Undergraduate Academic Affairs

February 14, 2023

Now hiring for lead academic advisor

UAA Human Resources

Title: lead academic adviser
Department/Program: UAA Advising
Location: Seattle campus
Full time/Part time: Full time
Salary/Hourly: Salary, professional staff
Service period: 12 month
Posting date: 2/8/2023
Application priority date: 3/1/2023
UWHires Req. number: 218338
Salary range: $6300-6505 / month

Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA) shapes, advances, and stewards a world-class undergraduate academic experience for students at the University of Washington. Staff, faculty and students in UAA deepen and enrich the learning experience for all undergraduates, recognizing and supporting the unique learning path of each individual student and the commitment of each academic program to excellence in learning and teaching.

Within UAA, UAA Advising contributes in significant ways to how students develop and clarify who they are as UW students, graduates, and as global citizens. Our advisers partner with students as they find their voice and fully engage in the University. Advisers guide, advocate, and partner with students to help craft successful and engaging undergraduate educational experiences. The UAA advising team helps students explore critical questions that impact their ability to navigate their college experience successfully.

UAA Advising is committed to serving all UW Seattle undergraduate students. Our primary student population consists of undergraduates not yet in majors (approximately 8,000). Our office has approximately 15,300 one-on-one contacts per year, with freshmen, sophomores and juniors accounting for about 90% of those contacts. Approximately 70% of our visits are from pre-major students and we work closely with our local community and technical colleges in Washington State to support prospective transfer students.

UAA Advising works closely with First Year Programs and Academic Support Programs to support advising and orientation programming for newly admitted students. UAA Advising collaborates extensively around campus, particularly with college and departmental advisers and student services offices. Along with Academic Support Programs, we are physically located within the Center for Undergraduate Advising, Diversity, and Student Success (CUADSS) with the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity’s Academic Counseling Services.

UAA Advising has an outstanding opportunity for a lead academic adviser to join our team in supporting our pre-major and exploratory students. We are a robust and dynamic office engaged in and leading campus conversations and initiatives surrounding the undergraduate experience. The ideal candidate will have an outstanding commitment to helping students make the most of their undergraduate careers. We are seeking a diverse candidate pool, from a range of academic and professional backgrounds.

Reporting to the associate director of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Advising, the lead academic adviser will have the following responsibilities:

Duties and responsibilities

Advise current students (60%)

Provide comprehensive, high-quality, and consistent support, guidance, and education to undergraduate students at the University of Washington. The primary populations that our office works with are:

  • First and second-year students and most pre-majors
  • Transfer students
  • Low scholarship students and those dropped from the university
  • Returning students
  • Veterans and dependents, as well as ROTC
  • Newly admitted students
  • Pre-professional students (e.g. pre-law, pre-health)

Lead area responsibility (25%)

Data Science Minor – Lead the data science minor, in consultation with the associate director, the data science minor director, the Data Science Curriculum Committee, and the eScience Institute. Support both prospective and declared Data Science minor students. Duties can include:

  • Student advising.
  • Counsel students on requirements for Data Science minor.
  • Provide support to departmental advisers regarding Data Science requirements.
  • Sign off on graduation applications for all students with a minor in Data Science.
  • Maintain Data Science minor website and communications strategy.
  • Manage student and faculty petition processes, in collaboration with the Data Science Curriculum Committee.
  • Develop and facilitate professional development opportunities for students in the minor.
  • Facilitate advising courses as needed.
  • In consultation with the direct supervisor, complete the annual work plan.
  • Produce annual lead area report.

Advise newly admitted and prospective students (10%)

In collaboration with the First Year Programs and the Office of Admissions, UAA Advising provides outreach, support and guidance to students newly admitted to and those seeking admission to the University of Washington. Duties can include:

  • Orientations.
  • Develop and deliver presentations on transitioning to the UW for new first year and transfer students.
  • Staff registration labs as needed for new students.
  • Meet one-on-one with new transfer students.
  • Develop and deliver presentations on advising and academic success to parents of new students.
  • Participate in the training of student orientation leaders.
  • Participation in Transfer Thursday events and presentations.
  • Participation in Preview Days for newly admitted students.

Campus collaborations and partnerships (5%)

  • Members of the UAA Advising team serve on and participate in a wide range of campus committees, teams, and organizations in both long and short term tenures (e.g. Academic Conduct, Hardship Withdrawal, Reinstatement, Faculty Council on Academic Standards, Adviser Education Program, Association of Professional Advisers and Counselors, Career Center, First Year Programs, Student Life, academic departments and majors, and UW Professional Health Programs). These committee assignments are based on the needs of our office and the campus community as well as the interests and strengths of the individual adviser.
  • UAA Advisers liaise with departmental advisers from around campus to maintain accurate and up to date information on majors, admission requirements, experiential learning, study abroad, and other opportunities essential to the Husky Experience.

Requirements and qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, earned from an accredited college or university.
  • At least four years of college-level academic advising and/or related higher education experience.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Additional requirements

  • Innovative and adaptable problem solver and leader.
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively with students as they develop decision-making skills.
  • Strong communication skills including written, verbal, interpersonal and presentational.
  • Comfort using and learning new technology applications.
  • Strong organizational skills including the ability to appropriately manage sensitive information.
  • Appreciation of the value of individual differences and the ability to provide an empathic and professional approach to working with students from diverse backgrounds and those with a spectrum of personal and academic challenges.
  • Excellent work ethic and commitment to team success.

Desired

  • Extensive (more than four years) academic advising experience.
  • Master’s degree.
  • Deep understanding of the history and context of the undergraduate experience, especially at large research universities.
  • Knowledge of the University of Washington’s academic procedures, policies, and administrative systems (e.g., SDB, EARS, DARS, MyPlan, etc.).
  • Demonstrated history of working with a diverse student population, including transfer students, international students, first-generation students, student-athletes, veterans and students with disabilities.

All UAA Advising Staff will demonstrate and integrate the following Undergraduate Academic Affairs competencies:

  • Accountability and integrity
  • Race, equity, and difference
  • Constituent focus
  • Collaboration and teamwork

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT

Employees of the University of Washington are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. Being fully vaccinated means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination. View the Final candidate guide to COVID-19 vaccination requirement webpage for information about the medical or religious exemption process for final candidates.

How to apply

Please visit the UAA Advising website to learn more about their programs. Interested applicants should apply to requisition #218338 on the UW employment site. The application priority date is
March 1, 2023.