Job Description

About the Position:

The Undergraduate Academic Advisor responds to general inquiries about the department's educational programs, helps current undergraduate students with education planning and decision-making, and provides transition support for the Bachelor's to Accelerated Master's (BAM) programs. Responsibilities also include helping current students understand academic policies and procedures, tracking current and prospective undergraduate, graduate, and BAM students, responding to prospective students’ questions about application procedures, and coordinating departmental recruitment efforts.

Representing the department professionally, the Academic Advisor is a resource for university and department procedures, rules, and regulations, as a troubleshooter and problem solver for all students. The Academic Advisor contributes to George Mason's goals of preparing career-ready graduates and improving graduation and retention rates.

Responsibilities:

Advises current undergraduate students in decision making and developing a plan of study consistent with students' interests, desires, and abilities;
Assists students regarding course selection, prerequisites, transfer courses, registration and overrides, career and/or educational goals and general university rules and regulations;
Coordinates processing of graduation applications; ensures that students meet departmental requirements of degree progress; acts and assists in trouble shooting and problem solving;
Assists students in establishing or clarifying appropriate educational and vocational goals, assists students with problems of social or personal nature, and assists in career decision making or making appropriate referrals;
Communicates essential academic registration information;
Acts as a liaison in communicating students concerns, problems, and issues;
Distributes information and assists in implementing and performing student support services tasks;
Assists in coordination of efforts to organize departmental functions for students, including events such as orientation or faculty-student advising meetings;
Participates in university wide programs and events related to undergraduate students such as admissions, orientation, advising, graduation, and other social and networking events;
Assists and functions as liaison between students, faculty, management, and administrative agents in understanding the programs, university rules and regulations;
Assists and performs oversight of operations related to student records, graduation, and student recruitment functions;
Generates correspondence in communicating with students, faculty, and other administrators in writing and via e-mail or other communication means in response to students and other constituent's inquiries in fostering student success as needed;
Assists with administrative tasks and assigned tasks including, but not limited to, telecom coordination, fixed assets inventory coordination, textbook ordering, classroom and conference room reservations, file creation and maintenance for all undergraduate programs, filing, and statistical reports; and
Additional duties as required.
Required Qualifications:

High school diploma or equivalent;
Some experience in higher education;
Microsoft Office, internet, and e-mail experience;
Spreadsheet and data entry experience;
Knowledge of basic word processing, spreadsheet and data entry applications;
Strong communication and organizational skills; and
Skill in usage of the multi-line telephone and copier.
Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in related field;
Strong background in higher education and/or academic advising; and
Ability to establish and maintain an effective rapport and working relationship with individuals from diverse backgrounds.