Academic Counselor

Job Title:

Academic Counselor
- Trio

Bargaining Unit: OPAP. Grade: III. Salary:
Exempt. Final date to receive applications:
Open Until Filled. Priority Screening:
December 3, 2025
.

Student Support Services is a federally funded TRIO program that assists first generation, low‑income and disabled students to succeed in completing an associate’s degree and transferring to a four‑year college.

Reporting to the TRIO Director, the Academic Counselor provides personal, academic, transfer, and career counseling services with professionalism and knowledge of TRIO regulations.

• Serve as a key member of SUNY Ulster’s Orientation and Registration teams.
• Provide comprehensive academic advising, academic counseling, and career and transfer planning services to students on a drop‑in and appointment basis, as well as online, on the phone and at any SUNY Ulster campus site, as appropriate.
• Provide financial aid counseling, assist students with financial aid applications, guide students in maintaining financial aid eligibility, and help students with financial aid waiver appeals and securing other sources of college funding if financial aid eligibility is lost.
• Use assessment tools to help students identify their areas of strengths and weaknesses for retention purposes, and develop success plans with students that create strategies to guide them towards graduation and transfer to a four‑year college.
• Utilize record keeping systems and maintain records for federal grant projects.
• Lead efforts to ensure timely and comprehensive response to Early Warnings and other notifications of issues impacting student success issued by faculty.
• Address the unique needs in educational planning of students with no identified education goal or course of study, students enrolled in basic skills courses as well as students who are either first generation, underrepresented, disabled, and/or non‑traditional.
• Provide job search assistance including résumé, cover letter and interviewing support.
• Serve as Partner Advisor to a cohort caseload of seventy students; developing a deeper knowledge of career pathways in cohort specified; develop system for identifying and connecting with cohort students.
• Act as consultant faculty regarding student performance, retention and academic needs.
• Participate in ongoing professional development in the fields of academic advisement and educational planning, higher education student success, and cultural competency; attend conferences and training sessions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree with at least three years of counseling experience and/or at least three years of experience working in a post‑secondary environment.

• Commitment to community college goals and objectives of providing quality programs and services for culturally, socio‑economically, ethnically, and academically diverse students and students with disabilities; personal qualities to work effectively and with sensitivity in a multicultural environment; awareness of and commitment to the needs of non‑traditional and/or re‑entry students with diverse abilities and interests.

• Knowledge of New York public educational structure, particularly as it pertains to transfer. Policies and practices, articulation agreements and requirements.
• Knowledge of financial aid regulations and processes.
• Knowledge of job market and career trends and requirements.
• Commitment and ability to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues, individually and in teams.
• Demonstrated ability to use mature judgement, compassion, ethics, morals and character to inform decisions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Effective oral and written communication skills and some familiarity with Microsoft Office.

An initial starting salary of $48,000 with an excellent benefits package. This position is contingent upon adequate funding.

SUNY Ulster offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision, life insurance, NYS or SUNY TIAA Retirement Plan, SUNY Perks, tuition waivers, including dependent waivers, and tuition assistance.

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