Student Success Advisor
ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. This position requires the employee to be a professing Christian and to be willing to support the Christian mission of ACU.
Student Success Advisors (SSAs) are responsible for the advisement, success, and eventual graduation of an assigned group of students. SSAs are focused on providing an exceptional student experience through ongoing student engagement and relationship building. SSAs also participate in university-wide retention and persistence efforts.
Basic Responsibilities
Student Advising
Caseload Management
Department Operations
Essential Duties include the following:
Student Advising
Assists in the support of new students through the onboarding process: conducting welcome calls, providing student training through Walk-to-Class sessions, and addressing impromptu new student questions and concerns
Advise students regarding policies, procedures, registration, degree progression, and payment options
Maintain ongoing communication with students, focusing most heavily on students identified as being at risk
Collaborate with students and other departments and teams to remove barriers to student persistence and success
Assist students in making informed decisions by providing ethical, timely, accurate, and comprehensive program information and student resources
Use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to address and resolve student issues and ensure positive student experiences. Address potential and/or current student concerns and seek appropriate resolution to problems
Assist students by performing appropriate follow-up and coordination with team members. This includes working with employees in a team environment and providing accurate student information and assistance to other team members in and/or outside of their functional area
Communicate effectively with potential and/or current students via telephone, email, video calls, and/or in person
Ensure students are in compliance with academic policies and procedures
Caseload Management
Attend scheduled cross-departmental meetings with Student Financial Services, Operations, Admissions, and Academics, as requested to manage the caseload
Monitor student participation and progress through the program to ensure that students are in alignment with University policies
Review, document, and monitor student information (including academic performance and attendance) on an ongoing basis to resolve issues and facilitate student success; report any data integrity issues found
Maintain accurate and up to date performance metrics for student caseload
Department Operations
Communicate regularly with supervisor on feedback regarding any issues within the team relating to (but not confined to) workflows, work volumes, operational issues/matters, IT issues/matters, training requirements, enhancement requests, etc.
Identify and report inconsistencies in documentation (i.e. handbook, catalog, programmatic curriculum sheets)
Attend and participate in professional training and mentorship
Monitor personal Key Performance Indicators and retention rate with a focus on continuous improvement
Professional Development Requirements:
Skills
Exceptional interpersonal communication skills, both verbal and written
Strong planning, organizational, and time management skills
Utilizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Excellent command of professional presentation skills and be comfortable presenting to groups both large and small
Training
High-level knowledge of the higher education and student development theory
Computer literate and able to learn proprietary software applications including but not limited to:
Salesforce
Banner
Mogli
Qualified
Microsoft Suite
Qualifications:
Professional
Bachelor’s degree required. Masters preferred
Ability to travel, must possess a valid driver's license
Able to work flexible hours conducive to contacting students when available.
Minimum of 2 years of Higher Education Experience. Higher education advising experience preferred
Personal
Goal-oriented and driven to assist people with meeting their educational goals
Self-motivated with the ability to successfully work independently or in a team environment
Must be student and advisor oriented and have the ability to perform multiple tasks efficiently and effectively
Motivating others by creating a climate in which people can succeed
Collaborative within a team environment
Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external stakeholders
Maintains professional appearance (i.e. neat and orderly attire) and work environment (I.e. clean and organized dedicated workspace with professional background).
Ability to adapt in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
Supports and upholds all student-facing university policies
Demonstrates personal and professional integrity
Displays public support and pride in university initiatives, and assists others in seeing the positive aspects of ACU
Complies with all ACU employee policies and procedure
Physical Requirements:
Must be able to use a telephone or headset equipment and able to perform work in an approved professional work environment. Work is performed in an office or home office environment; must have the ability to sit for long periods of time – 6- 8 hours
May be required to the manual operation of general office equipment and lift up to 30 pounds
Limited travel may be required – locations vary and some overnight travel may be necessary
ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law.
ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets. Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions. As a current employee, it will be determined if you need an additional background check upon your hire.