Senior Veterans Academic and Career Advisor

Senior Veterans Academic and Career Advisor

Join our dynamic team at Waubonsee Community College, where your career can flourish. We are committed to being an exceptional employer, offering a comprehensive benefits package with generous time off, low-cost medical, dental, and vision plans, and a secure pension plan through SURS. You'll also enjoy 14 paid holidays, including winter and Thanksgiving breaks. Be part of a transformative institution, dedicated to making a positive impact in our community and the lives of our students. Your future starts here – join us today!

Sugar Grove Campus
Full-time Support Staff

Hybrid Option: Yes 

Waubonsee Community College promotes diversity in faculty, staff, and student recruitment and is committed to hiring and retaining exceptional faculty and staff who are committed to the college’s culture of collaboration, professional growth and student success.

The Senior Veterans Academic and Career Advisor reports to the Academic and Career Advising Manager.  This role is responsible for the co-management and execution of the VA benefits certification process and student outreach services. This role is the State of Illinois mandated Veteran Coordinator and will serve as the back-up School Certifying Official and maintains Waubonsee's compliance with VA regulations

Responsibilities

As the state mandated Veterans Coordinator, provides one-stop shop from academic and career advising from start to finish. This includes providing VA educational benefit information to active duty, veterans and dependents regarding college admissions, application for benefits, regulations, deadlines, supporting documents, payment processes, verifications and eligible programs. 

Maintain current knowledge with Department of Veterans' Affairs certification regulations and practices to ensure compliance for all VA Educational programs. Closely collaborate the certification of enrollment with Financial Aid as a School Certifying Official. 

Provide holistic academic and career advising services to a caseload assigned to both military and non-military affiliated students, supporting them in setting and achieving their academic and career goals through aspects of advising practices, including course selection, academic procedures and policies, choosing a major, degree pathways, university transfer planning, and career exploration.

Manage a caseload of students by conducting regular check ins and utilizing college advising technology to monitor academic progress, identify and provide intervention for students who are most at-risk for academic challenges, and celebrate achievements.

Provide timely information on military and veteran state and federal education benefits to determine coordination of benefits that align with long term academic goals. Assist with applications, establishing VA benefit accounts to access benefit information including verifying VA education benefit eligibility and transferring education benefits. offer continuing academic support for current students, coordinate college and community support resources to promote academic success, utilize case management and outreach practices to increase student retention.

Review federal and state benefit recipient schedules each semester prior to certification to ensure enrollment into correct major code and degree requirement courses, contact students for scheduling corrections as needed, track remaining degree requirements each semester, track schedule adjustments, track students not meeting SAP and perform outreach for support.

Perform official military transcript evaluations on occupation training and prior college credits to determine course articulation and fulfillment of degree requirements. Maintain military articulation database in Banner. Liaise with college departments to articulate military occupational training to match college courses.

Referral source to community resources supporting military/veterans’ students, development and implementation of programs to support military affiliated students and training for staff.

Provides updates and maintains veteran focused information and communication on college website in collaboration with Marketing and Communication.

Provide transfer advising to students interested in attending four-year colleges and universities. Use transfer articulation technology and university partnership agreements to help students optimize their course selection toward their four-year degrees. Assist the student in making contact with key staff at transfer universities, and with university and scholarship applications.

Interpret and explain placement assessment results, transfer-in credit, and prior learning assessment and other equivalencies to students (AP, etc). Advise and explain developmental course sequencing and recommends appropriate courses for students’ program of major or degree path.

Support students in the career exploration process directing them to ,  college resources. Make referrals to counselors for students requiring in-depth career planning and job search assistance.

Monitor, contact and follow-up with students in assigned caseload. Utilize college advising technology to identify and provide interventions for students who are most at risk for academic difficulty.

Sustain extensive, current knowledge of Waubonsee policies, academic and career programs, college catalogs, university transfer agreements, and support system. Assists students with resolving issues by clarifying protocols and policies, directing them to appropriate departments/personnel.

Maintains standards and expectations on thorough and timely completion of student documentation in written form and/or in technology tools. Strictly adheres to college policies and federal policies regarding students’ personal and academic information.
Perform other duties as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required psychology, education, communications or related area. Master’s degree preferred.

One – two years of experience working with military education benefits. School Certifying Official training and understanding of military culture and subcultures preferred.  Experience with case management is a plus.

Highly detailed-oriented accompanied by strong written and verbal communication skills and interpersonal skills. Ability to manage difficult conversations and provide feedback to explain reasons, policies and/or resolution.  Bilingual (Spanish/English) fluency is a plus.

Excellent organizational skills demonstrating ability to meet strict deadlines and prioritize multi-projects and tasks.  

Strong technological skills including but not limited to college advising tools and platforms and enterprise-wide systems and degree audit software.

Must be willing and available to work at more than one campus, work a maximum of two evenings per week (typically one evening per week) and up to four Saturdays per year.

Please attach the following documents when applying:

1. Cover Letter-Yes
2. Resume-Yes
3. References-Yes (Can be provided at interview)
   
4. Transcripts-Yes (Can be provided at interview)
   

Special Instructions: Please attach all required documents at time of application.

EOE, including disability and veteran