Academic Advisor

George Mason University•Manassas, VA

48d•$50,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The primary purpose of this position is to perform academic advising for all current and prospective undergraduate and graduate students and reply to general inquiries about academic programs offered by the department. The Academic Advisor contributes to the recruitment and retention of students through effective advising and outreach and is responsible for facilitating students' education, decision-making, and planning. This position discusses academic interests, makes connections to career goals with the student, and provides information on academic policies, procedures, and practices, including working through various academic requests, forms, and appeals. The Academic Advisor represents the department in a professional manner and will act as a resource person regarding the university and department’s rules and regulations while serving as a trouble-shooter and problem solver. This role contributes to George Mason’s strategic goals of preparing career-ready graduates, while increasing graduation and retention rates in both the undergraduate and graduate programs in which ME students participate. Please note that this is not a 100% remote/virtual position, however it is telework friendly. Depending upon your department/office, you may have the ability to telework 1 day per week.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent
Experience with or demonstrated knowledge in one or more of the following areas: academic advising, success coaching, orientation, learning services, disability services, veteran's services, career services, student involvement, and student rights and responsibilities
Experience managing multiple complex programs and projects simultaneously
Experience delivering exceptional customer service
Experience assisting and supporting diverse populations
Experience with Microsoft Office suite including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Knowledge to assist and support students in a university setting
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
Demonstrated interpersonal skills
Conflict resolution skills
Ability to learn new technology
Ability to work orientation and admissions events.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in related field
Experience working in a higher education setting
Experience in working with science/engineering students
Experience with leadership, communication, program development, and administrative activities
Experience with educational database management systems, and customer relationship management systems (CRM).

Responsibilities

Advise current undergraduate students in decision making and developing a plan of study consistent with students' interests, desires, and abilities
Assist students regarding course selection, prerequisites, transfer courses, registration and overrides, career and/or educational goals, and general university rules and regulations
Ensure that students meet departmental requirements of degree progress; act and assist in trouble shooting and problem solving
Communicate essential academic registration information
Provide information on academic policies, procedures, and practices, including working through various academic requests, forms, and appeals
Organize and retain student records, to include advising notes and email exchanges
Escalate complex issues or situations with students to supervisor for guidance, such as student's having issues with a professor/course or requesting an exception to an academic requirement or policy
Participate in outreach initiatives organized by the college/university
Organize regular outreach campaigns to reach out to students proactively
Perform prerequisite checks for all ME undergraduate courses at the beginning of each semester and verify student eligibility for each class.
Provide administrative support to students and faculty
Distribute information and assist in implementing and performing student support service tasks
Assist in coordination of efforts to organize departmental functions for students, including events such as orientation or faculty-student advising meetings
Participate in university wide programs and events related to undergraduate students such as admissions, orientation, advising, graduation, and other social and networking events
Assist and function as liaison between students, faculty, management, and administrative agents in understanding the programs, university rules and regulations
Assist and perform the oversight of operations related to student records, graduation, and student recruitment functions
Generate correspondence in communicating with students, faculty, and other administrators and units such as the Dean's office, registrar's office, etc., in writing, via e-mail, or through other communication means in response to students and other constituents' inquiries in fostering student success as needed
Assist in updating ME department's advising materials (printed and on the website) prior to each catalog year
Assist in creating sample schedules, transfer guides, and degree worksheets for different student populations
Assist in ABET assessment, including collecting and cataloging information
Process paperwork necessary to progress in the graduate programs offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, including, but not limited to, Plan of Study forms, documentation related to significant milestones toward degrees, and substitution waivers where appropriate/authorized
Liaise as needed with HR to issue offer letters to graduate students for Graduate Research Assistantships and Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Correspond with prospective PhD applicants about rules regarding GRE requirements, and English language proficiency test requirements (e.g., IELTS, Duolingo English test)
Assist students with applying to and completing the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's (BAM) programs, including filing paperwork, advising on requirements for acceptance into and completion of different MS programs, liaising with other departments as needed (since ME does not offer its own MS degree)
Assist PhD students with scheduling comprehensive exams and proposal defenses
Assist students in preparing for final PhD thesis defenses (e.g., scheduling a room, filing paperwork, etc.)
Refer questions to the CEC Graduate Studies office, as needed
Assist admitted PhD applicants from outside the United States with paperwork and forms related to obtaining a visa, liaise with Office of International Programs and Services (OIPS) as needed
Coordinate events for incoming and current PhD students, such as information sessions and social events
Assist students with applying to and progressing in the various certificates offered by the ME department, such as Naval Ship Design, Microfabrication, and Responsible AI.
Serve on committees and other projects as assigned related to advising and student support as needed
Participate in university-wide advising training and ongoing professional development
Utilize the chosen university platform for tracking and reporting student interactions and making referrals.