Academic Advisor- College of Medicine- GEMS

University of Illinois Chicago•Chicago, IL

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Academic Advisor provides academic, career, and personal counseling to current PhD graduate students in the College of Medicine’s Graduate Education in Biomedical Sciences (GEMS). The advisor helps students develop academic, career, and life goals; supports completion of first-year coursework and research training requirements; and monitors student progress across a decentralized research enterprise. The position works with internal partners, departments, faculty, and graduate program leadership to support laboratory placements and student education. It also contributes to student initiatives and events, tracks and reports student progress, and compiles information for grants and departmental reporting.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Counseling, or a related field.
Knowledge of career services, student development theory as related to career choice and exploration, and the career development process.
Knowledge of learning styles, motivational strategies, study skills, and obstacles to learning.
Computer literacy.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Ability to guide and motivate others.
Ability to analyze complex situations and develop resources and training materials.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of federal and state financial aid programs, eligibility requirements, and regulations.
Knowledge of careers in biomedical sciences and career requirements.

Responsibilities

Work collaboratively with administrators, faculty, and staff across departments that offer laboratory placements in biomedical sciences.
Monitor, track, and follow up with graduate students to confirm that benchmarks are met, including first-year core curriculum, preliminary examinations, research track core requirements, thesis committee meetings, and dissertation submission.
Facilitate timely routing and execution of required paperwork among the Graduate College, students, Directors of Graduate Studies, and graduate programs.
Assess students’ interests, skills, and goals related to career development; provide academic advising, resume review, and personal counseling to students from diverse backgrounds.
Collaborate with academic partners, faculty, and other constituents to develop activities that strengthen student education.
Counsel and advise students on academic and career issues and help them develop individual goals.
Process, track, and report student activities and progress at regular intervals throughout the academic year.
Develop, promote, and implement student initiatives and programs, including outreach to internal and external constituencies to support student retention.
Plan prospective interview days, new student orientation activities, commencement receptions, graduate research symposia, and other special events with academic partners.
Compile data for grant submissions, annual reports, and other departmental data requests.
Participate in special projects and serve on committees as needed or assigned.
Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.