Academic Advisor - School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The School of Integrative Biology seeks an Academic Advisor to provide academic advising and coordination of student services to holistically support the personal, educational, and professional development of undergraduate students in, and recruitment of students to, Biology and the Bachelor of Science Majors/Minors in Integrative Biology. This position reports to the Associate Director of Academic Affairs and works as a part of the School of Integrative Biology Student Affairs unit.

The University of Illinois is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit http://go.illinois.edu/EEO.

·        Provide timely and accurate academic advising and support to a diverse group of undergraduate students pursing the Biology and Integrative Biology curricula or courses

·        Advise students holistically to support their personal, educational, and professional development, providing support on topics such as course selection, policies and procedures, academic progress, intercollegiate transfer(ICT), dual-degree, double major, course overloads and underloads, late course drops, career preparation, and other processes related to academic advising

·        Make good judgments based on individual circumstances while maintaining equity, objectivity, and consistency, working within the framework of policy guidelines, referring to senior personnel or other relevant offices on campus when necessary

·        Make referrals to appropriate campus and academic support and resources, extracurricular activities, workshops and trainings, and other services within and outside the School based on the unique interests and needs of each student

·        Maintain schedule of academic advising appointments and express advising hours in coordination with the office, adapting during high-peak times to meet the high student demand

·        Provide reporting and monitoring of student academic progress for enrollment, retention, and graduation purposes

·        Prepare written and online materials to help students in course selection and career planning

·        Prepare and deliver special programs (such as Study Abroad) as requested by the Associate Director of Academic Affairs and in collaboration with other academic advisors

Student Engagement, Support, Outreach, and Recruiting

·        Work collaboratively with the School’s Student Affairs unit, which includes other Academic Advisors, the Coordinator of the Alumni Mentoring Program, the Communications Coordinator, instructional staff, and faculty 1) work with the Coordinator of Alumni Mentor Program and other campus units to provide career counseling and internship/research/summer opportunities to undergraduates, 2) Work with the Communications Coordinator to contribute to outreach for the School, including the iBiology Spotlight digital newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blog, 3) Work with faculty and instructional staff on special projects as directed by the Associate Director of Academic Affairs

·        Provide special assistance to transfer students, students-at-risk, and students on academic probation, including time management skills, study skills, and adjustment to college

·        Provide Summer Orientation and Registration services for new freshmen in Biology and new transfer students in Integrative Biology

·        Develop and maintain effective working relationships with advisors in other campus units

·        Work with Office of Admissions and Records to provide admissions information to high school students and counselors

·        Work with the Associate Dean, Assistant Deans, and other staff of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to develop and implement policies and practices to best serve students in Biology and Integrative Biology

·        Provide career counseling and internship/research/summer opportunities to undergraduates in conjunction with other campus units

·        Work with appropriate campus units to deliver print, web-based, and in-person recruiting material and programs for prospective Biology and Integrative Biology students

·        Assist with the annual Convocation ceremony, the Fall Welcome event, and other School events supporting all programs

·        Coordinate activities with SIB Student Ambassadors

Administration

·        Prepare academic advising reports as requested by the School

·        Serve when requested on School and campus-wide committees concerned with academic advising, career planning, undergraduate education, minority retention, undergraduate research opportunities, and other relevant areas

·        Work with campus articulation office to evaluate and articulate potential IB courses from other institutions, both domestic and abroad

·        Work with appropriate School personnel to update IB webpages devoted toundergraduate education

·        Schedule, train, assign duties, and evaluate work of hourly workers

Required: A bachelor’s degree is required, with two years of experience in higher education working with students within the areas of academic advising, student records, admissions, and/or career services or related field. Demonstrated successful experience working in, and contributing to, a collaborative work environment is also required. The successful candidate should have strong verbal and written communication skills, as well as analytical and organizational skills; strong listening skills and the ability to recognize students in distress and direct them to relevant campus resources; knowledge of the University of Illinois student policies and procedures; and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Preferred: A bachelor’s degree in biology or related field and an advanced degree are preferred. Experience with electronic student record systems, such as UGradRecs (or advising records system), BANNER Student Information System, as well as the degree audit reporting system (U.Achieve) and experience supporting students from diverse backgrounds are also preferred.

This is a full-time, academic professional position appointed on a 12 month service basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

To apply for this position, please create a candidate profile at https://go.illinois.edu/AcadAdvisor2020, directly apply to our position and upload your cover letter and resume by February 25, 2020. Online application will require names and contact information including email addresses for three professional references. Full consideration will be given to complete applications received by the closing date. The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-6747. For further information on this specific position, please contact Academic Advisor Search Chair at sib@life.illinois.edu.