Student Success Advisor

Douglas College

11d ago

Job
Full-time
Mid & Senior Level
People, HR & Administration
Education & Teaching
New Westminster

AI generated summary

You need a relevant degree, 4-5 years in student services, policy knowledge, tech-savviness, strong communication skills, problem-solving ability, and experience with diverse cultures.
You will resolve student issues, provide academic and financial guidance, connect students to resources, evaluate performance, and support career planning while ensuring policy compliance and confidentiality.

Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from a recognized post-secondary institution and 4 to 5 years related work experience or a combination of education and experience.
2. Minimum of 4 years of direct experience in service-centred and/or academic centred role evaluating complex student academic and financial issues; a proven ability to provide exceptional service in a fast-paced environment is required.
3. Experience with interpreting, applying and advising on policies and procedures.
4. Sound and current knowledge on best practices in enrolment or registrarial services or comparable work experience.
5. Ability to provide effective and appropriate guidance and counsel.
6. Proficiency with standard office software required.
7. Comfortable with evolving technology and processes.
8. Strong team player and adaptable to changing information.
9. Experience using a Student Information System or other enterprise database solutions/customer relationship management systems.
10. A skilled listener, with the ability to identify, respond and handle confidential and/or sensitive issues and/or material with empathy, diplomacy and discretion.
11. Must be resourceful and able to analyze problems, identify key information and issues and develop effective solutions.
12. Ability to independently exercise judgment to make decisions on matters of varying complexity.
13. Proven ability to use an inclusive approach to develop and cultivate relationships with students, faculty, staff and members of the external community.
14. Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills required.
15. Ability to multi-task, apply organizational skills to meet deadlines.
16. Demonstrated accuracy and attention to detail.
17. Ability to collaborate and share expertise within a team environment.
18. Enthusiasm and capacity for continuous learning and development.
19. Experience working with different cultures.
20. The position requires interacting with people directly for long periods of time; the ideal candidate will enjoy and have strong communication skills in interacting with all types of customers through both face to face, verbally and written.

Responsibilities

1. Investigates and resolves complex student program issues
2. Diffuses upset, angry or hostile students and provides guidance and information and refer appropriately
3. Adjudicates exceptional cases and approves monetary assistance in the form of emergency funding, which may include, but not limited to emergency loans, bursaries, grocery cards, fee deferrals, etc., for students with exceptional circumstances
4. Makes and receives referrals, when appropriate and follows up to ensure referral accuracy, as appropriate
5. Identifies students at risk or in crisis and proactively connects students with the appropriate resources and supports
6. Proactively troubleshoots student challenges, problems and issues by referring to appropriate services and holding targeted advising intervention
7. Evaluate students’ academic performance and provide appropriate advice and recommendation to Registrar about students on academic probation and their ability to continue studying at the College, and follow-up accordingly
8. Evaluates and makes recommendations to faculties, program areas and/or Registrar for academic requirement waivers for graduation
9. Advises and recommends faculties and program areas on curriculum and program requirements for government loan and student awards eligibility
10. Reviews program proposals presented to Education Council and provides feedback to faculty and program areas on policy and curriculum changes affecting students
11. Interprets and communicates policy regarding student loans, withdrawals, registration, academic requirements, etc., ensures they are applied accordingly and maintains current knowledge on College policies, procedures and curriculum requirements to ensure accurate and consistent information is provided to students
12. Develops financial strategies that incorporate College policy and support students on the various financial assistance options available in order to develop a spending plan to finance their education
13. Educates and supports students to develop a holistic view of academic and career plans in order to balance academic, professional, social and personal demands
14. Coaches students towards independence and self-direction and maintains up-to-date knowledge of best practices and current advising theories in the field
15. Assesses and interprets student’s academic and personal goals and identify appropriate programs
16. Advises, supports and counsel students on college educational policy appeals, student loan appeals and reassessments, which involves interviewing appellants to review the facts, explains the initial needs assessment to students, assesses whether the student requires additional funds, determines if any false assumptions have been made
17. Advises students on financial planning such as scholarships, bursaries, student loans, student bank loans and student lines of credit and making the maximum use of available student financial programs and other supports
18. Advises students of the academic requirements of their program of choice, which may include programs at the College or program available at other post-secondary institutions; this requires extensive knowledge of all programs offered by the College and other post-secondary institutions to assist students in determining programs that may be of interest to them, suit their talents or lead to their career goal or institution to transfer to, and research areas of change and growth in post-secondary education to ensure students are well informed about their future academic options and plan their studies at the College appropriately
19. Advises students in academic difficulty, and students on academic probations regarding college regulations on academic standing and continuance, appeal, and readmission procedures, and recommends appropriate alternatives to students in academic difficulty, including transfer courses and programs available at other post-secondary institutions; identifies methods for improvement, refers to services and courses to develop study skills, and explains and assists with withdrawals and appeals
20. Advises students with course selection to ensure they meet degree requirements and other external program eligibility regulations (ie: athletic eligibility)
21. Advises students about development of career plans in relation to their academic program and provide referrals to other appropriate units for further exploration
22. Conducts sessions to students in Student Success (STSU) courses, which may cover, but not limited to, academic program planning, developing goals short and long term goals with students, identifying opportunities to help students in becoming independent learners and being successful at the College
23. Conducts presentations, outreach activities, and develops workshops on topics relating to academic and/or financial planning and literacy on and off campus
24. Uses knowledge of systems, policies, procedures and exercises professional judgement to solve unusual or complex problems
25. Administers College and government student loan policies and procedures as relevant regarding student academic and financial situations
26. Adjudicates and/or oversees the selection of award recipients in keeping with established policies
27. Approves loan eligibility
28. Evaluates and maintains program eligibility for student loan eligibility
29. Evaluates records management policies and practices and makes recommendations for changes in including evaluating exceptional requests for records
30. Develops and implements protocols to capture and manage information about sensitive advisory interactions with students using best practices and sound knowledge of applicable privacy policy and legislation
31. Develops and interprets complex statistical and qualitative reports, and makes recommendations and presentations (e.g. related to student funding, advising services, etc.)
32. Makes recommendations to enhance overall advising practices
33. Ensures student data confidentiality and privacy according to Registrar, College and FIPPA regulations
34. Updates, safeguards, maintains student records in accordance with applicable legislation and policy
35. Designs and coordinates programs to encourage student retention and progress
36. Updates and contributes to the writing of training and procedures manuals
37. Participates in the interview process of hiring student assistants
38. Performs other duties as assigned
39. Participates as an active member on Canadian financial aid associations and help to provide professional input in development and delivery of student success (e.g. CASFAA, ASAP, NACADA, CACUSS, etc.)
40. Leads and actively participates and contributes to projects, when applicable
41. Evaluates programs and makes recommendations for improvements
42. Continuously contributes to the service values to ensure relevant, up-to-date information
43. Keeps abreast of changes and trends in employment opportunities for new graduates; this requires liaising with Career Services and academic departments and maintaining knowledge of reference and resources regarding career opportunities to ensure students are well informed about available options and skills required
44. Keeps abreast of FIPPA regulations
45. Follows best practices in advising and emerging trends that may impact advising and student retention and the means to overcome them
46. Participates in ongoing training to ensure a deep knowledge based in a wide variety of College service areas

