Academic Advising and Program Specialist - AAAN

The African American Academic Network (AAAN) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is accepting applications for the Academic Advising and Program Specialist position.

UIC is one of the most diverse universities in the nation and has been designated a Minority Serving Institution, a Hispanic Serving Institution and an Asian-American and Native-American Pacific Islander Serving Institution. UIC is the largest research university in Chicago, enjoys the strongest enrollment growth in Illinois with a student body of 33,390 and almost 3,000 faculty, and is in the top 5% of the most ethnically diverse universities in the United States.

The Academic Advising and Program Specialist will develop and implement student recruitment and retention strategies for African-American students. This position participates in recruitment activities, pathways to enrollment, advising/educational activities, and career exploration throughout the student’s undergraduate experience. This position creates holistic educational plans for students, supporting their academic, career, and life goals. Implements and monitors first-year student success programs, as well as programs designed to support African-American students at various levels in order to increase graduation rates.

 Other duties include:

 Student Recruitment Activities

• In coordination with Admissions, coordinate recruitment visits to high schools, two-year colleges and community agencies to increase our presence and networking opportunities.
• Disseminate UIC information at campus open house events, local and national college fairs, and day/night/weekend events related to the recruitment of African-American students.
• Advise prospective students (undergraduate, transfer, and non-traditional students) on academic and other matters, such as applying to UIC, financial aid, and scholarships.
• Create and lead activities to increase the yield of African-American students who are admitted to UIC. Assist in the UIC orientation of new freshmen and transfer students and their families.
• Establish a network with outside communities to improve educational opportunities. Prepare and conduct presentations at K-12 schools and community organizations on the importance of higher education for the African-American community.
• Research state and national trends and best practices on African-American recruitment to steer recruitment efforts in the appropriate direction.

Student Retention Activities

• Expand and deepen holistic educational plan for students supporting their academic, career and life goals. Monitor satisfactory academic progress toward degree completion.
• Provide advising to students regarding college policies/procedures and general academic program requirements; describe courses and prerequisites and disseminate information regarding registration procedures.
• Provide resources to students to help them understand college culture, how universities are organized, the polices that will affect them, and how to work with faculty, staff, and administrators to address challenges.
• Implement and monitor student success programs as well as programs designed to support the success of African-American students.
• Participate in the recruitment and training of peer success coaches and monitor their performance.
• Assist students with application forms for programs, financial aid and scholarships. Participate in scholarship committees on and off campus to ensure scholarship availability to students. Identify private scholarships for students with special circumstances and assist with application process.
• Liaise between undergraduate advising entities in academic colleges as well as other success units.
• Create and facilitate workshops on major exploration, career development, study abroad, internships, scholarships, and graduate school.
• Analyze student data to determine trends on African-American enrollment and success at UIC. Contribute to the preparation of annual reports and make recommendations for program development.
• Perform other related duties and participates in special projects as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.

 Two years of experience working in an educational setting or related field. Experience working in a college/university, student success program development/administration, student advising preferred.

 Experience working with African-American students preferred. Demonstrated knowledge working with audiences from diverse backgrounds.

 Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential to maintain effective working relations with departments, employees and managers at all levels and external constituencies (parents, high schools, other colleges/universities).

 Demonstrated ability to develop supportive interactions with students in one-on-one and group situations.

 Strong project management skills. Intermediate level experience using Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access.

For fullest consideration, please submit a cover letter, resume and the names and contact information for three references online at https://jobs.uic.edu/job-board/job-details?jobID=151381 by September 13, 2021. Questions can be directed to Gerardo Jimenez, Director of Operations, at gjimenez@uic.edu.

 The University of Illinois at Chicago is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or status as an individual with a disability.

Offers of employment by the University of Illinois may be subject to approval by the University’s Board of Trustees and are made contingent upon the candidate’s successful completion of any criminal background checks and other pre-employment assessments that may be required for the position being offered. Additional information regarding such pre-employment checks and assessments may be provided as applicable during the hiring process.

The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899