Director of Academic Advising

Grade 8

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The Academic Advising team which falls under the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago includes the Associate Dean, Director, full-time Academic Advisors, part-time Faculty Advisors, the First Gen Fellows Program, and a Student Success and Completion Specialist. The primary goal of the advising team is to assist students in a holistic manner throughout their time at SAIC. Academic Advising provides students with ongoing partnership, support, and advocacy as they navigate SAIC’s interdisciplinary curriculum, manage course concerns, and address personal concerns that may potentially impact academic success.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Assist the Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Academic Advising in managing the Academic Advising program including, but not limited to the following key pieces:

• Hire, train, and supervise the full time Academic Advisors and Senior Academic Advisor;


• Partner with the Associate Dean to run twice weekly staff meetings and other ongoing staff development and enrichment such as trainings and workshops;


• Oversee and manage the Undergraduate Academic Standing process for degree seeking students each semester;


• Serve as the App Administrator for EAB Navigate, SAIC’s Student Success Management system;


• Serve on the Dean on Call rotation which provides 24/7 support to urgent student concerns and manage ongoing follow up and work with students managing higher level concerns;


• Advise degree-seeking students regarding course options, degree requirements, career counseling, school policies, personal concerns, and other issues related to the educational process;


• Manage student issues and crises.

¿RESPONSIBILITES

• Management of Academic Advising - Collaborate with the Associate Dean to manage, assess, and develop the comprehensive academic advising program at SAIC; ensure consistent and best advising practices.

• Supervision – Supervise, select, train, and develop the full-time Academic Advisor staff. Foster on-going professional development and training for advising staff regarding: student concerns and crises, academic policies and procedures, degree requirements, additional SAIC requirements, and best practices within the field.

• Integrated Advising – Lead all efforts related to Integrated Advising, where Academic Advisors partner with faculty and staff in the classroom and are embedded in the first semester Research Studio.

• Academic Advising - Provide academic advising to degree-seeking students through one-on-one meetings and group presentations and/or meetings, working proactively with a specific advising load of students.

• Student Issues and Crisis Management - Work with student issues and crises impacting both on and off-campus students.

• Dean on Call/Student Issues and Crisis Management - As part of case/care management responsibilities, manage and follow up on crises impacting both on and off-campus students. Liaison with faculty, staff, parents and other related constituencies to support students and facilitate the resolution of crises. Be available on evenings and weekends. Serve in the Dean-on-Call rotation to provide 24-hour support for staff and students. Serve as the Daytime-Dean-on-Call apx. one day per work week to respond to urgent issues that may arise during the day.

• Navigate Administrator - Navigate is a student engagement platform that allows students to make appointments with Academic Advisors, Student Financial Services, the Writing Center, and the library. It is also the primary way that Advisors can view the most holistic picture of a student’s academic progress as well as the place advisors track their work with students.

• Retention and Student Success - Assist in the development of a plan to improve student success. Participate in intervention for at-risk students and retention outreach; assist with student issues as appropriate; take the lead on the development of an academic recovery program.

• Programming and Collaboration - Collaborate with the Associate Dean to develop outreach events and programs related to Academic Advising. Collaborate with the Associate Dean to develop training and information sessions for departments related to Academic Advising. Represent academic advising at various admissions and orientation events throughout the year.
  

• Communication - Maintain regular contact with appropriate resources to ensure the effective operation of Academic Advising. Communicate student issues and crises to Office of Student Affairs (OSA) staff as appropriate.

• Assessment and Learning Outcomes - Work with the Associate Dean to implement ongoing assessment of the performance of the department. Maintain departmental statistics on items such as student visits, retention outreach, etc.

• Academic Standing - Coordinate the undergraduate and graduate academic standing calculation each semester alongside a designated Academic Advisor; maintain academic holds and files of students who are on academic warning, probation, suspension, and dismissal; provide written notification to students; and develop proactive advising for this group of students.
  

• Student Success/Class Progress Reports - Review Progress Reports for all staff twice weekly to ensure appropriate outreach and follow up has occurred for these faculty notifications; Complete outreach and advising to assigned advisees receiving multiple notices; Oversee the coordination, development and assessment of the Progress Reports system including communication and training materials and presentations.

• Office of Student Affairs (OSA) Reception - Liaise with the Assistant Director of Student Affairs who supervises the Office of Student Affairs Coordinator on advisor scheduling logistics, student worker reminder phone calls during pre-registration periods, and to address other issues pertaining to the advising related issues with the reception desk.

• Technology – Support the Associate Dean in the management of academic advising office systems and the support provided for the advising staff related to technology, especially PeopleSoft, Navigate, and Power BI. Assist in the ongoing research, development, and implementation of current technological solutions for improving service and support for students.
  

• Marketing - Direct the annual marketing plan for Academic Advising, including publications, e-communication,SAIC website, and advising social media platforms.

• Policy Development, Compliance/Legal, and Regulatory Issues - Assist in the directing of policy/procedure formation and program development related to Academic Advising. Assist with maintaining compliance with federal and state laws and policies, such as FERPA, Clery and others. Consult with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs to assist in managing risk.
  

• Committee/School Involvement - Serve as a Student Affairs representative on campus committees as appropriate, including serving on the weekly Refund Review and Academic Review Boards. Assist with departmental functions such as Graduation, Campus Life events, Move-In, and Orientation. Evening and Weekend commitments should be expected.

• Other duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer;
  
• Move between SAIC buildings on campus for meetings and programs; ability to physically assist with set-up, duration, and tear down of programs such as move-in, orientation, graduation, and other large-scale events;


• Occasionally moves within advising office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.;


• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine and printer

¿FOR FULL CONSIDERATION, PLEASE SUBMIT A COVER LETTER WITH RESUME.

• Master’s degree required


• Must have a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in Student Affairs/Higher Education or similar field


• Must have experience advising students and working directly within academic advising
  
• Must have experience supervising individuals and the ability to effectively manage and supervise employees, including: organizing, prioritizing and scheduling work assignments; supervising individual employee's response to students concerns; and attending to their professional development.


• Experience in supporting students in crisis as well as experience exercising sound judgment and managing complex crisis situations.
  
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills required.
  
• Skills in working effectively with parents of students preferred.
  
• Knowledge of student development theory preferred.


• Successful candidate is likely to have computer experience with Microsoft Office, MS Excel, PeopleSoft, and Navigate or other student success platform.

We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package:

• Generous paid time off


• Paid holidays (up to 14 days)


• Medical, dental, and vision insurance


• Generous parental, caregiver, and medical leave benefits


• Competitive retirement plan (up to 9% matching contribution)


• Tuition remission and Tuition Exchange Program


• Great employee discounts


• Complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions

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The Art Institute of Chicago is an equal opportunity, equal access employer fully committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workplace.