Director of University Undergraduate Academic Advising - Student Academic Success

Stephen F. Austin State University • Main Campus, TX

6d

About The Position

This managerial position provides leadership, administration, and strategic direction for university undergraduate academic advising. The Director oversees professional advising personnel and establishes consistent advising policies, training, assessment, service standards, and operational practices. The role works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for initiative and independent judgment, and reports to the Associate Provost for Student Academic Success.

The Director leads university-wide advising operations and initiatives that advance student persistence, retention, academic progress, and degree completion. Responsibilities include managing and developing advising staff; coordinating with academic and student-support partners; setting and evaluating policies and service standards; serving as a resource for complex advising issues; assessing advising effectiveness; analyzing data; optimizing advising technologies; and managing assigned operational and financial resources. The position may also participate in university events and other institutional programs. This is a security-sensitive position subject to a criminal record check and an IT-sensitive position subject to the university's Computer and Network Security policy.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in student affairs, counseling, academic advising, educational leadership, or a related field.
• Five years of progressively responsible leadership in professional academic advising, including management and evaluation of advising operations and personnel; use and implementation of student information systems, degree-audit platforms, and other advising technologies; and development and application of policies, procedures, and training activities.
• Supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, university policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, statutes, regulations, codes, and standards related to the area of responsibility.
• Knowledge of student development theory, techniques, and research associated with supporting varied student populations.
• Skill in identifying complex problems, evaluating options, and implementing solutions.
• Skill in personnel resource management, including motivating, developing, and directing people and identifying suitable personnel for roles.
• Skill in developing and implementing policies, procedures, workflows, and service standards.
• Skill in collecting and analyzing complex data.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple projects while maintaining satisfactory work product.
• Ability to collaborate and build strategic relationships with colleagues, coworkers, and constituents.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in critical decisions.
• Ability to establish program goals and objectives that support the strategic plan.
• Ability to train and supervise others.
• Ability to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

• Terminal degree in student affairs, counseling, educational leadership, or a related field.
• Experience leading a university-wide or large-scale academic advising operation and utilizing advising and student-success technologies.
• Professional development or certification related to academic advising, student success, leadership, supervision, assessment, or higher education administration.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and administrative oversight for university-wide academic advising operations, including advising goals, service standards, procedures, and practices.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, supervise, coach, evaluate, and develop professional academic advising staff; manage staff distribution and operational continuity.
• Develop, implement, and maintain advisor training and professional development programs.
• Lead initiatives supporting student persistence, retention, academic progress, and degree completion, including proactive outreach, intervention, transition, and academic recovery strategies.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate advising policies, procedures, and service standards, supporting compliance with university regulations, academic requirements, and accreditation expectations.
• Serve as the primary university resource for complex advising issues and policy interpretation; coordinate resolution of concerns and facilitate exception processes.
• Build collaborative relationships with academic and administrative stakeholders to strengthen advising and advance institutional goals.
• Represent undergraduate academic advising on committees, task forces, planning groups, and strategic initiatives.
• Establish and monitor assessment measures for advising effectiveness, service delivery, advisor performance, student engagement, and outcomes; use data and feedback to support continuous improvement.
• Analyze institutional, advising, and student-success data and recommend staffing, resource allocation, communication, and process improvements.
• Lead implementation and optimization of advising technologies and student-success systems in collaboration with university stakeholders.
• Assist with budget planning and manage assigned financial and operational resources.
• May participate in university events, orientation, recruitment, registration, professional development activities, and other institutional programs.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• Complete assigned tasks safely and efficiently.

What This Job Offers

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