Director, College Advising Center

This position is 100% on campus

Salary Range: $72,265/year or higher, commensurate with experience and/or education

JOB SUMMARY 

The Director, College Advising Center, directs the day-to-day center and staffing operations of the College Advising Center. The Director independently manages a comprehensive, proactive, and holistic academic advising and career readiness program for new, transferred, continuing, and re-admitted students to assigned caseloads.

DUTIES 

• Provides leadership to the Academic Success Coordinators in academic advising, degree progress, career readiness, and student support services
• Oversees long-range planning for the College Advising Center; develops the budgets, ensures the Center is run in a cost-efficient manner that is consistent with institutional protocols
• Leads the review and approvals of college graduation applications. Maintains continuous communication with students via email, telephone, and in person. Run communication campaigns in venues, such as EAB, and support efforts with the Early Alert and Mid-term grades for assigned caseloads
• Provides leadership of academic advising, degree progress/audits, and timely graduation of students within the respective college
• Provides student career development strategies for the Advising Center and Coordinates with UHD Career Center
• Interprets and maintains online data and resource files related to this position in the student information and advising systems
• Guides students in career exploration, networking, and job-seeking strategies and coordinates career fairs for internships and job searches. Facilitates workshops and events for assigned caseloads
• Educates students on how to use advising tools, degree audits, and course prerequisites, serves as a student advocate, and assists students by making appropriate referrals to staff in Scholarships and Financial Aid offices, Student Business Services, Learning Support, and Counseling Services, and other campus support services
• Provides qualitative and quantitative assessments of the overall effectiveness of the Advising Center
• Develops and monitors data on advising, mentoring, and degree progression to track growth
• Manages, maintains, and audits student advising records; assists students with processing paperwork and other issues
• Mentors and develops staff personally and professionally
• Supports retention and timely graduation efforts for college and UHD students
• Participates in on and off-campus recruitment and registration activities with Houston area community colleges, high schools, and community events
• Participates, attends, and assists with pre-commencement and commencement ceremonies/activities
• Collaborates and coordinates with various departments and colleges as required concerning recruitment, retention, and graduation
• Maintains a strong, positive, and collaborative relationship with the College Leadership, Enrollment Management, and Faculty
• Represents college Advising Center on university committees and at functions as necessary

MARGINAL DUTIES 

• Performs all other duties as assigned

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Direct Reports:

• Full-Time Employees

Delegation of Work:

• Regularly assigns work to subordinate(s)

Supervision Given:

• Makes final decisions on evaluating employee performance, hiring new employees, disciplinary actions, scheduling work hours, granting time off, and making recommendations on handling employee grievances and complaints

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES 

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of trends, issues, and accepted practices relevant to the position

Skills:

• The candidate exhibits strong interpersonal skills and experience working with students, parents, faculty, and staff
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to effectively communicate with internal and external constituents
• Excellent computer proficiency (MS Office Word, Excel, and Outlook)

Abilities:

• Proven ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exemplary student service
• Ability to comply with all UHD and UH System policies and procedures

WORK LOCATION AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

Primary Work Location:

• Works in an office environment or at off-campus locations for recruitment and advising events

Physical Demands:

• Work is normally performed in a typical interior work environment which does not subject the employee to any unpleasant elements
• The position is physically comfortable; the individual has discretion about walking, standing, etc
• The work environment involves minimal exposure to physical risks
• Typical work occurs during business hours Monday through Friday; however, this position may require flexible hours as needed to include evenings and weekends serving students in virtual, on-, and off-campus environments

EEO/AA

Required Education:

• Master's degree

Required Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years in academic advising or student support experience within higher education
• Management and supervision experience

License/Certification:

• None required

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• None

About University of Houston Downtown

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.

U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions:  No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. TheStockWatcher.com called UHD a “notable institution providing high-quality online MBA programs. … UHD ensures that its graduates are well-prepared to succeed in their chosen career paths.”

UHD is one of the four distinct and separate components of the University of Houston System, which also includes the University of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake, and University of Houston-Victoria. Instructional Sites operated by UHD are University of Houston-Downtown Northwest, University of Houston-Downtown at Lone Star College Kingwood, and University of Houston-Downtown at Lone Star College CyFair.

The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.

The University of Houston - Downtown is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution and recognizes protected classes of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, religion, age (40 and above), national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or status, and gender expression as required by federal law. Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.