursues Excellence
• Flexibility and Readiness
• Creativity and Initiative
• Collaboration
• Decision Making and Reasoning
• Inclusion and Belonging
• Continuous Learning

Classified Title: Sr. Student Success Advisor
Role/Level/Range: ACRP/04/ME
Starting Salary Range: $33.12 - $58.10 HRLY (Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Casual / On Call
Schedule: M-F, 10 hrs/wk
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus
Department name: Center for Leadership Education
Personnel area: Whiting School of Engineering