Executive Director of Academic Advising
Ball State University
Muncie, IN
Job posting number: #7293856 (Ref:BSU45721)
Posted: November 16, 2024
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Job Description
Reporting to the Associate Dean of University College, the Executive Director of Academic Advising will execute the strategic direction of a holistic and centralized professional academic advising unit. The position supervises 14 direct reports and coordinates equity-based programs and services with an emphasis on student care, persistence, and graduation. The Executive Director will execute a data informed model for innovative and consistent engagement of undergraduate students, including prioritization of high-support and other unique populations. The incumbent will maintain a culture of proactive advising and holistic student success for an advising unit comprised of more than forty professional academic advisors and advising leadership. The Executive Director will partner with academic colleges and other campus partners to strategize advising practices for meeting students where they are and removing obstacles for persistence and student success.
Are you a visionary leader passionate about student success and transformative advising? Join our institution as the Executive Director of Academic Advising and lead a dynamic team in creating an inclusive, supportive, and outcomes-driven advising environment. In this role, you will be at the forefront of shaping a cohesive and comprehensive advising strategy that enhances student retention, persistence, and graduation rates.
As Executive Director, you will oversee the development and implementation of high-impact pro-active advising practices, including data-informed decision-making, academic planning, and proactive student support interventions. You will collaborate with academic and administrative leaders across campus to align advising initiatives with institutional goals, ensuring every student receives personalized guidance on their academic journey.
The ideal candidate will bring:
- Proven experience in academic advising or student services leadership
- A commitment to supporting a diverse student population
- Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills
- The ability to foster a student-centered culture of care and support
- Strong interpersonal, organization, and communication skills
If you are ready to make a significant impact on the lives of students, faculty, and staff, and have a track record of building and leading high-performing teams, we invite you to apply to be part of our mission-driven community.
Join us in supporting students to achieve their academic, personal, and career goals.
The salary range for this opportunity is $76,400 - $90,000.
The salary range for this opportunity is $76,400 - $90,000.
Job Function:
Reporting to the Associate Dean of University College, the Executive Director of Academic Advising will execute the strategic direction of a holistic and centralized professional academic advising unit. The position supervises 14 direct reports and coordinates equity-based programs and services with an emphasis on student care, persistence, and graduation. The Executive Director will execute a data informed model for innovative and consistent engagement of undergraduate students, including prioritization of high-support and other unique populations. The incumbent will maintain a culture of proactive advising and holistic student success for an advising unit comprised of more than forty professional academic advisors and advising leadership. The Executive Director will partner with academic colleges and other campus partners to strategize advising practices for meeting students where they are and removing obstacles for persistence and student success.
Minimum Education:
Master’s degree in relevant field from an accredited institution.
Preferred Education:
Doctorate or terminal degreed from an accredited institution.
Minimum Experience:
- Five years of experience in academic advising, student services, counseling, or related field in higher education.
- Experience supervising professional academic advisors.
- Experience engaging in a proactive advising approach.
Preferred Experience:
- 5 years of experience as a director or Associate Director of Advising.
- Demonstrated experience with student success platforms such as EAB Navigate.
- Experience with Canvas Learning Management System.
- Experience developing strategic partnerships that support interdisciplinary approaches to student success.
- Experience working in a centralized advising model.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Ensure a consistent approach to academic advising that fosters a common student experience for advising that includes University College advising staff and other campus partners (e.g., Honors College, DoSL, etc.).
- Utilize macro and close to practice data to inform advising strategies.
- Coordinate Indiana Common Core certificate.
- Strategize a model for monitoring registration, persistence, and stop-out data, and engaging students as appropriate to support retention, persistence, and completion.
- Develop a comprehensive and strategic approach to communication with students, faculty, and staff regarding advising programs and initiatives.
- Collaborate with University College leadership to formulate assessment and continuous improvement within academic advising.
- Under the guidance of the Vice Provost for Student Success and Dean of University College and in collaboration with the Associate Dean of University College, establish strategic direction for centralized proactive advising and strategic case management.
- Provide day-to-day supervision of the Associate Director and Assistant Directors of Academic Advising ensuring a consistent approach to advising across all areas of the College.
- Work closely with the Associate Dean to advance university priorities for improving student persistence and graduation.
- Strategically collaborate and communicate with university partners (e.g., department chairs, the Registrar, student affairs, etc.) to ensure smooth and functional advising services (e.g., advising and registration, transfer credit and graduation verification procedures, degree planning, etc.).
- Maintain integration of proactive advising best practices and ensure the proliferation of those practices across academic advising.
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive onboarding and training model for new advising staff that includes professional mentoring of new advising staff members.
- Provide feedback to University College leadership and Institutional Technology for improving functions EAB Navigate advising platforms.
- Maintain a positive culture within the advising unit that fosters a sense of belonging and positive morale.
- Engage in professional development and consistently provide professional development opportunities for academic advising unit.
- Serve on committees and special assignments as appropriate.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
- Ensure upward communication with Vice Provost & Dean and Associate Dean regarding the needs of advising staff.
At Ball State University, we recognize inclusive excellence as an integral endeavor to fulfill our University’s mission and our strategic plan. We recruit, support, and retain a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. We encourage and reward diversity of thought. We promote a work environment that encourages and rewards innovation and creativity. We pledge to keep Inclusive Excellence at the highest level of institutional importance and as a foundation in all that we strive to do. Our over-arching goal for Inclusive Excellence is to adopt a university-wide Inclusive Excellence approach to academic, administrative support, and service functions of the university. We believe Inclusive Excellence must be infused in every step we take.
