Intermediate Specialist, Academic Advising

University of Ottawa•Ottawa, ON

1d•CA$80,942 - CA$102,245•Onsite

About The Position

The Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa is seeking an Intermediate Specialist, Academic Advising to create an outstanding student experience. This role involves providing guidance and advice on academic development, course and program selection, and planning and executing student interventions to enhance student success and retention rates. The position also contributes to building strategies and programs to increase enrollment and retention, and promotes the University, its programs, and the Faculty’s services at various events.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field
Experience in the education field or academic advising or a combination of both
Knowledge of academic programs (ex. regulations, degree requirements, prerequisites and course descriptions) at the high school, college, undergraduate and postgraduate levels
Strong knowledge of and experience revising, interpreting, communicating and applying processes, policies and methods to individual cases varying in complexity
Experience providing client service
Experience elaborating strategies and activity plans for students
Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access), word processing, Windows and Internet
Strong communication skills
Ability to solve problems, make fast decisions and negotiate with students
Organizational and analytical skills
Attention to detail and ability to work within tight deadlines
Listening skills and strong work ethics
Judgment, independence, diplomacy and discretion
Bilingual – French and English (spoken and written)

Nice To Haves

Experience in mentoring and/or coaching

Responsibilities

Assess student needs by reviewing student files to ensure identification, interpretation, analysis, and assessment of student needs support students’ goals and respect the Faculty’s processes. May consult with colleagues and/or meet with students to further explore their needs.
Establish study plans in consultation with students experiencing academic difficulties to improve their academic performance, reach their academic goals, and promote student retention.
Plan interventions by ascertaining the accuracy of diagnostic outcomes and considerations to ensure the quality of the intervention and review and revise the intervention plan to make sure that it will address the student’s needs.
Execute interventions by meeting with students experiencing academic difficulties to provide guidance by informing them and giving them advice on programs of study, program and course prerequisites, graduation requirements, departments, agencies, institutions and other on- and off-campus services. Refer students to the appropriate services (ex. tutoring services), departments or support tools when necessary.
Give advice to national and international students, student mobility, and experiential learning by counseling students to ensure full integration to their program of study as well as student life on campus. Provide guidance to students participating or interested in participating in the student mobility program by providing information on the program, course selection and equivalences, etc.
Conduct follow-ups by meeting with students, when necessary, to monitor their progress and take appropriate corrective measures as necessary to address student concerns and student retention risks.
Direct students to the appropriate authority by auditing to ascertain that students are referred to the appropriate service or resource person (ex. program supervisors, services, tutoring services, etc.), based on their needs, either self-identified or through University assessment processes.
Follow-up with students when there is a modification in course selection to ensure it meets the requirements of the identified program.
Review student requests relating to modifications to their selected program of study to explore possible options and provide guidance and advice on the selection of their academic options. Ensure that student files are analyzed according to the Faculty’s processes and that eligibility to the program of study is validated and, when eligible, finalized.
Advise students on course selection and the registration process so students can make informed decisions. Support the student’s course selection, when reasonable, by proceeding with the registration process and making sure it is completed.
Review the student list to identify students experiencing academic difficulties and/or other issues and meet with these students to determine the cause of their difficulties. Provide guidance and advice to these students based on the nature of their identified needs and difficulties and track progress with them to ensure that they persevere and achieve their educational goals. In cooperation with colleagues, proactively develop and participate in the ongoing development of guideline initiatives for student retention. Identify factors and recommend initiatives to improve student retention rate.
Follow-up with the Financial Aid and Awards Service to provide them the list of recipients. Follow-up with students by sending letters and organizing a reception to congratulate them.
Participate in graduation ceremonies to demonstrate the Faculty’s support.
Establish trust between the University and the target population by participating in recruitment activities as well as maintaining relationships with other associations. As an ambassador for the University, promote the University of Ottawa as well as its programs and services during commercial fairs and recruitment events.
Represent the faculty and the University of Ottawa during events and receptions.
Act as an expert-advisor to the university community and external partners by providing information on academic development.
Participate in mass communication initiatives aimed at the student population to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information provided.