Director of Advising and Academic Operations

DEPARTMENT:  Academic Programs

POSITION LOCATION: NCSSM-Morganton

POSITION NUMBER: 65032826

POSTING DATE: June 18, 2021

CLOSING DATE: July 19, 2021

POSITION TYPE: 12 Month, SAAO-II, FLSA Nonexempt, 1.0 FTE

HIRING SALARY RANGE: $59,710 - $71,651

We invite and welcome all applications for employment within our institution. NCSSM is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran. If you are an individual with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process, please contact us at (919) 416-2662.

Description of Duties:

The primary purpose of the Director of Advising and Academic Operations position is to oversee the institution-wide Center for Advising and Academic Success (CAAS) and to take a leadership role in a variety of academic functions. This position will provide vision and direction for CAAS aligned with the strategic plan; oversee all CAAS operations; work with Institutional Effectiveness to develop and implement an evaluation plan for CAAS; develop and implement a plan for CAAS to support institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; serve as lead advisor; supervise the work of CAAS advisors; and design and implement training for all CAAS advisors. This position will coordinate student support efforts across NCSSM-Morganton, NCSSM-Durham, and NCSSM-Online by serving as the primary liaison with other student support units across divisions. Examples of collaboration with support areas include:

• working closely with the Registrar’s Office to provide advising support for schedule audits and course requests;
• coordinating student support meetings and developing and implementing Academic Support Plans with Counseling and Community Coordinators;
• enhancing academic support services for NCSSM-Online by ensuring timely advising for students in academic difficulty and by providing guidance to faculty for students with 504 plans or Individualized Education Programs; and
• creating the annual online profile to accompany transcripts.

This position will facilitate planning and implementation efforts for Academic Programs events across NCSSM-Durham, NCSSM-Morganton, and NCSSM-Online including Convocation, Family Days, Commencements, Online Recognition Ceremony, Course Fairs, Online Events, Awards Days, End-of-Year, Recognition Ceremonies, January Term, and Research Symposia, as well as support admissions events. This individual will stay informed on College Board policies and practices in order to oversee registration and administration of Advanced Placement exams at NCSSM-Morganton.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Secondary or postsecondary academic work.
• Google Suite, Zoom/Google Meet, Microsoft Office Professional, or similar applications and effective use of meeting and instructional technology.
• FERPA and ethics of student educational information.
• Student Information Systems (e.g., Powerschool, Blackbaud, Banner).

Skilled in:

• Thinking strategically, effectively analyzing data, and implementing data-informed decisions.
• Student support coaching.
• Collaboration and consensus-building among many constituent groups in the interest of student support and student success.
• Fact finding, analysis, and problem solving.
• Ensuring attention to detail while maintaining effective time and task management.
• Communicating effectively across NCSSM-Durham, NCSSM-Morganton, and NCSSM-Online.

Ability to:

• Lead the full implementation of the Center for Advising and Academic Success (CAAS) including the recruitment of committed advisors from the faculty and raising awareness of CAAS services among constituent groups.
• Train faculty and staff advisors in CAAS to provide excellent student support.
• Establish ownership of areas of responsibility with an aptitude to anticipate and proactively implement tasks while identifying areas of improvement, efficiencies, and solutions.
• Adapt to a changing environment while paying critical attention to details.
• Demonstrate a high level of professionalism, initiative, resourcefulness, and personal accountability.
• Interact in a positive manner with diverse constituents including students, faculty, staff, and the public while upholding the intent and integrity of NCSSM policies and procedures.
• Communicate effectively in writing and verbally with internal and external constituents, build relationships, manage expectations, and take responsibility for a high level of service.
• Develop, maintain, interpret, and execute administrative policies, procedures, and practices.

Minimum Education and Experience:

1. Master’s degree in Education, Educational Administration, School Counseling, Student Personnel Services, or a related field preferred.
2. Minimum of three years of experience working in a student support role and/or administrative experience at the secondary or college level.
3. Experience with academic advising or school counseling.
4. Experience working with talented students in a program of excellence.

A bachelor’s degree in a relevant undergraduate field plus a minimum of five years of alternative or equivalent professional training and experience may be substituted for the advanced degree on an exceptional basis.

About NCSSM:

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) challenges academically talented students from across the state with a comprehensive curriculum including highly specialized courses in science, technology, engineering/computer science, and mathematics. NCSSM opened in 1980 as something of an academic experiment: Would something excellent happen if we gathered together a highly motivated and diverse student body with a critical mass of equally motivated, accomplished, credentialed, and diverse faculty within a space dedicated to the power of the scientific method? Four decades later, NCSSM has built a firmly rooted reputation as an academic powerhouse, educating intellectually gifted students from every corner of the state, representing rural and urban communities, and all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Eleven states and several countries worldwide have since used NCSSM as the model for their own programs.

