Academic Counselor

University of Washington • Seattle, WA

1d

About The Position

Be part of a student-centered advising community at the University of Washington’s College of Arts & Sciences, where curiosity, discovery, and academic excellence shape the Husky experience. Who we are The College of Arts & Sciences is the academic heart of UW Seattle, home to 39 departments spanning the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. College Advisors partner with departments, programs, and campus offices to support undergraduate and graduate student success from admission through graduation. Your opportunity As an Academic Counselor (College Advisor) in the Office of the Dean, you will provide high-impact academic advising to undergraduates while also supporting graduate program administration across a portfolio of Arts & Sciences units. You will help departments respond to shifting workloads and student demand, contributing flexible, professional level advising capacity where it is needed most. Working under the general direction of the Assistant Dean of College Advising, you will: Guide students in exploring academic pathways, navigating policies, and making timely progress to degree. Support graduate programs with admissions and student progress processes that enable faculty to focus on mentoring and teaching. Contribute to college-wide advising initiatives aligned with the Dean’s priorities and student success goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field.
• Minimum two years of academic advising, student affairs, or equivalent experience in a higher education setting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a rapidly evolving context.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with data entry and basic reporting, including organizing student or client information and tracking progress.
• Demonstrated familiarity with, and ability to adopt and implement diverse technology, communications and social media platforms and applications.

Nice To Haves

• Experience advising diverse populations within a liberal arts and sciences domain.
• Familiarity with University of Washington academic systems and policies (e.g., DARS, SDB, MyGrad, Slate).
• Experience managing student communications and outreach.
• Demonstrated interest in improving student services through process evaluation, resource development, or technology use.
• Demonstrated bias for action with strong follow-through to produce desired outcomes or deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Advise prospective, current and returning undergraduate students on university and college requirements, course planning, and degree progress.
• Guide students through major and minor exploration, including understanding admissions criteria and timelines.
• Direct students to accurate information about programs, curriculum, and policies.
• Help connect students with campus resources and refer appropriately for academic and personal support.
• Track students satisfactory progress, providing outreach and communications according to policies.
• Assist students facing administrative challenges such as registration, holds, petitions, or enrollment issues.
• Review and process graduation applications.
• Monitor academic progress using institutional tools (e.g., DARS, SDB, MyGrad, Slate).
• Provide counsel to college leadership on patterns or structural barriers affecting student progression.
• Maintain advising records and communications in compliance with FERPA and institutional standards.
• Contribute to developing advising content for communications, including listserv announcements, email messages, and advising guides.
• Collaborate with advisors and offices across campus to provide coordinated advising support.
• Maintain liaison relationships with CAS academic units as well as campus offices, including the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, Office of the Registrar, New Student and Transfer Programs, and Undergraduate Academic Advising.
• Act for the unit as the administrative lead in admitting students into Graduate School.
• Process graduate program applications and distribute materials for Admissions Committee review; coordinate acceptance/denial letters, fellowship nominations, and funding/awards allocation.
• Transmit to the Dean of the Graduate School the names of those to serve as Chairperson and Members of the Supervisory Committee for graduate students
• Acquire and maintain familiarity with policies and procedures of the Graduate School.
• Assist faculty in their graduate student advising responsibilities, including degree planning, course selection, and expectations for degree progress.
• Monitor benchmarks.
• Participate in professional development, team meetings, and college-wide advising initiatives.
• Support special projects related to student/advising data, communications, or advising policy implementation
• Assist with tracking enrollment patterns and student progress metrics as needed.
• Coordinate with HR and Finance managers on scholarship and stipend dispersals.

Benefits

• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• A collaborative and supportive work culture
• Meaningful work supporting student persistence, timely graduation, and academic exploration in a world-class public research university.
• A collaborative advising community that values professional judgment, adaptability, and thoughtful innovation in student services.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level