ABOUT SIMMONS

Located in Boston’s historic Fenway area, Simmons University has a strong tradition of empowering women and challenging traditional gender roles. Simmons was founded for equality 125 years ago as one of the first higher education institutions dedicated to helping women become leaders. Today, our university continues to grow and evolve and now offers Boston’s only women’s undergraduate program and graduate programs open to all.

You’re joining our community at an especially exciting time as we continue to innovate for the future. Simmons recently launched a six-school academic structure that leverages our expert faculty and longstanding expertise in professions that make our communities stronger. In addition, we continue to highlight our high-value education proposition that is delivering greater ROI to students and putting them on the fast track to career growth and success. You’ll find that people who work here truly believe in our mission of preparing students to become social justice-oriented leaders who excel in their professions and their communities. This commitment and pride make for a dynamic workplace.

As a university that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices–at all levels, for all positions–ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.

JOB SUMMARY

The Academic Advisor primary responsibilities will include manage a caseload of undeclared students, first-year nursing students, pre-health/STEM students, collaborate closely with the School of Nursing, be a secondary advisor to student athletes, collaborate closely with Athletics, and represent Undergraduate Advising on the Administrative Board. This hybrid role is part of a professional advising team and will assist with student outreach, tracking student retention, facilitating workshops, assisting with special events (orientation, major fair, etc.), communicate regularly with faculty, and stay up to date with best practices.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

The Advisor will manage a caseload of about 150-200 undergraduate students primarily but not limited to first-year nursing students, pre-health/STEM students, and upper level undeclared students which includes support with course selection, major exploration, processes related to academic policies, transition to Simmons, support resources, grade tracking, etc.
Secondary advisor to undergraduate student athletes, collaborate closely with Athletics staff, and perform success workshops for sports teams, attend coaches meetings, and do outreach to academically at risk student athletes
Monitor and advise students to ensure satisfactory grades and GPA requirements, students understand academic policies, as well as course planning/registration;
Be available to meet with any undergraduate students in person, over the phone, or virtually via Zoom throughout the year, through scheduled 1-on-1 appointments, group advising sessions, drop-in advising, and/or open office hour;
Assist with weekly drop-in advising and special advising related programming/events such as orientation, major fair, academic success workshops, admitted student days, open house, pre-health workshops, tabling, registration week, etc.
Represent Advising on the Administrative Board committee, execute the notification process of decision letters from the end of semester academic review, and be a resource to the campus community on the petition process
Utilize Starfish early alert system and Workday regularly when advising, tracking students, and pulling reports
Manage the office social media platforms alongside student workers
Stay abreast of changing institutional information including new programs, course changes, important dates, costs, and updates in university-wide initiatives and policies;
Collaborate closely with faculty, staff, students, and campus leadership to support/advocate for students and represent the office

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Assist with data collection and reporting for the office/division.
Attend staff meetings and represent the office on University committees or assist with key initiatives as needed
Assist with monitoring the office email inbox
Attend weekly staff meetings and scheduled the Community of Practice (COP) for PLAN Advisors
Other duties assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree required with at least 1-2 years of related work experience
Experience in assessment, reporting, and advanced Excel skills in advising or related fields.
Experience in connecting and building rapport with students;
Experience working collaboratively with faculty and academic leadership.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Masters degree preferred
Two or more years of professional experience in higher education is a plus
Prior experience working with high achieving students
Experience using Starfish, Workday, Google, and Moodle
Ability to successfully resolve student issues from request through resolution

COMPETENCIES

Applies effective problem-solving skills to support students by identifying academic challenges, evaluating options, and developing personalized strategies that promote student success and retention
Leverage analytical and strategic competencies to assess complex situations, identify key trends, and implement effective solutions that drive long-term success."
Deliver exceptional customer service by actively listening, resolving issues efficiently, and ensuring a positive and professional experience.
Excellent Communication (Written, Verbal, Presentation)
Commitment to Inclusive Excellence and Social Justice
Effective teamwork to support and achieve shared goals.
Demonstrated leadership that motivates team members and fosters a positive and productive work environment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Hybrid eligibility
12 months position
40 Hours / week
Environment, such as the office or remote (hybrid role).
Exposures encountered, such as hazardous materials, loud noise, or extreme heat/cold.
Essential physical requirements, such as climbing, standing, stooping, or typing.
Physical effort/lifting, such as sedentary - up to 10 pounds; light - up to 20 pounds; medium - up to 50 pounds; heavy - over 50 pounds.
Indicate if required to work weekends, nights, or be on-call as a regular part of the job.
Travel requirements.
Emergency staff designations

Salary Grade

S05

Instructions to Applicants: Please upload all applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv, cover letter, writing sample, teaching philosophy, etc.) in the Application Materials box on page 2 ("My Experience") of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).

Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual’s community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices–at all levels, for all positions–ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.