Director of General Advising Services

Harper College•Palatine, IL

About The Position

Provides strategic leadership and operational management for the college's Advising Services department, overseeing the department front desk, coordinator, lead academic advisors, academic advisors, and specialized advisor and coach positions. Responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing advising strategies that promote student success, persistence, and completion with a particular focus on reducing equity gaps among underrepresented student populations. Utilizes critical retention metrics for the purpose of sustaining a comprehensive system of student educational planning and support that creates a positive experience for students. The Director ensures that the Advising Services department aligns with the college's strategic plan, student success initiatives, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Develops and implements a comprehensive, advising model that supports the diverse needs of Harper College's student population. Establishes short and long-term goals for the Advising Services department that align with institutional priorities and student success initiatives. Collaborates with division leadership and the Centers for New Students to integrate Advising Services with other student success initiatives. Provides direct supervision to leading and managing the activities related to campus advising services and oversees the daily operations of the Advising Services department. Establishes clear performance expectations and conducts regular evaluations for all advising staff. Establishes clear roles and responsibilities for general and specialized advisors, coordinator, and front desk staff. Develops protocols for student transitions between different types of advising. Creates standards for advising documentation and case notes in collaboration with the Department. Implements quality assurance processes for advising interactions. Designs and implements targeted advising interventions. Analyzes disaggregated student data to identify patterns of inequity in student outcomes and develop strategies to address them. Establishes and monitors key performance indicators for advising services aligned with IPEDS outcomes, including retention, persistence, and completion rates. Designs and implements a comprehensive assessment plan using Institutional Research systems to evaluate the effectiveness of advising services and interventions. Develops equitable caseload assignment methodologies and implements differentiated caseload sizes based on student needs and advisor specialization in collaboration with the Coordinator and Manager of Advising Operations. Creates protocols for managing advisor reassignments and establishes expectations for proactive outreach and follow-up. Provides collaboration with the Coordinator and Manager of Advising Operations on advising systems and software for tracking advisor-student interactions and outcomes. Collaborates with departments throughout campus to ensure strong cross-departmental relationships with academic areas. Partners with Academic Affairs division to develop program-specific advising resources and pathways. Collaborates with the Center for New Students, Enrollment Services, Student Engagement, University Center, Hawks Care, Counseling, and other student support departments to create seamless student experiences. Manages and leads the process associated with dismissal, suspension and reinstatement of students and issues determination on student statuses. Serves as lead on dismissal appeal committee. Develops, documents, and regularly reviews advising policies and procedures, and creates changes as needed to maintain optimal operations. Designs and manages student communication plans for various student populations and milestones in collaboration with the Department. Creates and maintains advising resources, including program guides, transfer information, and career planning materials. Collaborates with academic departments on curriculum changes and implications for student pathways, and partners with faculty on early alert programs and academic interventions. Supports the development and implementation of Area of Interest initiatives and serves as a member of the Area of Interest Chairs team. Develops and revises service delivery processes; and ensures that work is performed in compliance with current College, state, and federal policies. Provides resolution and guidance for escalations for the Advising Services department. Demonstrates fiscal responsibility and oversees budgets affiliated with the Advising Services Center including technology and online/web-based resources. Interprets the policies, goals, decisions, and expectations of the College for personnel in the department. Stays abreast of national, state, and local trends affecting assigned areas. Attends professional conferences, keeps current with best practices and shares information with colleagues. Participates actively in institutional, divisional, and shared governance committees. Assumes other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Master’s degree in College Student Personnel, Counseling, or related field.
Minimum of three years of advising experience and two years of supervisory experience at the community college level.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and knowledge of student persistence theory, practice, and assessment.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership and operational management for the college's Advising Services department
Develops, implements, and assesses advising strategies that promote student success
Utilizes critical retention metrics for the purpose of sustaining a comprehensive system of student educational planning and support
Ensures that the Advising Services department aligns with the college's strategic plan
Develops and implements a comprehensive, advising model that supports the diverse needs of Harper College's student population
Establishes short and long-term goals for the Advising Services department that align with institutional priorities and student success initiatives
Collaborates with division leadership and the Centers for New Students to integrate Advising Services with other student success initiatives
Provides direct supervision to leading and managing the activities related to campus advising services and oversees the daily operations of the Advising Services department
Establishes clear performance expectations and conducts regular evaluations for all advising staff
Establishes clear roles and responsibilities for general and specialized advisors, coordinator, and front desk staff
Develops protocols for student transitions between different types of advising
Creates standards for advising documentation and case notes in collaboration with the Department
Implements quality assurance processes for advising interactions
Designs and implements targeted advising interventions
Analyzes disaggregated student data to identify patterns of inequity in student outcomes and develop strategies to address them
Establishes and monitors key performance indicators for advising services aligned with IPEDS outcomes, including retention, persistence, and completion rates
Designs and implements a comprehensive assessment plan using Institutional Research systems to evaluate the effectiveness of advising services and interventions
Develops equitable caseload assignment methodologies and implements differentiated caseload sizes based on student needs and advisor specialization in collaboration with the Coordinator and Manager of Advising Operations
Creates protocols for managing advisor reassignments and establishes expectations for proactive outreach and follow-up
Provides collaboration with the Coordinator and Manager of Advising Operations on advising systems and software for tracking advisor-student interactions and outcomes
Collaborates with departments throughout campus to ensure strong cross-departmental relationships with academic areas
Partners with Academic Affairs division to develop program-specific advising resources and pathways
Collaborates with the Center for New Students, Enrollment Services, Student Engagement, University Center, Hawks Care, Counseling, and other student support departments to create seamless student experiences
Manages and leads the process associated with dismissal, suspension and reinstatement of students and issues determination on student statuses
Serves as lead on dismissal appeal committee
Develops, documents, and regularly reviews advising policies and procedures, and creates changes as needed to maintain optimal operations
Designs and manages student communication plans for various student populations and milestones in collaboration with the Department
Creates and maintains advising resources, including program guides, transfer information, and career planning materials
Collaborates with academic departments on curriculum changes and implications for student pathways, and partners with faculty on early alert programs and academic interventions
Supports the development and implementation of Area of Interest initiatives and serves as a member of the Area of Interest Chairs team
Develops and revises service delivery processes; and ensures that work is performed in compliance with current College, state, and federal policies
Provides resolution and guidance for escalations for the Advising Services department
Demonstrates fiscal responsibility and oversees budgets affiliated with the Advising Services Center including technology and online/web-based resources
Interprets the policies, goals, decisions, and expectations of the College for personnel in the department
Stays abreast of national, state, and local trends affecting assigned areas
Attends professional conferences, keeps current with best practices and shares information with colleagues
Participates actively in institutional, divisional, and shared governance committees
Assumes other duties as assigned