Senior Academic Advisor - School of Medicine Health Professions

The School of Medicine Health Professions at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a Senior Academic Advisor.

About the Opportunity

Serves as a member of the Advising Team whose primary responsibility is academic advising for all undergraduate Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics (BLD), Health Informatics & Information Management (HIIM), Immunology & Medical Microbiology (IMMB), and Respiratory Therapy (RT) students, as well as students in other School of Medicine Health Professions undergraduate programs as assigned. This includes maintaining DegreeWorks, certifying degree pursuant courses, New Student Orientation and all other advising activities. As part of the team, may be assigned other students and duties.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

ACADEMIC ADVISING:

• Primary academic advisor for BLD, HIIM, IMMB, and RT students.
  
  
  
  • Meets with students prior to each registration period to ensure they are taking correct degree-pursuant coursework and are staying on track to graduate.
  • Counsels students/parents throughout the term regarding registration, add/drop, and all information pertinent to registration and graduation.
  
  
  
  
• Primary advisor in matriculation planning for students in assigned program(s).
  
  
  
  • Sets matriculation and degree plans in DegreeWorks.
  • Works with program(s) and Assistant Dean to ensure that catalog entries that drive DegreeWorks are accurate and up to date.
  
  
  
  
• Manages registration issues for students in assigned program(s).
  
  
  
  • Ensures students are properly registered each term, e.g., enrolled in proper courses and credit hours.
  • Removes term PINS so students can register after advising has occurred.
  • Works with Registrar's Office to increase allowable registration hours each term for graduate students.
  • Approves online overrides for program(s) to allow students into restricted classes.
  
  
  
  
• Responsible for approving transient course credit to be equated at WVU for current students taking classes at other colleges/universities. Translates the credit not in TESS to determine equivalent courses.
• Serves as liaison with and reference for Healthcare Pathway majors with interest in assigned program(s) in CLASS.
• Cross-trained in other Health Professions programs, and available to advise as needed or on a permanent basis.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION (NSO):

• Serves as a resource person and lead advisor for NSO for assigned program(s).
• Attends all pertinent NSO meetings and translates and organizes the requirements/processes mandated by downtown NSO and updated for each NSO.
• Meets with assigned program(s) in order to organize them for NSO, creating procedures and processes that work for each program and for the overall unit.
• Updates NSO advising guide and provides training for each assigned program on new NSO procedures.
• Coordinates advising schedules for each program and communicates these schedules to downtown NSO.
• Trains and supervises the activities of SoM student NSO guides, training them on internal procedures and programs and managing them throughout the NSO process.
• Serves as a customer service coordinator available to interact with students and parents across SoM programs in order to resolve issues.
• May do academic presentations for NSO.

COURSE PROGRAM OF STUDY (CPOS) PROCESS:

• Conducts initial review and triage of all potential CPOS issues and directly resolves lower-level issues when possible.
• Serves as the external liaison for the CPOS process (e.g., after initial review and triage, works with students, departments, and other advisors to resolve higher-level issues).

STUDENT SUCCESS INITIATIVES:

• Collaborate with other advising staff on the Not Registered Student Retention Program for all undergraduate students. As part of this, communicates with not registered students via email, text message and phone calls. Informs students of any registration restrictions and works the students to resolve any financial or academic restrictions that prevent registration.
• Works with assigned students who are in academic jeopardy and are part of Mid-Year Academy (MYA). Works with assigned MYA students throughout the semester to help them regain good academic status.
• As needed, works with faculty to develop and deliver content for required freshman seminar courses.

Other:

• Talks with prospective students and families and attends some in-house recruiting events.
• Prepares reports for the Assistant Director and Assistant Dean as assigned.
• Works on special projects or other duties as assigned.

• Master's Degree in related field.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience involving:
  
  
  
  • Higher education experience including academic advising
  • Customer service experience
  • Student Information System experience including BANNER
  
  
  
  
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent oral and written communication skills. This person represents several programs and the University and must be able to establish rapport with several different groups including students, parents, faculty, administrators and staff.
• Must exhibit professional behavior and demeanor at all times.
  
• Demonstrated ability to organize, manage and complete multiple tasks at the same time. This position encompasses several areas of responsibility that all must be organized so that work can be completed timely and accurately.
  
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and resolve problems independently.
  
• Ability to self-start and prioritize work. Must perform all duties accurately and in a timely manner. Must learn quickly with minimal assistance.
• Knowledge of STAR/BANNER including DegreeWorks, BDMS, Target X.

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and engaging working environment and actively seek candidates who bring diverse ideas, approaches and experiences.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and is the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. We value diversity among our faculty, staff and students and invite applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, nationality, genetics, disability, or Veteran status.