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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for University Advisor

💰 $40,000 - $65,000

Higher EducationStudent SuccessAcademic Advising

🎯 Role Definition

The University Advisor is a student-centered higher education professional responsible for supporting undergraduate and/or graduate students through academic planning, degree progress monitoring, and proactive retention interventions. This role provides individualized academic guidance, interprets institutional policies, partners with faculty and campus services, and leverages student information systems (e.g., DegreeWorks, Banner, PeopleSoft, Starfish/Navigate) to drive student persistence and timely degree completion. The University Advisor combines advising best practices with data-informed outreach to improve retention, guide major/ career exploration, and resolve academic issues for diverse student populations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Academic Advising Assistant / Advising Specialist
  • Student Services Coordinator / Student Success Coach
  • Admissions Counselor or Registrar Support Specialist

Advancement To:

  • Senior Academic Advisor / Lead Advisor
  • Advising Manager or Assistant Director of Academic Advising
  • Director of Student Success, Retention or Student Affairs

Lateral Moves:

  • Career Services Advisor
  • Transfer Credit Evaluation Specialist
  • Enrollment Management or Retention Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Provide proactive, one-on-one academic advising to a caseload of undergraduate and/or graduate students, creating individualized academic plans that support degree completion and academic success.
  • Interpret institutional academic policies, program requirements, degree audits, and graduation checks; advise students on course sequencing, prerequisites, and scheduling to ensure timely progress toward degree milestones.
  • Use DegreeWorks, Ellucian Banner/PeopleSoft, Colleague or equivalent Student Information Systems to run degree audits, verify academic standing, process holds, and document advising notes in compliance with office policies.
  • Monitor student progress and academic standing by reviewing grades, alerts, and early warning indicators; initiate targeted outreach and intervention plans for at-risk or probationary students.
  • Develop and maintain graduation plans for students with complex enrollment patterns (e.g., transfer credits, part-time enrollment, dual majors, minors), including articulation and transfer equivalency evaluation support.
  • Coordinate with Registrar, Financial Aid, Career Services, Disability Services, and Counseling to resolve student issues, remove barriers to enrollment, and facilitate referrals to campus support services.
  • Conduct orientation sessions, new-student onboarding workshops, major/major-change advising events, and group advising sessions to communicate degree requirements, academic policies, and campus resources.
  • Assist students with petitions, academic appeals, leave of absence requests, reinstatement processes, and academic forgiveness applications by preparing documentation and advising on next steps.
  • Provide major and career exploration advising, including administering and interpreting career/interest inventories, helping students align academic choices with career goals, and connecting them to internships and experiential learning.
  • Maintain confidential student records and ensure compliance with FERPA and institutional privacy policies in all communications and recordkeeping.
  • Track and report advising outcomes and retention metrics; use data to identify trends, evaluate program effectiveness, and inform continuous improvement of advising strategies and interventions.
  • Implement retention and persistence strategies such as midterm grade outreach, probation recovery plans, academic success contracts, and targeted communication campaigns for defined student populations.
  • Collaborate with faculty advisors and academic departments to coordinate advising practices, review curriculum changes, and ensure clear communication of degree requirements to students.
  • Provide transfer student advising, evaluate transcripts for transfer credit applicability, and consult with articulation officers to streamline transfer pathways and reduce excess credits.
  • Support enrollment planning by advising on course load, full-time/part-time status implications, registration timelines, academic calendar constraints, and prerequisites for progression in specific programs.
  • Facilitate workshops and seminars on study skills, time management, academic integrity, research and writing support, and test taking strategies to enhance student academic competence.
  • Engage in outreach to special populations (first-generation students, veterans, international students, adult learners, commuters) to provide culturally responsive advising and tailored retention supports.
  • Participate in program-level advising initiatives such as learning communities, cohort advising, honors advising, or probation recovery programs to improve cohort outcomes and connectedness.
  • Serve as a point-person for student crisis referrals; coordinate with counseling and campus safety to ensure appropriate support and follow-up for students in distress.
  • Maintain regular scheduled advising hours, provide timely responses to student inquiries via email/phone/appointment systems, and document advising interactions and outcomes in CRM/Student Information Systems.
  • Participate in assessment and accreditation-related activities by compiling advising statistics, student learning outcome data, and contribution to annual advising reports.
  • Support outreach and recruitment activities when needed by representing advising services at transfer fairs, new student orientations, open houses, and virtual recruitment events.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist in developing advising materials, web content, and how-to guides for degree planning, registration, and academic policies to improve student self-service and digital engagement.
  • Contribute to cross-functional task forces and committees focused on retention, curriculum mapping, student success technology implementations, and continuous process improvement.
  • Train and mentor peer advisors, graduate assistants, and new advising staff on advising protocols, SIS usage, FERPA, and high-impact advising techniques.
  • Participate in pilot programs and adoption of advising technologies (e.g., Navigate, Starfish, CRM Advise) and provide user feedback to improve workflows and student experiences.
  • Support ad-hoc data requests and basic exploratory analysis of advising caseloads, retention cohorts, and appointment utilization for the advising office.
  • Coordinate outreach campaigns using CRM tools, appointment scheduling platforms, and targeted messaging to increase appointment uptake, workshop attendance, and follow-through on academic plans.
  • Help design and evaluate student success initiatives, including metrics, survey instruments, and outcome measures for advising effectiveness and continuous improvement.
  • Maintain professional development by attending conferences, trainings, and webinars on best practices in academic advising, student development theory, and equity-minded advising.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Academic advising expertise: degree audit interpretation, degree planning, transfer credit evaluation, and academic policy counseling consistent with NACADA best practices.
  • Student information systems: practical experience using DegreeWorks, Ellucian Banner/PeopleSoft, Colleague, or equivalent SIS for audits, holds, and enrollment verification.
  • Advising and case management platforms: proficiency with Starfish, Navigate, CRM Advise, or similar early-alert/appointment systems to track interventions and student communications.
  • FERPA compliance and student privacy: working knowledge to securely manage student records, releases, and confidential advising notes.
  • Curriculum mapping and program requirement interpretation: ability to translate program catalogs and curriculum changes into clear student-facing plans.
  • Data-informed advising: ability to read and interpret retention reports, grade rosters, and predictive analytics to prioritize caseload outreach and interventions.
  • Familiarity with learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas or Blackboard to coordinate with faculty and support online learners.
  • Experience creating and delivering workshops and presentations using MS PowerPoint, Google Slides, and virtual platforms (Zoom, Teams).
  • Basic reporting and spreadsheet skills: advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills for tracking caseloads, cohorts, and advising KPIs; familiarity with basic query or data visualization tools a plus.
  • Student-centered counseling techniques and motivational interviewing basics to support behavior change, academic goal setting, and success planning.

