Senior Academic Advisor, Doctoral Student Services and Advising

Summary:

The VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs invites applications for a Senior Academic Advisor, Doctoral Student Services and Advising . Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Student Services, and maintaining a dotted line relationship with the Director of the Public Policy and Administration program, this position will offer guidance to doctoral students on academic programs and university procedures and documents related to completing their doctoral education. Additionally, the role will involve responsibilities for student recruitment, including outreach efforts, participation in recruitment events, and collaboration with faculty to attract prospective doctoral candidates.

The Senior Academic Advisor will work with doctoral students and faculty from recruitment through graduation to ensure academic success. This includes developing, interpreting, documenting, implementing, assessing, and applying University, State, Federal, and School policies and procedures to deliver efficient, timely, and cost-effective support services. The position will also involve monitoring graduate teaching assistants, ensuring they receive a range of training to prepare them for their roles, including pedagogical training, curriculum familiarization, assessment and grading, communication skills and diversity and inclusion.

Key responsibilities include maintaining accurate records and data for doctoral student files, monitoring student progress throughout their studies, and ensuring timely certification for graduation. As a senior position, it will also provide leadership and guidance to support staff.

This position opportunity is only open to current VCU employees.

The 2025 U.S. News and World Report rankings confirm the Wilder School among the top 15% of graduate schools of public affairs at No. 36 and tied for No.1 in Virginia. The School is also ranked No. 6 in Homeland Security Programs, and No. 33 in Public Management and Leadership. The Wilder School has over 1,400 students and more than 12,000 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/ .

Typical Duties

The Senior Academic Advisor will assist faculty, staff, and students by utilizing Ellucian and our own electronic databases to research student records and to initiate and carry out student actions; perform academic course corrections/changes and certain student actions without supervision based on preset standards; work with students to ensure that they are registered for the appropriate courses and credits, and 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. The position will also manage and maintain student records, ensuring they are accurate and up-to-date. In addition to advising duties, the Senior Academic Advisor will work closely with Assistant Dean of Student Services and the Director of the Public Policy and Administration in recruitment, retention, and other enrollment initiatives; develop, implement, and evaluate strategies in alignment with the school's retention and recruitment goals.

• Provide academic advising services to assigned students (30%)

o Advise students regarding departmental, collegiate, and University policies and

procedures; programs of study; and the development of appropriate academic plans.

o Assist adult learner students with problem-solving and decision-making.

o Proactively communicate to students to assist with registration and program planning,

inform of policy and/or curricular changes and important deadlines.

o Offer in-person appointments, phone appointments, and email advising; be available

for walk-in advising.

o Assist students in identifying their interests, abilities, and academic goals and in making

decisions regarding their academic career.

o Introduce students to opportunities that will enrich their academic experience, facilitate

their academic and personal development, and support their educational success.

o Make appropriate referrals to other university resources.

• Collaborate with university partners on matters that impact student recruitment, success, and

retention (20%)

o Participate in recruitment activities, programs, and initiatives.

o Provide advising information to prospective students.

o Provide advising services to students during new student orientation.

o Support departmental, school, and University retention initiatives.

o Contact continuing students who do not register for classes.

o Work with students to create academic performance plans to ensure the student regains good academic standing.

• Maintain accurate and confidential records of student information, including advising

interactions (40%)

o Document all advising interactions with doctoral students.

o Maintain confidential records on doctoral students and adhere to FERPA rules for the release of student information.

o Ensure doctoral student records are accurate and up-to-date through regular auditing and submitting Special Action Forms (SAFs) as needed.

• Monitor student progression in degree program using advising checkpoints (5%)

o Use DegreeWorks and internal auditing process to determine doctoral student's progress in completing degree requirements.

o Ensure doctoral students are in compliance with the continuous enrollment policy.

o Conduct final audit of doctoral student account prior to degree conferral.

• Provide leadership within the department (5%)

o Provide direction and guidance to program assistants.

o Collaborate with the Director of Public Policy and Administration to implement unit programs and initiatives (manage assessment of programming, and manage marketing and promotion).

o Lead new student orientation and graduate teaching assistant training sessions.

• Other duties as assigned.