Academic Advisor Coordinator

The primary role of the Biology Academic Advisor Coordinator is to facilitate recruitment, retention, graduation, research experience, and future career/education development for Biology majors. This position reports to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The incumbent will work with and support the efforts of the Biology Advising Team (Director of Undergraduate Studies and co-academic advisor in Biology), academic advisors and support teams in the College of Science, the Biology Department Head, other administrative staff, and faculty to provide effective and comprehensive academic advising to undergraduate biology students to meet the Department’s goals.

Recruitment and Retention of Biology Majors (25%)

• Develop a model for recruitment of first generation and under-represented students.
• Participate in USU and Department recruitment activities (e.g., A-Day, Homecoming).
• Represent the Department at High School recruitment fairs.
• Advise admitted students regarding SOAR, registration, major requirements, and provide referrals to students interested in other programs.
• Participate in SOAR (pre-freshman advising and orientation).
• Oversee, in collaboration with the Academic Advising Team, maintenance of the undergraduate section of the Department website. Develop brochures, posters, and recruitment materials.
• Support maintenance of Biology student e-mail lists.
• Maintain e-mail and other modes of communication with Biology students.
• Support Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium events.

Advising Towards Graduation (50%)

• Implement data analytics to identify and develop proactive interventions to aid advisees in successful degree completion.
• Advise undergraduate Biology students, providing up-to-date information on major and general education and university requirements and referring students to appropriate campus resources when necessary.
• Maintain undergraduate student files and records.
• Interface with campus advisors (i.e., College of Science, USU’s Pre-health Advising) keeping current on requirements and opportunities for our majors. Be in a position to refer students interested in other programs to the appropriate department/advisor.
• Assist with assessment of undergraduate student progress and success in the Biology curriculum .
• Assist with gathering student grades for undergraduate research, teaching internship, and other undergraduate courses.
• Assist in preparation of reports and collection of data related to undergraduate student progress and success.
• Assist annually in coordination of Undergraduate Scholarship awards.
• Collaborate with the Academic Advising Team to recruit and coordinate schedules for Peer Advisors.
• Contribute to Peer Advisor training and mentorship.

Career/Education Advisement (25%)

• Provide purposeful counsel towards pursuit of career goals or application to advanced degree programs.
• Advise student throughout their degree program in optimizing their opportunities for an advanced degree.
• Help students in the development of their career choices within their major.
• Advise students on graduate program enrollment requirements and procedures.
• Help students understand the expected standards of achievement and likelihood of success in departmental areas of study.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology or closely related field, or in Academic Advising, and at least 2 years of related work experience. Alternatively, a Master’s degree in Biology or closely related field, or in Academic Advising, and less than 2 years related work experience.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Travel may be necessary for recruitment or training.
• Comply with background check requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Biology or closely related field, or Academic Advising, and related work experience.
• Research experience.
• Experience with USU Banner and DegreeWorks.
• Proven experience in data collection, report generation, and data management with a variety of software systems.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Outlook.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated capacity for exceptional customer service, time-management, and organization skills.
• Proven ability to solve problems, work well under deadlines and time constraints, manage multiple responsibilities, and take initiative.
• Ability to work in a team environment and professionally interact with diverse groups.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality, discretion, and ethics.
• Proficiency in superior verbal, written, and interpersonal communication.
• Ability to work both independently and as a team member on a variety of projects.
• Demonstrated ability with computer software.
• Understanding of developmental educational processes.

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV"
2. Transcripts to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10”
3. Name and contact information for 3 professional references to be entered into Candidate Profile
4. Cover letter including statement of academic advising interests, experience, and philosophy to be typed/pasted at the end of your application.

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes.  The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public service university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion, empowering people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. Utah State provides high-quality education to 27,500-plus students locations throughout the state, including at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utah’s counties. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price.

Utah State is committed to cultivating a community of inclusive excellence where all perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU. 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

About the Region

U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU’s main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute’s 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation. 

*updated 04/2024 

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Cody Carmichael, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

*updated 09/2023