FAQs

What are the work hours for the Student Success Advisor position?

The regular hours of work are Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.

When does the Student Success Advisor position start?

The position is available starting August 19, 2024.

Is this a full-time position?

Yes, this is a regular full-time position working 35 hours per week.

Is occasional work required outside of regular hours?

Yes, occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required depending on the Department’s need.

Where are the campuses located for this role?

The position is located at the New Westminster/Coquitlam campuses.

Will the successful candidate work at both campuses?

Yes, the successful candidate must be available for occasional work at both campuses.

What is the college's stance on work/life balance?

Douglas College is committed to supporting a healthy work/life balance for employees.

Are flexible work arrangements available for this position?

A modified/flexible schedule and/or hybrid work from home arrangement may be considered, subject to the terms of the College’s Work From Home Policy.

What type of support does the Student Success Advisor provide?

The Student Success Advisor provides guidance, development, and support to students academically and financially, helping them navigate their entire student experience.

What responsibilities does the Student Success Advisor have?

Responsibilities include academic and financial advising, administration and operations, and knowledge expertise and continuous improvement related to student success.

What qualifications are required for this role?

A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with 4 to 5 years of related work experience, or a combination of education and experience is required.

Is experience working with diverse cultures valued for this position?

Yes, experience working with different cultures is valued.

What skills are essential for the Student Success Advisor?

Strong interpersonal, communication, presentation skills, problem analysis, teamwork, multi-tasking, and attention to detail are essential for the role.

What type of advising experience is required?

A minimum of 4 years of direct experience in service-centered and/or academic-centered roles evaluating complex student academic and financial issues is required.

Will the advisor be involved in outreach activities?

Yes, the Student Success Advisor will share responsibility for outreach activities such as conducting workshops and representing the office on internal and external committees.

What type of software proficiency is required for this position?

Proficiency with standard office software and experience using a Student Information System or other enterprise database solutions/customer relationship management systems is required.

Douglas College

Do what you love. Be good at it.

Education

Industry

1970

Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

Douglas College is one of the largest degree-granting colleges in British Columbia, educating close to 25,000 students a year. With two major campuses - one in New Westminster and one in Coquitlam - directly on SkyTrain lines, Douglas is one of the most accessible post-secondary institutions in Metro Vancouver. Douglas offers the most bachelor’s degrees and post-degree programs of any college in B.C., and is noted for combining the academic foundations of a university with the career-ready skills of a college. Because of the College’s strong academic base, the majority of these for-credit courses transfer to different research universities in B.C. and across Canada, providing students with flexible pathways to reach their academic goals. Over 960 experienced, teaching-focused faculty bring both academic rigor and real-world experience to the classroom at Douglas. Outside the classroom, over 900 other employees work together to create a friendly, inspiring, supportive and respectful environment.