Academic Advisor III, Undergraduate Advising Center

Staff Vacancy Announcement

The Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) invites applications for an Academic Advisor III to collaborate, coordinate, and execute academic advising to students. The Academic Advisor III is responsible for the management of the Four Bear Four Year Guaranteed Graduation Program. The person assigned to this position will coordinate all aspects of Four Bear Program for all first-year, full-time students and transfer students with under 30 credits earned (opt in).

The person in this position will serve as the primary advisor for distance learning students. This includes advising students in the traditionally defined UAC populations, providing information to and working with campus departments regarding general education requirements, and working with students/departments regarding transfer credits and substitutions/waivers. This position will work collaboratively with other campus units in Academic Affairs and Student Services to promote inclusion and visibility of online services to all students. Position manages web presence for the UAC and Office for Student Success, including the Four Bear and Degree Maps websites, and provides placement exam support for the Chemistry department.

All professional staff members in the UAC carry a caseload of undeclared/general studies students and students in populations of UAC advising responsibility. They serve as the academic advisor from the point of entry until the student formally declares an academic major. Developmental advising strategies are the primary mode of advising, supplemented by intrusive or other advising methods as appropriate. This position is expected to work collaboratively as part of the UAC team, including brainstorming and problem-solving on developing and modifying strategies, timelines, techniques and methods for new and existing advising scenarios. This position will meet with prospective students and their family members and coordinate with the Office of Enrollment Services and Admissions to meet with prospective students during campus visits and present to prospective students and their family members during orientation programs and campus visit events. This position will also serve on the Admissions Review Committee on an as-needed basis.

Responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to:

• Strategic Planning, development and implementation of Four Bear Four Year Graduation Plan Program.
• Develop short-term and long-terms goals of Four Bear Four Year Guaranteed Graduation Program as program scaled to all first-year, full-time new Freshmen.
• Management of all daily operations of Four Bear Program.
• Collaboration and coordination with academic departments with undergraduate programs of study to develop and maintain curricular degree maps for each academic year.
• Provide academic planning training and guidance to Four Bear students, in collaboration with instructors of the Freshman Seminar offerings.
• Coordinating with the Provost’s Office and Registrar’s office to publish degree maps and link the degree maps to other degree information webpages each academic year.
• Supervision of at least one student intern each academic semester.
• Conduct general information meetings and various workshops for Four Bear students.
• Coordinate with university academic advisors, administrators, faculty and staff to ensure program collaboration and success.
• Provide staff and faculty with necessary training to support student degree planning as it relates to fulfillment of student degree planning and program requirements.
• Production of informational videos pertaining to the Four Bear Program and degree planning.
• Develop and update Four Bear Program communication plan. Ensure accurate and timely communication of program information to students and university personnel by collaborating with OSS Director of Technology Solutions.
• Manage all aspects of Four Bear Program, including answering student and parent inquiries, monitoring student program compliance (in coordination with College/School Advising Directors), and coordinating with campus advisors for student development of four-year graduation plans.
• Assign cohort codes to all participating students for program tracking and assessment purposes.
• Collaborate with Registrar’s Office to ensure participating students receive priority registration benefit.
• Coordinate with Registrar’s Office to reserve rooms for various program workshops and meetings.
• Utilize Moodle to contribute to program coordination efforts when appropriate and develop Moodle shell for Four Bear Program participants with needed information on program requirements and degree planning.
• Development and continued maintenance of Four Bear Program website to reflect program requirements, expectations and benefits as scaled.
• Utilize various databases to query potential and participating students for tracking, communication, and reporting.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated commitment to students and to public education.
• Ability to advise students regarding a myriad of issues from course selection to withdrawals and reinstatements to support services and referrals such as counseling and tutoring.
• Knowledge of FERPA guidelines and ability to talk in accordance with federal statutes with parents and others concerned about a student’s welfare.
• Excellent communication skills, including verbal, written and listening and feedback skills.
• Knowledge in the use of computer software programs, including MS Word, MS Excel and MS Outlook.
• Ability to make sound decisions and provide quality academic advising in often difficult and complex student situations
• Ability to listen and demonstrate patience in determining student situations and how best to effectively support and provide critical, accurate, consistent and timely information to students
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Ability to work with diverse groups of individuals and create and maintain effective working relationships

Minimum Required Experience

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree required and at least three (3) years of academic advising experience or related experience in a higher education setting or an equivalent combination of education and experience required.

About the Undergraduate Advising Center

The mission of the Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) is to provide comprehensive academic advising and related programming supporting the academic success of students.

The UAC is an academic support unit within the Office for Student Success (OSS). Located in the Lommasson Center, the UAC is the academic advising home for all Undeclared/Exploratory, Pre-Nursing (MTN Campus), undergraduate non-degree, and freshman Pre-Medical Sciences and Pre-Physical Therapy students whose primary majors are Undeclared/Exploratory.

The UAC also provides assistance to students campus-wide regarding General Education requirements, registration support, major identification and declaration, academic petitions and graduation applications. The UAC strives to connect students to beneficial campus services and resources, in addition to co-curricular opportunities available at UM and in the Missoula community.

Collaboration with our campus partners is a core strength of the UAC and OSS. The UAC and OSS collectively serve as the hub of campus advising services, acting as a central resource for faculty and department-based advisors and working collaboratively with recruitment, orientation and retention-based programs and services on campus.

Position Details

Position Title: Academic Advisor III

Position Number: 077150

Department: Undergraduate Advising Center

Work Schedule: Full-time, 1.0 FTE (40 Hours a week), Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 12 months/year.

Salary: $19.229/hr – Current employee’s rate of pay for this position will be determined by the staff compensation plan and may be different from the posted salary. For questions and details regarding the staff compensation plan, email the Compensation Department .

Union Affiliation: MFPE

Probationary Period: Six months minimum

Benefits Include : Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to Offer of Employment In accordance with University regulations, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations. ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran's Preference Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law. References: References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant. Testing: Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions. Employment Eligibility: All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).

How to Apply

Extended Priority Application Deadline: Sunday, May 15, 2022 by 11:59 pm MST

A complete application Includes:

1. Letter of Interest – addressing your qualifications and experience related the stated required skills for the position.
2. Detailed Resume – listing education and describing work experience.

Professional References – names and contact information for three (3) professional references.

Job Location Missoula, Montana, United States
Position Type Full-Time/Regular