Academic Advisor I, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

University of Delaware•Newark, NJ

About The Position

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at the University of Delaware is dedicated to feeding the world and protecting the planet through education, research, and outreach. Like fellow land grant universities, CANR’s tripartite mission is the generation, translation, and dissemination of knowledge in the public interest — throughout Delaware, across the country and around the globe. The college supports more than 1000 undergraduate students in 14 majors housed within four departments including Animal and Food Sciences, Applied Economics and Statistics, Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, and Plant and Soil Sciences and includes an interdisciplinary Agriculture and Natural Resources major. The CANR Undergraduate Student Services Office, a unit within the CANR Dean’s Office, manages the effective delivery of undergraduate recruitment, academic advising and support, degree clearance and the coordination of CANR’s Convocation ceremony. Under the general direction of the Senior Academic Advisor, the Academic Advisor I plays a key role on the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Undergraduate Student Services (UGSS) team by serving as a primary point of contact for students, offering proactive, student-centered guidance that supports academic progress, personal growth, and career readiness. Working closely with faculty, department chairs, and campus partners, the advisor ensures that each student receives consistent, high-quality advisement and access to resources that promote persistence and timely graduation. In addition to individualized advising, this role contributes to the daily operations and strategic initiatives of the UGSS office, helping to streamline processes, enhance the student experience, and maintain the integrity of academic records and communications across the College. The Academic Advisor I functions as both a mentor and an advocate, contributing to a welcoming, inclusive, and collaborative advising environment that reflects the mission and values of the University of Delaware and the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree with two years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
Ability to grasp, retain and disseminate an extensive, varied, and dynamic body of information.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and employ decision-making skills.
Ability to evaluate student transcripts and/or records.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
Ability to analyze, summarize and effectively present data.
Effective leadership, organizational, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
Ability to present information effectively to groups and to work productively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Drive.

Nice To Haves

Degree in student personnel, college counseling or a related field preferred.
Experience with PeopleSoft (and/or UD’s system, UDSIS) and retention or student success software, such as EAB Navigate (and/or UD’s system, Blue Hen Success / Stellic) preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide advisement services to an assigned undergraduate caseload beginning at New Student Orientation and continuing throughout their academic career. Advisement services include guiding students to formulate educational goals and to make appropriate educational decisions to reach their goals.
Provide course recommendations to students using departmental four-year plans, the undergraduate catalog, and other academic-related resources as a guide, facilitating timely degree completion, student success, and UD’s “Finish in Four” initiative.
Monitor the progress of assigned student populations and conduct outreach about advisement, especially to those in special academic circumstances, to improve graduation and retention rates.
Provide change of major guidance for students interested in changing into a CANR major.
Assess transfer credits for admitted and deposited transfer students, aiding in their comprehension of transferred credits and their impact on their degree progression.
Interpret policy, explain GPA and academic standing, review transfer credits, and provide guidance on majors, minors, and other related academic matters.
Audit degree program requirements for individual students and create graduation timelines based on major, desired minor, and career goals.
Leverage University systems such as UDSIS and Stellic to support academic advising efforts.
Disseminate accurate and up-to-date academic information and policies to students, faculty, and others.
Provide support and referral services to students, working with offices such as the Office of Academic Enrichment, the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of Student Conduct, the Center for Counseling and Student Development, Career Services, Admissions, and Residence Life & Housing.
Attend and assist with undergraduate student events as needed.
Supports the Senior Academic Advisor in processing documented absence notifications when necessary on behalf of the Senior Assistant Dean.
Supports the Senior Assistant Dean and the Senior Academic Advisor by processing CANR Graduation Applications.
Sends routine emails and letters to students reminding them of deadlines.
Collects completed forms and compiles information prior to internal review.
Assigns academic advisors in UDSIS and makes changes when requests are approved.
Perform other advisement-related job duties as assigned.