Doctoral Program Academic Advisor

Job Summary:

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs is accepting applications for a highly skilled and experienced Academic Advisor to support our Doctoral Program. We are seeking a compassionate and student-centered academic advisor to join our team. The successful candidate will guide and support doctoral students during their academic journey, helping them succeed in the program and their chosen concentration area.

The Wilder School's mission is to:

• Engage, teach and inspire students and leaders to understand and solve challenges in our world.
• Advance research that informs public policy and decision-making to improve our communities.
• Collaborate with communities through innovative partnerships to enhance the quality of life.

The Wilder School's vision is to be the premier resource for public policy expertise and social equity in public safety, governance, and economic and community development. The 2024 U.S. News and World Report rankings confirm the Wilder School among the top 15% of graduate schools of public affairs at No. 39 and tied for No.1 in Virginia. The School is also ranked No. 19 in Social Policy, No. 28 in Urban Policy, and No. 33 in Public Management and Leadership. The Wilder School has over 1,500 students and more than 11,000 alumni, with an established environment where diverse perspectives thrive and where a common interest in public service and the betterment of society unites these perspectives together. Our academic excellence attracts the highest quality faculty, staff, and students, and our graduates are leaders in their professions.

Our location in Richmond, the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, combined with our proximity to Washington, DC, provides numerous opportunities for engaged scholarship, teaching and community engagement activities. A creative, interdisciplinary School with both academic programs and training/research centers in the social sciences and professional arenas, we reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, providing students and faculty with the knowledge, skills, opportunities, and experience necessary for success.

For additional information about the Wilder School, please visit our website at https://wilder.vcu.edu/ .

Position Responsibilities:

The Academic Advisor will be responsible for the following:
Provide students with guidance on the doctoral program, Wilder School, and university procedures related to completing their doctoral education. Work with doctoral students and faculty from recruitment through graduation to ensure academic success. Maintain ongoing accurate records and data for doctoral student files; monitor student progress throughout their studies; and ensure that students are certified for graduation in a timely manner. Develop, interpret, document, implement, assess, and apply University, State, Federal, and School policies and procedures in order to ensure the most efficient, timely, and cost-effective delivery of doctoral student support services.

This position will perform academic course corrections/changes and certain student actions without supervision based on preset standards; work with students to ensure they are registered for the appropriate courses and credits; perform an audit of all student records in Banner and DegreeWorks each semester to ensure that they are registered for the appropriate courses and credits; manage and maintain all student records, ensuring they are accurate and up-to-date; assist with scheduling proposal and dissertation defenses; process all doctoral DocuSign forms; implement all Graduate School procedures; keep track of student compliance with continuous enrollment and leaves of absence; and manage distribution of the Core Qualifying Exam process.

In addition to advising duties, the Doctoral Academic Advisor will work closely with the Ph.D. Director and Assistant Director with other enrollment initiatives; develop, implement, and evaluate strategies in alignment with the school's retention and recruitment goals.

Requirements/Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher in counseling or a related field or an equivalent combination of
  education, experience, and training.
• Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated experience providing academic advising in a college or university setting.
• Demonstrated excellence in oral and written communication skills as well as customer service; must be detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment.
• Strong computer skills with proficiency in MS Office Suite and Google's cloud collaboration services.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively.
• Excellent writing, analytical, problem-solving, and public speaking skills.
• Demonstrated experience working autonomously with minimal supervision.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience advising graduate students.
• Demonstrated experience using Degree Works, Banner, and Navigate.
• Demonstrated ability to manage academic processes within and across academic units.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting graduate students.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a large volume of administrative work.

Typical Physical and Cognitive Requirements:

Physical Demands and Activities (Essential):
Light lifting ( Pushing/pulling
Standing
Sitting

Emotional Demands (Essential):
Fast pace/Average pace
Multiple stimuli
Frequent change
Intense customer interaction

Mental/Sensory Demands (Essential):
Memory
Reading
Reasoning
Hearing
Logic
Analyzing
Verbal communication
Written Communication

Application Instructions:

All applications should include a cover letter and a detailed resume with the names and contact information of three professional references.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled, with priority review beginning August 28, 2024.

"Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability".