Full-Time/Part Time: Full-Time

Overview:

Position Summary:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Advise biology undergraduate majors assigned to the Program Advisor regarding University, College, and general education requirements as well as policies and practices relating to course scheduling, course drops, adds, major/minor declarations, initiating course substitutions/adjustments and withdrawals and process-related paperwork to make those withdrawal(s) effective. This requires latitude for unreviewed action or decision-making regarding student's academics, exercising discretion and independent judgement involving complex tasks such as granting or denying overloads and transfer course substitutions. Interpret and provide rationale for University policy, procedures, and requirements.
• Make recommendations on complex academic petitions and adjustments to student's program of study. Recognize complex and/or crisis situations to take appropriate action according to university and CLAS policies and procedures. Work with and provide developmental advising and high-touch support for a diverse group of students. Has the authority to compose and distribute professional, impactful correspondence with students and staff. Serve as a subject matter expert on degree requirements and academic policies with deep knowledge of academic course content as it relates to advising.
• Assess progress toward BS requirements, weighing acceptable substitutions, and setting those milestones in the Student Information System.
• Connect students to university resources via referrals.
• When appropriate, advise and consult the CLAS Advising Office Director of Academic Advising on student files and decisions while working closely with the Department of Biological Sciences.
• Consult with other colleges and academic departments in advising students.
• Correspond via email and phone with prospective and current students regarding academics, programs and graduation.
• Other advising-related duties as assigned by the CLAS Advising Office Director of Academic Advising.

• Work with students experiencing academic difficulties and/or changing curricular directions.
• Develop Satisfactory Academic Progress plans for students seeking additional support from the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office (FASO) and approving course plans for FASO review.
• Provide guidance for students experiencing academic and/or personal difficulties to promote retention and successful completion.

• Develop thorough an ongoing understanding of tools such as the Navigate, MyNIU/Peoplesoft, OnBase or other similar tools utilized by the NIU advising community. 
  Log comprehensive notes in the university's advising platform and maintain confidentiality and privacy as dictated by FERPA. Utilize these tools to:
  • Conduct graduation checks for assigned students. This includes assessing progress toward meeting university graduation requirements and communicating as necessary with individual students, academic departments and Registration & Records.
  • Make data-driven decisions and utilize for marketing campaigns. This includes progress report campaigns targeted at students at risk.

• Guide students into high-impact practices to enhance their coursework, engagement, and improve retention.
• Discuss and reinforce academic and major choice linkages and relationships between instructional program and occupations and careers.
• Improve student success by recommending curricular and policy changes by serving on Department of Biological Sciences Curriculum Committee.
• May pursue opportunities for further engagement within the Department of Biological Sciences by serving on committees, developing co-curricular activities, identifying scholarship award candidates or assisting with event planning as schedule allows.
• May create and conduct presentations for class sections and/or university events.

• May represent the department of college on various internal and external committees and participate in ongoing college-wide and university-wide training and share responsibilities for commencement ceremonies.

• Participate in the academic dismissal review process and in the reinstatement process. Also has authority to reverse initial decisions when appropriate.

• Participate in NIU Open House and admitted student events tied to student recruitment. Provide liaison with the Office of Admissions to aid in the recruiting prospective students. Review prospective students who request petition review.  

Specialty Factors (Civil Service):

Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service):

• Bachelor's degree with 4 years of academic advising related experience in higher education or related experience to the hiring unit OR Master's degree with 3 years of professional experience in higher education, leadership, student personnel, academic advising
• Demonstrated experience using student information systems such as PeopleSoft or Banner or advising and student retention platforms such as Navigate.
• Demonstrated experience reading, understanding, interpreting and acting upon higher education curriculum outlined in a college, university or community college catalog.

Minimum Required Qualifications (SPS):

Salary: $50,000-$52,000/annual

Application Procedure:

1. Fully complete the Education and Work History sections of the application. Be specific on your entire work history, including employment dates and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position; however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience. Important: Please upload any unofficial transcript(s) and/or documentation that verifies any education, experience, and/or training you have received.
   • If eligible for Veteran's Preference Points, DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256 paperwork reflecting an Honorable Discharge MUST be uploaded to this application to receive the maximum eligible points on the Civil Service examination.

2. After the posting has closed, your submission will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the classification, including any specialty factors associated with this position. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, you will receive a score based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register.
3. Please monitor your e-mail for further information regarding your application. Emails will be generated from jobs@niu.edu and CivilServiceTesting@niu.edu. Please add these emails to your address book to ensure timely delivery of any future communication.
4. Illinois residency required within 180 days of the hire date.

• The examination for this position is a Credentials Assessment and is based on your application materials as submitted for this posting. A Credential Assessment is a rating by the Human Resources Office of an applicant's/employee's education, experience, and special credentials/qualifications (licenses, etc.). Applicants are required to upload documentation to verify the minimum qualifications for this position has been met.
• Required documentation noted in the posting, such as a driver's license, licensures, or certifications MUST be uploaded with your application materials.
• After assessment of all qualified applicants has been completed for this position, the names with the top three (3) scores will be referred to the hiring department for interview.

• Click on Program/Student Advisor for more information including salary ranges, typical duties, minimum acceptable qualifications, and testing requirements.
• Please click on Human Resource Services – Benefits for detailed information about Northern Illinois University's benefits package.
• Employment is contingent upon your passing a criminal background investigation. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

EEO Statement Summary:

About Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University's vision is to be an engine for innovation to advance social mobility; promote personal, professional and intellectual growth; and transform the world through research, artistry, teaching and outreach.The mission of Northern Illinois University is to empower students through educational excellence and experiential learning as we pursue knowledge, share our research and artistry, and engage communities for the benefit of the region, state, nation and world.

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