Academic Advisor, Graduate Nursing

JOB SUMMARY

Simmons University is looking for an Academic Advisor to join the School of Nursing Graduate Advising team to support graduate nursing students, including both online and on-campus students. Reporting to the Director of the Direct Entry MSN Program, the Academic Advisor plays a critical role in ensuring student success in the program. The Academic Advisor is responsible for working directly with students, managing expectations of program requirements, and maintaining, updating, and tracking student enrollment information.

The Academic Advisor oversees student enrollment and registration, maintains accurate student data, and counsels students on course registration, leaves of absence, academic ineligibility, plans of study, policy question, as well as other needs.

You can find more information about the School of Nursing here.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.Advise students on University policies, handbooks, procedures, program requirements, practicum requirements, and all other academic matters;

Maintain, update, and track student enrollment data and manage academic databases;

Track and report on student progress across multiple data tracking systems to key stakeholders within the designated graduate nursing program teams (e.g., registration audits, leave of absence tracking, custom plans of study tracking, end of term audits, etc.);

Participate in department meetings regarding complex student issues;

Serve as the main point of contact for all disputes and various other administrative needs of the students; and

Participate in department and program related events for assigned programs (ie: Immersions, Town Halls, Student Orientations, etc).

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to communicate, complete tasks, and provide input on systems in an efficient and effective manner to best support students in all stages of the program;

Meet with at-risk students (e.g., conditional admits, students on academic warning or probation, etc.) to provide academic counseling and support;

Provide students with preemptive guidance on acclimating to their new graduate program lifestyle and building supportive personal environments and best practices to facilitate their student success; and

Other duties as assigned;

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required;

Minimum two more years of academic advising or equivalent experience (i.e. roles requiring extensive student contact, or positions that entail a high level of customer service management);

Proven ability in developing strong relationships through a variety of means (including remote engagement) and experience in professional coaching/advising others required;

Excellent oral and written communication skills;

Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and presentation software, with a particular emphasis on spreadsheets and data entry/analysis;

The ability to effectively work with multiple databases and student platforms; and

Must have a strong commitment to education;

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will possess strong time management, customer service, problem solving and interpersonal skills, will be adaptable to new and rapidly changing situations, will be creative and innovative and demonstrate the ability to work independently and with a team;

Ability to successfully resolve student issues from request through resolution;

Comfort with online webinar technology using audio, video and shared desktop applications (i.e. Google Meet, Zoom, Webex, GoToMeeting, Skype);

Experience advising and/or teaching, or general familiarity, with online programs a plus; and

Demonstrate the ability to work independently and with a team;

COMPETENCIES

Communication - Able to respond and exchange ideas clearly and effectively through writing, speaking, and presentations; shares appropriate information to keep people informed; is seen as approachable;

Teamwork - Values the opinions of others; assists others when needed; participates effectively as a member of a team; balances personal contributions and needs with those of other members of the team to achieve common objectives;

Problem Solving - Analyzes problems to identify probable cause; thinks of new possibilities; identifies critical issues and develops options for addressing them; able to incorporate other viewpoints as part of the process of developing solutions;

Demonstrated ability to work with students, staff and faculty across a broad range of social and personal identities and perspectives;

Data Analysis - Learns new databases, softwares, and technology skills to work with complex data sets and interpret data reports. Utilizes basic data skills to be organized and collaborative;

WORK ENVIRONMENT & CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Full time position, 40 hours/week, with hybrid work arrangement eligibility;

Potential evening and/or weekend time needed several times a year to support special events;

12-month year-round staff position;

Work will take place in an office environment;

Essential physical requirements include typing;

Physical effort/lifting not required;

Salary GradeS05

Instructions to Applicants : Please upload

all

applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv, cover letter, writing sample, teaching philosophy, etc.) in the Application Materials box on page 2 ("My Experience") of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).

Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual's community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices-at all levels, for all positions-ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.