Online Student Success Advisor

Montclair State University • Montclair, NJ

15d

About The Position

Reporting to the Director of Online Student Success, the Online Student Success Advisor plays a critical role in supporting Montclair State University’s online learners throughout their academic journey. As a frontline member of the student success team, the Online Student Success Advisor provides proactive, high-touch outreach; holistic coaching; academic advising; and guided navigation of university systems, policies, and resources. The Advisor works closely with faculty, university partners, and online program leadership to ensure students experience a seamless, supportive, and empowering path to degree completion. This role is central to building a strong sense of belonging, delivering outstanding service, and contributing to the University’s goal of becoming best-in-class in online student retention and success.

Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of three years of experience in academic advising, success coaching, counseling, student support, or related higher education work.
• Experience supporting online learners, adult learners, or diverse student populations.
• Experience using advising and student support technologies (CRM, SIS, LMS, appointment systems, contact center tools).
• Strong communication, listening, problem-solving, and customer-service skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain accurate documentation, and work both independently and collaboratively.
• Must be a team player with a growth mindset; detail-oriented and results-oriented; and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously while adapting to new challenges and learning opportunities.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with online program structures, adult learner needs, and best practices in online retention and engagement.
• Experience with Navigate, Slate, Banner, Workday, or comparable platforms.
• Understanding of strengths-based advising, intrusive advising, or academic coaching models.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary academic advisor for an assigned caseload of online learners, providing guidance on academic requirements, planning and registration, academic policies, and student success strategies.
• Engage in proactive outreach based on CRM alerts, risk indicators, and student behavior to support persistence and remove barriers to success.
• Provide coaching that builds on what students do well and helps them apply it to their study skills, time management, goal setting, work–life balance, and effective strategies for online learning.
• Support students on academic notice/warning, newly admitted online learners, transfer students, and internal transfers.
• Help students navigate university processes, including registration, financial aid, billing, and key deadlines.
• Maintain timely and active case notes and communication logs in CRM and advising systems; follow prescribed outreach, escalation, and follow-up workflows.
• Use data and dashboards to monitor student engagement, progression, and risk.
• Conduct intrusive advising outreach for students showing signs of disengagement, focusing on resolving issues early and promoting success.
• Support the implementation of lifecycle student journey maps and Montclair Online standard operating procedures.
• Refer students to appropriate university services (career advising, tutoring, mental health support, financial aid, accessibility services, etc.) and follow up to ensure resolution.
• Collaborate with program directors, faculty, and academic departments to ensure curricular accuracy and responsive learner support.
• Coordinate with campus services such as Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, IT, tutoring, writing center, Dean of Students, and others to streamline solutions for online students.
• Participate in events (virtual or in-person), including but not limited to orientations, accepted student programs, recruitment events, workshops, and student success programming.
• Contribute to presentations, online workshops, and training materials to support student preparedness and success.
• Fully utilize student success technologies, including CRM, Navigate, Banner, DegreeWorks, Canvas, Slate, and communication tools.
• Ensure accurate record-keeping and confidentiality of student data.
• Assist in collecting, analyzing, and reporting on student engagement and outcomes to inform improvements in advising and retention practices.
• Support optimization of call flows, messaging templates, and communication campaigns to enhance the learner experience.
• Stay current on best practices in online learning, adult student success, customer-service excellence, and holistic advising.
• Participate in training, team meetings, and professional development to support a culture of continuous improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Management retains the right to add or change job duties at any time.

Benefits

• The position may also be eligible for comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and tuition assistance.
• For further details, please visit: https://www.montclair.edu/human-resources/benefits/

What This Job Offers

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