Academic Advisor II - Plant Science Major (PLS)

PLS•Gainesville, FL

17d

About The Position

The Academic Advisor II for the Plant Science Major (PLS) will be responsible for advising students, marketing the PLS program, recruiting undergraduate students, and performing administrative duties to support the program. The PLS major is an innovative program that bridges three core collaborating departments: Agronomy, Horticultural Sciences, and Plant Pathology. This role offers an opportunity to work in a dynamic environment with a growing team of passionate students, faculty, and administrators from a range of plant-related disciplines.

Requirements

Master’s degree in education, counseling, or academic field related to the college and one year of relevant experience OR Bachelor’s degree in similar fields with two years of relevant experience.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office is required, with an emphasis on student data management using Excel.
Experience using a learning management system required, with a preference towards Canvas.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments and student needs.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an academic field or industry position directly related to the plant sciences, and the curiosity and enthusiasm to learn more.
Experience in program promotion, marketing, or recruitment.
Experience with SalesForce integrated systems and Enterprise Analytics Student Information Systems.

Responsibilities

Advise students regarding academic requirements, academic policies and procedures, campus resources, and appropriate class selection in response to their career aspirations.
Hold one-on-one meetings with students to select appropriate minors and/or certificates, address any degree issues, position students to meet requirements for graduation, and prepare them to achieve their future career goals.
Perform degree tracking and coursework verification for all PLS students and confirm eligibility for graduation.
Oversee students placed on probation and work with the student and faculty to prepare deficit point recovery plan.
Process student petitions, change of major and double major requests, and degree verification and audits as per UF and college deadlines.
Collaborate with off-campus academic coordinators and advisors for the Statewide program (WFREC, FLREC, MREC, and others) and serve as the record keeper for all PLS information and student records.
Conduct orientation/Preview sessions for transfer students majoring in Plant Science, with the option to serve as a Preview Advisor.
Serve as the primary point of communications to students enrolled in PLS, and share weekly updates and opportunities.
Work with the PLS Director on general problem solving and decision-making concerning student academic issues, and work with Steering Committee to collect data on program successes and stress-points, to help adapt and upgrade advising and mentoring processes.
Assist the PLS Director and Steering Committee with the development of an annual recruitment plan, annual budget, and collateral/support materials in collaboration with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) Dean’s office and core program departments.
Prepare and process marketing materials and documents relating to PLS and courses within the major.
Coordinate and provide on-campus tours and introductions for prospective students.
Attend career fairs and trade group meetings and visit 2-year colleges and high schools to share presentations and promote PLS for all statewide locations, and all other majors in CALS.
Plan and manage on-campus recruitment activities and events, work with industry and advisory groups, and give presentations to interested groups and clubs.
Develop content for inclusion in the websites, Instagram account, and newsletters for PLS and collaborating departments, and share information via social media channels.
Attend or assist with college events such as the CALS Kickoff, Welcome Brunch, TailGATOR, Campus Tours, Majors and Minors Fair, Commencements, etc.
Assist with the activities of the Plant Science Committee and PLS Director as needed.
Work with individual PLS-collaborating departmental course schedulers to monitor and communicate about all PLS-related courses and keep course-tracking spreadsheets updated.
Prepare reports for the PLS, such as Student Academic Assessment outcomes.
Maintain contact data and information for potential employers (business, industry, government, and not-for-profit), UF PLS alumni, and on-campus and Research and Education Center faculty and staff, who provide practical work experience and internship opportunities for students.
Document and track incoming students across all statewide program locations, to ensure they are matched with Faculty Mentors and are receiving the support they need.
Assist with managing the Plant Science Ambassadors student club.
Assist collaborating departments with scholarship award and recognition nominations for all PSM students.
Communicate scholarship opportunities to all PLS students and assist all collaborating department scholarship committees as needed with student information.
Prepare annual nominations for CALS student awards.
Oversee record keeping of all scholarships, awards, and recognitions for PLS students.
Assists with preparation of recruitment videos, student recruitment studies, funding proposal preparation for recruitment, scholarships and special events, and other duties as assigned.