Academic Advocate

University of Central Florida•Orlando, FL

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of Academic Advocacy within the Division of Student Success and Well-Being creates opportunities for undergraduate students to thrive by providing a system of support to foster academic success, retention, and timely degree attainment. Driven by equitable outcomes for all students, innovation, and excellence, we assist students in achieving their academic and personal goals. Working collaboratively with the colleges and campus partners, a holistic student-centered approach is utilized to empower students to strive for academic achievement and individual growth. The Academic Advocate's main role is to enhance persistence, progression, and completion of undergraduate students, aligned with the university's strategic goals and targeted metrics. The advocates will contribute to the implementation and improvement of policies and processes, analyzing data to identify obstacles to student retention and academic advancement. The advocates will engage in outreach efforts to support at-risk students, collaborate with university colleges and academic advisors along with various university departments such as the Registrar, Financial Aid, and Housing. The Academic Advocate will work directly with undergraduate students, offering assistance with academic plans, course schedules, major selection, and career goals. Their focus will be on students facing challenges related to persistence, academic probation, or students at risk of not graduating.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 2+ years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).
All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer.
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H‑1B transfers or employment-based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Educational Leadership or related degree.
4+ years of relevant experience in student affairs, academic advising, student success, care/case management, or similar roles.
1+ year(s) of leadership experience
2+ years of experience working with student success initiatives.

Responsibilities

Serves as the primary case manager for assigned undergraduate students and cohorts, including students experiencing academic distress that may impede timely degree completion.
Responds to student referrals and investigates student cases referred by campus partners.
Resolves individual student issues requiring coordination across multiple university offices.
Assists students in understanding institutional policies and processes, reviewing options, and resolving academic concerns.
Maintains student files, updates academic records, and monitors student progress to support successful persistence and completion.
Develops and implements proactive intervention programs and early outreach plans to enhance student retention, persistence, and degree completion.
Designs targeted outreach strategies for identified at‑risk populations.
Ensures ongoing student engagement, satisfaction, and academic momentum through timely interventions.
Collaborates with academic and non‑academic departments to coordinate targeted intervention strategies for at‑risk students.
Serves as a liaison and institutional resource on retention‑related academic information.
Communicates academic requirements effectively to students, faculty, and staff.
Leads ad‑hoc teams or cross‑unit workgroups to support coordinated retention and completion initiatives.
Uses analytical and evidence‑based decision‑making to develop, interpret, and analyze reports and trends from multiple data sources.
Translates data insights into actionable strategies to enhance outreach, persistence, and completion programs.
Identifies student populations with the greatest need and prioritizes institutional efforts accordingly.
Assesses the effectiveness of persistence and completion initiatives and recommends improvements.
Monitors academic policies, procedures, and processes related to undergraduate retention, persistence, and completion.
Recommends policy and process changes to enhance student success across departments and colleges.
Contributes to institution‑wide strategies aimed at improving undergraduate outcomes.
Presents at meetings, workshops, and internal and external venues to disseminate and strengthen institutional retention strategies.
Conducts professional development sessions and training for staff, advisors, and students, particularly in areas where misinformation or policy changes impact student persistence.
May supervise undergraduate and/or graduate students in support of assigned cohort responsibilities.
Performs other duties as assigned in alignment with student success and retention goals.