The Academic Advising Department serves to guide, encourage, and inform students of recommended academic options to progress through their academic programs at American Public University System (APUS). Academic advisors interact with students through a variety of remote means - email, phone, chat, and others.
Professional academic advisors, who form the majority of the APUS academic advising department, are critical-thinking professionals who use communication and analytical skills to guide, influence and encourage students through their academic journeys at APUS. Advisors are quick-thinking multitaskers who must excel in a variety of roles on a daily basis -cheerleader, diplomat, clerical specialist, subject matter expert, and above all, effective communicator. The incumbent requires a daily willingness to review students' individual situations to determine optimal solutions and to adjudicate student's requests to waive policy. This requires the advisor to have the ability to counsel students against a particular course of action, even if doing so will not always be well received by the student.
Advisors participate within the University and across industry in multiple ways (e.g., committees, technical task forces, authors and presenters for the national academic advising association [NACADA]). APUS encourages professional development and continuing education for all advising staff.
Essential Functions: - Initiates proactive advising outreaches based on the needs of the department. These outreaches will be done through phone calls to specialized populations of students.
- Responds to student communication concerning academic advising, academic programs, APUS policies, campus and form navigation, and other student questions.
- Reviews degree change requests from students to assess credit impact, time to completion, student planning, and other relevant factors to determine and advise a recommended path in each case.
- Utilizes different academic advising strategies as appropriate, to include inquisitive, appreciative, development, and prescriptive advising.
- Communicated with students remotely, primarily via phone, chat, and email, at any point during their enrollment cycle at APUS.
- Documents all student interactions.
- Keeps supervisor and peers abreast of notable trends in student behavior, in order to assess and design targeted outreach initiatives or changes to current processes as needed.
- Organizes, conducts, and assesses group advising sessions and other student outreach opportunities with specific student populations.
- Maintains knowledge of and provide advising for distinct populations or programs, to include but not limited to: momentum (competency-based) programs; transportation security administration (TSA), and wal-mart students.
- Interacts with other University departments on behalf of students.
- Continuously engages in professional development activities as needed.
- Participation in department committees, task forces, university organizations, or industry organizations (NACADA).
- Effectively build relationships with prospective, current, and/or returning students by representing the university through email, chat, phone, clearpath, representative landing pages, live webinars, training videos, recruitment/welcome videos, social media, and/or other means of communication.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Work Environment and Physical Demands: - Required to work non-traditional hours: Monday - Friday, 12:30- 9:00 p.m. ET.
- Requires high speed Internet connection, a dedicated work space within place of residence, and the capability to telecommute as directed by management.
- Must be able to work from the Manassas, VA office when required (2-3 times per month at minimum).
Required Skills: - Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Excellent student and customer service skills.
- Effective interpersonal skills - influencing, persuasion, and listening skills.
- Understanding of student development theory.
- Ability to effectively advise in ambiguous and unstructured scenarios.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines with minimal supervision.
- Rational and objective decision making.
- Ability to navigate multiple systems and adjust quickly to ongoing technology changes.
