Academic Advisor & Data Assessment Specialist

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 & Data Assessment Specialist is a part-time 100% remote position. Their primary responsibilities will include supporting transfer and adult learners transition to Simmons, may have a caseload of undeclared upper level students, being on the Starfish team, and running reports/pulling data on student enrollment/retention initiatives.  This role is part of a professional advising team and will assist with student outreach, tracking student retention, as well as communicate regularly with faculty, students and staff while staying up to date with best practices.   

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

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

• Advise a caseload of undergraduate students while focusing on supporting transfer students, adult learners, and undeclared upper level students 

• Utilize Starfish early alert system and Workday regularly when advising, tracking students, training community members, distributing progress surveys, and pulling reports while being a member of the Starfish team 

• Prepare advising enrollment data for the Enrollment Management Council (EMC) and represent Undergraduate Advising on EMC with the Assistant Dean 

• Utilise Workday, Excel and Qualtrix to run reports, pull data and create/update registration/advising focused dashboards

• Update advisor assignments in Workday as well as collaborate with the Assistant Dean to do new student advisor assignments while managing/updating the master spreadsheet 

• Manage the placement system for math and language in collaboration with faculty  

• 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 

• 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, over the phone or via Zoom throughout the year, through scheduled 1-on-1 appointments, group advising sessions, drop-in advising, and/or open office hour;

 OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist with data collection and reporting for the office/division. 

• Collaborate with the Provost Office and Institutional Research on special projects as needed 

• 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

• Remote 

• 12 months position

• 19-20 Hours / week 

• Environment, such as the remote  

• 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

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.