Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade: 14

The base salary will be $67,680 - $96,590 per annum. Starting salary will be aligned with the successful candidate's experience, skills, and demonstrated qualifications.

Responsibilities

The Academic Advisor provides academic advising services and support to undergraduate students within the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. The role provides sound and consistent support to students virtually, by email, telephone and in-person for both one-on-one and group sessions and offers referrals to relevant university services, when necessary, as part of a holistic response to students at risk. The Academic Advisor assists students in achieving their degree objectives by providing academic advice, support for program planning and course selection, and by adjudicating students for admission, progression and graduation. The role interprets and accurately administers University and Faculty regulations, waiving such regulations if warranted. The Academic Advisor contributes to the development of academic programs within their assigned scope and ensures programs are accurately represented in university publications.

The Advisor also plays a key role in student retention, persistence, and success. The Advisor provides ongoing advice and problem-solving to address barriers to success and provides support, helping students navigate non-academic difficulties within their experiences.

Qualifications

Education:

• Undergraduate Degree in a relevant discipline
• Mental Health First Aid and Safe Talk training preferred
• Courses and/or training related to equity, diversity and inclusion would be an asset

Experience:

• 3 years' experience in an academic advising or student affairs environment
• Relevant experience working with sensitive and confidential information
• Previous experience working with an undergraduate student population in a post-secondary educational setting preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of courses, programs and policies related to the Faculty preferred
• Familiarity with University policies, procedures and resources would be an asset
• Knowledge of, and ability to manage, social media platforms, communication and engagement strategies for student populations
• Discretion, tact, compassion, and maturity to deal with highly confidential and potentially emotional or distressing subjects or issues and the ability to ensure confidentiality and privacy is maintained through the appropriate retention and destruction of information
• Ability to act on new information and effectively contribute in a changing environment
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one's own unit
• Communication skills to listen to the complete message, solicit more information as required, and give feedback on the message received, as well as to translate information into easily understood terms, summarize information, and provide a rationale for action
• Ability to effectively present information, and conduct training sessions and workshops
• Ability to apply critical thinking to evaluate information and make appropriate decisions or recommendations
• Capacity and compassion to understand and respect equity issues including but not limited to cultural and gender issues and apply this to daily work and to consider issues from the perspective of others
• Ability to be objective and to fairly evaluate situations and make ethical decisions taking all components into account
• Detail-oriented with an ability to function and process information with high levels of accuracy
• Commitment to ongoing professional development with a desire to take on new challenges
• Ability to multi-task and maintain an organized and effective personal work environment
• Ability to work within a flexible schedule to accommodate the University's events and activities
• Intermediate computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite with the ability to learn and use new software programs
• Interpersonal skills to liaise with prospective and current students, staff, faculty and other members of the Western community
• Judgement, analytical and problem-solving skills with a consultative and collaborate approach to addressing issues and opportunities

Please Note:

This position is an existing vacancy. This position is fully in-person, on-site. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.