Soft Skills

  • Strong verbal and written communication tailored to diverse student populations and stakeholders.
  • Empathy, cultural competence, and commitment to equity-minded advising practices.
  • Active listening and coaching mindset to help students articulate goals and barriers and develop realistic action plans.
  • Problem solving and critical thinking to navigate complex academic cases and institutional policies.
  • Organizational skills and time management to juggle a busy caseload, workshops, reporting, and outreach campaigns.
  • Relationship building and collaboration to work cross-functionally with faculty, staff, and external partners.
  • Resilience and adaptability to manage emergent student issues and changing academic environments.
  • Attention to detail and accuracy when documenting student interactions and preparing official academic records.
  • Conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques for handling sensitive student conversations.
  • Initiative and continuous improvement orientation: proactive in identifying process improvements, professional development needs, and resource gaps.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Education, Counseling, Psychology, Higher Education, Social Work, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, Educational Leadership or a related discipline for senior or specialized advising roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Higher Education Administration
  • Counseling, Clinical or Community Counseling
  • Psychology
  • Social Work
  • Educational Leadership

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5 years of academic advising, student services, enrollment management, or related work in higher education (entry-level roles may require 1–2 years; mid-level 3+ years).

Preferred:

  • 3+ years of direct advising experience with undergraduate populations, demonstrated success improving student retention and timely graduation.
  • Experience working with diverse student populations (first-generation, transfer, international, adult learners) and with advising technologies (DegreeWorks, Banner, Starfish/Navigate).
  • Prior experience coordinating orientation, new student onboarding, or leading advising workshops and outreach campaigns.
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