Academic Advisor (Domestic)

Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

Location: Devon House, London

Benefits: Generous benefits package including 25 days holiday allowance pro rata (excl. Bank holidays), group life assurance, group income protection, pension schemes and private healthcare (optional)

Start: 1 May 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter

The Academic Advisor (Domestic) plays a critical role in advising students who are studying at the London campus, with a particular emphasis on students starting on three/four year undergraduate double degrees programmes. This role will be responsible for ensuring that students are successfully advised and continuously supported during the duration of their programme experience. It will entail assisting students to select elective courses at each stage of their study, as well as supporting them to navigate the educational opportunities across the Northeastern Network.

The Academic Advisor (Domestic) will be responsible for helping students select from a range of potential elective courses each year, taking into account their specific interests and the requirements of their programme. They will work in close collaboration with the other Academic Advisors (both here in London and at other Northeastern Network campuses), colleagues in Student Support and Development, and faculty to ensure that students are supported through the transition to degree study and provided continual guidance on general academic issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To provide academic advice and support to the students studying on domestic programmes (NU London approved programmes), including:
  • Provide academic advising support to enrolled students to facilitate a successful learning experience.
  • Assisting students in the selection of elective courses, taking into account programme requirements, complementarity of courses, and student interests.
  • Providing one-to-one advice on general learning and academic skills, referring students to specialist services as appropriate.
  • Contacting students with low attendance, identifying any barriers to their engagement, and referring to other services if needed.
  • Contacting students at risk of academic failure, assessing needs, and supporting where appropriate and/or referring to faculty or specialist services.
  • Liaising with Student Wellbeing Coordinators in relation to students’ Learning Support Plans, to help ensure reasonable adjustments are being appropriately utilised by the student and remain appropriate for their circumstances.
  • Providing advice and guidance on College policies such as Change in Circumstances, Extenuating Circumstances, Break in Study etc.
• To coordinate students’ requests for references.
• Liaise with faculty and professional staff in London to process and advise students on academic progress reports.
• To maintain accurate records of student contacts and appointments utilising TARGETconnect.
• To build good working relationships with faculty and staff in other professional services in London in order to link students with the full range of support available.
• To maintain a good understanding of the University’s student facing policies in order to provide accurate advice
• To maintain a working knowledge of CANVAS, the virtual learning environment, CELCAT the timetabling system, TARGETconnect the student service platform, QUERCUS, and any other systems/platforms regularly used by students.
• Support the Lead Academic Advisor and the University leaders in academic articulation of integrated programmes
• Keep abreast of developments in the UK education sector, advising the leadership teams on the effect of developments on integration activities.
• To collect and maintain data and records of the programmes for statistical and evaluation purposes as directed by the Lead Academic Advisor.
• Any other duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the necessary experience and/or training and as instructed by the College.
• Work at weekends and outside of normal office hours will be required occasionally.
• Travel may be required.

Person Specification Criteria (Essential / Desirable)

• Honours degree or equivalent professional or vocational qualification (E)
• Experience with academic advising or providing academic support in higher education (E)
• Proven track record of effective and results driven problem solving and decision-making. (E)
• Significant experience working with students from a range of social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. (E)
• Good understanding of GDPR, Equality Act and other legislation relevant to student support. (E)
• In depth knowledge of the academic expectation for undergraduate students in British universities. (E)
• Experience of utilising student information systems and customer relationship management systems. (E)
• Strong communication skills. Excellent verbal and written English. (E)
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to quickly build good working relationships with students, faculty, and professional service colleagues. (E)
• Ability to organise and prioritise own workload, exercise good time-management and the ability to work to deadlines. (E)
• Ability to adapt communication style to meet the needs of the recipient (E)
• Ability to work as part of a team to deliver services and projects. (E)
• Good IT skills, using Word, Excel, email, Internet and databases (E)
• Ability to adapt and positively respond to rapid change. (E)
• Ability to occasionally work weekends and outside of normal office hours (E)
• Masters degree (D)
• Experience of working with university students (D)
• Experience living, travelling, or working abroad. (D)
• Experience of working in a fast paced and rapidly developing organisation (D)

About us

Based in the heart of London, Northeastern University London has developed a reputation for delivering an excellent university experience and has exceeded all Russell Group universities for overall student satisfaction in the UK’s National Student Survey for four consecutive years (NSS 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022).

Small by design, Northeastern University London offers a vibrant, collegiate community delivering broad and academically rigorous degree programmes, designed to equip graduates with the combination of skills and knowledge that are increasingly desired by organisations, employers and society.

Northeastern University London is part of Northeastern University’s Global Campus Network. Ranked #44 in the USA, Northeastern has campuses in Arlington, Boston, Charlotte, Miami, Oakland, San Jose, and Seattle in the USA, and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada.

Application Process

Applications should be made via the jobs.ac apply button (above) by 20:00 on 23 April 2023. Please reference your application “AAD0323”. Participation in the equal opportunities section is encouraged, but voluntary.

Applications must include a covering letter of no more than one page and a full curriculum vitae.

Applications are welcome from all sections of the community and will be judged on merit alone. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.