Director of Academic Advising & First Year Academic Success

Posted on March 8th, 2024 by Travis Dix

The Director contributes to the mission and strategic plan of the university by providing leadership, supervision and evaluation of the advising activities of faculty advisors and contributes to student success and retention within the university. The Director will coordinate with stakeholders across campus (Student Success Center, Admissions, Athletics, VPAA, Registrar, etc.) to provide holistic support and guidance for students enrolled in Averett’s traditional degree programs. The position demands leadership ability, flexibility, creativity and innovation.

Qualifications:

  • A Master’s degree in student personnel or related field is highly preferred or a bachelor’s degree with extensive experience in advising at the higher education level.
  • Three years’ experience in academic advising, student affairs or related student-focused higher education environment.
  • Experienced in use of student integrated data system (i.e., Ellucian).
  • Knowledge of current trends in academic advising and first-year experience.
  • Must have excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking skills; the ability to analyze complex issues and effectively plan and organize work.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills and experience in and awareness of the sensitivity required when interacting with, supervising, and addressing the needs of a diverse community.
  • Demonstrate proven ability to foster collaborative relationships across campus, work well with parents/families, and contribute to creating a distinctive campus-wide program.

Primary Responsibilities:

Advising

  • Oversee academic advising to ensure students stay on track to graduate, through promoting High Impact Practices (HIPs), career readiness, and holistic advising.
  • Works closely with the advising committee to:
  • develop and monitor the success of the university’s advising program in the traditional program;
  • establishing program vision, expectations and a system of accountability;
  • oversees the chosen advising model and assessment of such model for faculty, staff, and students;
  • develop and deliver advising training and professional development for all advisors and success coaches;
  • revise and update the advising handbook as the need arises
  • Collaborate with VPAA and Division Chairs to produce tools for evaluating the advising structure, assessing individual advisors, and working with department chairs to devise individual improvement plans for advisors if necessary.
  • Work with advisors, the registrar, and the new SIS system to develop a process for better promotion and tracking of high impact practices and workplace experiences.
  • Work with advisors, the Advising Committee, and VPAA to develop a first-year advising model that mirrors best practices in higher education.
  • Train students and advisors on course scheduling and collaborate with career development staff on supporting students in identifying and selecting an appropriate major
  • Evaluate data and develop training for advisors on strategic selection of both general education and major courses that considers students’ talents and goals.

Secondary Responsibilities:

First-Year Success  

  • Oversee and refresh as needed the academic curriculum for Averett’s first-year experience (FYE) course using research on best practices in higher education.
  • Hire, train and evaluate faculty and staff instructors for Averett’s FYE course. Work with Division Chairs to assist with recruiting faculty from across programs and appropriate offices to ensure credentialing complies with University policies and contracts are prepared in a timely manner.
  • Collaborate with the Director of General Education to review curriculum and perform assessment on a yearly basis.
  • Serve as active member of both the FYE Committee and CARE Team which includes representatives from various offices and services that impact first-year experiences (i.e, student involvement, student success, Averett central, residential life).

ADA & Travel Requirements:

Physical & Mental Demands/Work Environment: 

This position requires performing the following activities and working in the described environment, with or without reasonable accommodations.

  • Almost constant interaction with others requiring clear communication (speaking and listening) in person and telephonically
  • Must be able to work closely with others as part of a team
  • Visual and hearing acuity required to perform assigned work, including meetings and interactions with students and other employees
  • Work is performed while sitting, standing, and walking.
  • Ability to lift, carry, or move items of up to 25 pounds, occasionally up to 40 pounds, such as supplies, binders, or food trays, and items connected to events
  • Some work uses fine manual dexterity to use equipment involving levers, buttons, keyboards, and switches and frequently handling small items and paperwork.
  • Must be able to change tasks frequently, work an irregular work schedule (including some evenings and weekends), perform multiple tasks simultaneously, work under time pressure, and work in a noisy or distracting environment.
  • On occasion, will need to perform tedious and exacting tasks.
  • Will need to use office equipment such as telephones, printers, copiers, scanners, cameras, scissors, staplers, and computers.  Will use software including Microsoft Office, or Adobe PDF software, and other university software.

Submit Letter of Interest, Current Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV), and 3 Professional References to:

Mail: Joy Durham-Carthen, Student Success
Averett University
420 West Main St.
Danville, Virginia 24541

Email: [email protected]

Additional Note to Applicants: When submitting application materials via email, the subject line of email should read: Director of Academic Advising & First Year Academic Success (applicant last name)

Review of applications will begin during the last week of March 2024.

Additional Information:

  • Background checks are required for all positions.
  • An applicant must have an unrestricted right to work in the U.S.
  • Averett University’s policies, programs and activities, including hiring practices, comply with federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression and veteran status. Inquiries related to the University’s compliance with Title IX should be directed to Averett’s Title IX Coordinator at [email protected]. Additional contact information, reporting options, and the University’s Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy can be found at https://www.averett.edu/about-us/title-ix/. Inquiries may be made externally to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights: https://www.ed.gov/ocr.
  • Averett University’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, published in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, can be found at https://www.averett.edu/wp-content/uploads/9.30.21-ASR-for-2020.pdf.
  • Averett University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an Employer of National Service. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.