Academic Success Coach & Advisor

Roanoke College•Salem, VA

About The Position

Roanoke College is seeking dedicated, student-centered Academic Success Coaches to help build a program supporting undergraduate and/or graduate students in achieving their academic, professional, and personal goals. The coaches provide comprehensive advising using a Field of Study/appreciative advising approach, serving incoming first-year, undeclared, and transfer students and fostering a supportive learning environment. This is a 12-month position. The role includes individualized and small-group academic advising, support for students’ adjustment to college, resource referrals, guidance on institutional systems and academic policies, and proactive monitoring of student progress. Coaches also facilitate First-Year Experience courses, assist with registration and credit evaluations, develop workshops or orientation sessions, maintain advising records, and collaborate with faculty and staff on student retention and success initiatives. The position may also involve managing or assisting with Student Success Center programming, including Peer Tutoring or RC Success, and other tasks supporting the Center and College.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in education, counseling, student affairs, or a related liberal arts field.
Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
Commitment to student development and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Ability to work collaboratively and independently in a fast-paced environment.
Strong customer service orientation and a genuine passion for supporting student success.
Proficiency in advanced Microsoft Office applications, including Teams and CoPilot.
Ability to work evenings and weekends when necessary.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, or a related discipline.
At least two years of experience in an educational setting.
Prior experience in academic advising.
Knowledge of collegiate academic policies and degree requirements.
Familiarity with student information systems such as Self-Service, Colleague, or Navigate; training will be provided.

Responsibilities

Provide individualized and small-group academic advising to incoming first-year and undeclared students, including purpose discernment, course selection, degree planning, and registration.
Collaborate with faculty advisors after students declare a major.
Facilitate five sections of a First-Year Experience course covering time management, study skills, goal setting, and career exploration.
Connect students with campus resources such as tutoring, counseling, financial aid, and career services.
Help students navigate institutional systems and connect with mentors, faculty, and campus opportunities.
Help students interpret academic policies and procedures, including general education requirements, major selection, and institutional expectations.
Provide input to College leadership on potential revisions to ineffective policies and practices.
Help students understand how AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, prior learning, and transfer credits apply to degree requirements.
Guide students through requests for course substitutions or credit evaluations.
Monitor students on academic warning or probation and work with them to develop improvement strategies.
Adjust schedules for students on academic warning before each semester, based on final grades and academic standing.
Assist with summer and spring registration for new students and provide outreach during onboarding.
Develop and facilitate workshops or orientation sessions for first-year students.
Monitor student progress through proactive outreach and regular check-ins, identifying challenges and providing timely intervention.
Maintain accurate records of student interactions using advising software or institutional systems.
Collaborate with faculty and staff on student retention and success initiatives.
Participate in ongoing training and professional development on advising practices and institutional updates.
Manage or assist with Student Success Center programming, which may include Peer Tutoring or the RC Success retention program.
Perform other tasks as assigned to support the Student Success Center and Roanoke College.