Position Summary

The Academic Specialist-Advising is a full-time primarily in-person position that requires occasional evening and weekend commitments. This role serves as a primary advisor for exploratory students assisting them with course planning, understanding academic requirements, interpreting curriculum, and navigating the institution through one to one or group advising along with workshops and presentations. Advisors play an integral role in guiding students along an intentional pathway of exploration by aligning student interests, purpose, and passions with academic interest areas at MSU. Exploratory advisors will collaboratively work with college and academic departments to create an academic curriculum for students based on disciplinary knowledge and practices. This role engages and advises students to create individual academic plans according to the established curriculum and interprets and implements university policies and procedures.  

Exploratory Advisors are required to use digital systems (e.g., Electronic Student Academic Folder (ESAF), Campus Solutions, (SIS) to initiate and facilitate advising interactions, maintain confidential records, enter information about students, and respond to referrals from others to support student success. They create data driven initiatives to support student success, participate in planning and implementing campus-wide initiatives to promote student success, and lead training and professional presentations.   

Duties also include but are not limited to:  

• Advise new first year and lower division transfer students during New Student Orientation  
• Participate in teams based on need in four areas of interest: STEM, Business and Innovation, Health Sciences, and Education, Arts, Social Sciences, Humanities  
• Disseminate information on university policies and procedures to faculty, parents, students, etc.  
• Monitor and track the retention and progression of all students within assigned population and devise strategies and implementation plan for retaining students  
• Advise students on probation, returning from academic recess or dismissal, and assist their return to good academic standing 
• Assist students with major and career exploration, probation conferences, campus and local referrals, institutional navigation, academic orientation 
• Coordinate communications to students regarding course scheduling, core and major requirements, academic resources, etc.  
• Refer students with academic discrepancies or specific college related concerns to appropriate units for further action 
• Prepare necessary student tracking and population reports using available technical tools, as well as assist in the preparation of special reports relating to enrollment and related matters 
• Co-teach or teach student success seminars and workshops as directed by supervisor 
• Participate in professional development opportunities that increase knowledge and expertise about advising and MSU policies and procedures that impact student success 
• Perform other related duties as assigned 
• Provide service in individual and group settings

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Masters -Student affairs, K-12 education, or another related field

Minimum Requirements

• Experience with student support technology systems
• Experience in higher education, preferably in the areas of advising and/or academic development for underserved students
• Student-centered approach
• Proven commitment to undergraduate student success
• Excellent communication skills; including an ability to work diplomatically and effectively with campus partners
• Demonstrated ability to work with students and colleagues from diverse backgrounds
• Proficiency with cloud-based office software (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google Apps)

Desired Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in academic advising within a college or university setting
• Knowledge of undergraduate student success concepts, theories and/or practice
• Experience teaching, advising, leading, and/or mentoring diverse undergraduate students
• Strong skills in documentation, tracking, and data compliance
• Knowledge of academic advising/student information technology platforms
• Experience with online student success platforms
• Teaching experience with secondary or post-secondary students
• One to three years of advising or related experience
• Experience with data collection and visualization
• Experience implementing strategic initiatives to support the academic success of minoritized populations
• Ability to access, understand, and interpret data from multiple sources to facilitate advising interactions and promote student success through pro-active and innovative advising practices
• Ability to use data to evaluate individual and group efforts to promote student success through academic advising
• Experience giving regular presentations to campus partners, students, families and supporters

Required Application Materials

A complete application will include

• a resume or CV,
• cover letter and
• contact information for three professional references.

Review of Applications Begins On

11/18/2024

Website

https://advising.msu.edu/

Department Statement

Founded in 1855 as the nation's first land-grant university, Michigan State University (MSU) enrolls over 50,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. MSU is known internationally as a major public research university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, MSU is a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders. The Office of Undergraduate Education seeks to help lead MSU's undergraduate student success initiatives by operationalizing MSU's stated beliefs that every student it admits has the capacity to learn, thrive, and graduate and that it is MSU's responsibility to provide an inclusive, equitable curriculum and environment with the academic, social, wellness, and financial support our students need to persist in college and succeed after graduation.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.