Today, as in 1980, the mission of NCSSM, an intellectually stimulating, diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community, is to:

• educate and nurture academically talented students to become state, national, and global leaders,
• increase access to high quality public education in North Carolina, and
• cultivate engaged citizens who will work for the betterment of the world,

through challenging programs, with an emphasis on STEM, driven by the pursuit of excellence and innovation.

Altogether, nearly 1,500 North Carolina students from all 13 congressional districts and nearly all 100 counties are enrolled in one of our three signature programs: our residential diploma program, our online certificate program or our Open Enrollment Distance Education program. Our Open Enrollment courses, taught via interactive video conferencing, expand local offerings to include enrichments and advanced coursework otherwise unavailable in students’ home communities. NCSSM instructors teach live to classrooms statewide daily, broadcasting more synchronous video than any other public provider in the state.

By 2022, NCSSM will expand to an additional campus in Morganton, NC. Funded by the Connect NC Bond, legislative appropriations, and private philanthropic gifts, the campus will initially accommodate 300 additional residential diploma program students as well as increased distance education enrollment.

NCSSM has more than 11,000 alumni, nearly all of whom attended colleges and universities (a great majority within our own top NC public universities) and nearly three-quarters of whom have earned or are seeking a graduate degree. According to a 2019 survey of alumni who attended the school between 1980 and 2018, 64 percent of NCSSM college graduates earn a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field -- over three times the national average for high school graduates. And 58 percent of NCSSM underrepresented minority (URM) graduates earn an undergraduate degree in a STEM field -- nearly four times the national average for URM students. A 2020 economic impact study found that 54 percent of our alumni continue to live and work in North Carolina, catalyzing nearly $1.3 billion in economic activity and making priceless contributions to our quality of life as teachers, physicians, scientists, entrepreneurs and other community leaders. Many of our graduates, the oldest of whom are in their mid-50s, refer to their time at NCSSM as “life-changing” and continue to support their alma mater with charitable gifts, volunteerism, and other purposeful engagement.

Our school is a full constituent of the University of North Carolina System and is governed and supported by the UNC Board of Governors, NCSSM Board of Trustees, NCSSM Foundation, NCSSM Alumni Association, NCSSM Parent Association, NCSSM Faculty Senate, NCSSM Staff Senate, and NCSSM Student Government Association. Notably, a representative from each of our Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, and Student Government Association serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of our Board of Trustees.

NCSSM operates as a free public school open to qualified NC students, regardless of financial means. We generate more than 10 percent of our institutional budget from private donations, a ratio that will likely increase as we undertake a comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Consistent with our founding and governance, the institution is guided by a standing strategic plan. Though goals may shift from time to time, our core beliefs have remained fundamentally unchanged since our establishment:

• Our greatest resource is the capability and creative capacity of the human mind.
• Everyone is unique and has intrinsic value.
• Diversity and inclusion enrich and strengthen lives and communities.
• Embracing challenge inspires growth and the pursuit of excellence.
• Individuals are responsible for their choices and actions.
• With opportunity, support, and effort all people can realize their full potential.
• A nurturing community develops the well-being of the whole person.
• Service to others builds and strengthens our community.
• Environmental stewardship and resource sustainability are a shared responsibility.
• A passion for learning throughout life leads to success and fulfillment.
• Collaboration fosters learning, ignites innovation, and cultivates community.
• Adhering to high ethical standards is essential for a community to function and flourish.
• Access to high quality public education is essential to a free, democratic society.

How to Apply:

Submit electronic application, resume, and cover letter via: http://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/northcarolina/ Please create an account, search for the Director of Advising and Academic Operations position vacancy, and submit the online application.

Please complete your application in full. All required Competencies, Work History, and Credentials must appear on the application in the Education and Work Experience sections of the application to receive consideration during the selection process. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing the State Application form in its entirety. “See Attached Resume or an Embedded Text Resume” will be considered incomplete and will not be processed. Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Applicants seeking Veteran’s preference must attach a DD-214 form, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, along with the application. Final candidates are subject to criminal and sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require a motor vehicle check. If the highest degree is from an institution outside of the U.S., final candidates are required to have their degree equivalency verified at www.wes.org or equivalent service. NCSSM participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Please refrain from submitting multiple applications. However, if multiple applications are submitted to a posting, only the most recent application received prior to the posting close date will be accepted. There is a 24-hour waiting period before an applicant can re-apply to a position. 

If you have questions, please contact Eric Hunsley at 828-448-6191 or eric.hunsley@ncssm.edu

NCSSM is an EEO/eVerify/VEVRAA Employer