Distance Education Advisor (Multiple Openings)

Description

About Unity College:

For more than fifty years, Unity College has been preparing the next generation of environmental professionals and leaders to successfully face real-world challenges. With environmentally focused degrees, Unity College offers affordable and accessible degrees, certificates, and non-degree courses, through a variety of modalities including hybrid, in-person, hyflex, and online.

Our Mission:

Through the framework of sustainability science, Unity College provides a liberal arts education that emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Utilizing experiential and collaborative learning, our graduates emerge as responsible citizens, environmental stewards, and visionary leaders.

Position Overview:

The Distance Education Advisor will oversee retention, registration, academic planning, and advising for students in the Distance Education Strategic Educational Business Unit (DE SEBU). Their primary responsibility is to provide academic advising while meeting retention goals and functions as the primary contact for a set of students.

The Advisor provides student support through academic planning, communication, and outreach to students, as well as providing resources and tools for success. The Distance Education Advisor maintains accurate records and must also have knowledge of financial aid and billing processes as well as attend regular trainings. Advisors will also support the Concierge recruitment efforts as needed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Review student files to make sure that students are on track for success.
• Ensure satisfactory academic progress through graduation.
• Oversee the advising processes and register assigned students.
• Serve as the primary contact for the day-to-day relationships around retention and advising.
• Commitment to helping students achieve their academic and career goals through connecting them to appropriate campus resources as needed.
• Carry a portfolio of a minimum of 150 registered students at any one time.
• Cross-train to provide support and backfill for Distance Education Concierges during high demand periods.
• Register students for upcoming terms to ensure they stay on track for graduation.
• Reach out to students regularly through phone calls, emails, and effective technologies as part of the student support process.
• Work with Unity College student support resources on behalf of students as necessary.
• Work with Distance Education staff and leaders to develop strategies for effective advising and retention efforts.
• Create and maintain academic plans for students through graduation.
• Meet or exceed retention goals, which are set annually.
• Become knowledgeable and articulate about Unity College Distance Education, its programs, market niche, strategies, and procedures.
• Understand how to work with non-traditional and adult learners.
• Other duties as assigned.

Full job description provided at time of interview.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelors degree
• Experience in college student advising; ideally experience in advising online programs.
• Valid Maine Drivers License with a good driving record.
• Excellent initiative and organizational skills with ability to work both autonomously and in a team.
• Great time management skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability and willingness to work with students from diverse political/socioeconomic backgrounds and a wide range of physical and academic abilities.
• Good skills in word processing, spreadsheets, and computerized database systems.
• Personal commitment to the environmental focus and mission of the college.
• Ability to function effectively within a matrix organizational structure, maintaining open lines of communication while being discreet, courteous, and well poised.

Location: Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, Maine

Just a half hour from Portland, Unity College Headquarters, Unity College Distance Education, The Technical School for Environmental Professions, and the School of Environmental Business & Sustainable Ventures are based at the Pineland Farms campus. The facilities are within easy access to one of the fastest-growing cities for startups in the country.

Benefits:

Unity College offers a comprehensive and competitive compensation and benefits package for its faculty and staff. Benefits for eligible employees include:

• Paid holidays
• Paid time off
• Medical
• Dental
• Short- and Long-term disability
• Life Insurance
• Flexible work benefit eligible
• Vision
• 403B