Interim Pathway Advising Director, Language, Culture Meaning

Interim Pathway Advising Director, Language, Culture, & Meaning

Interim Pathway Advising Director, Language, Culture, & Meaning

Portland State University is Oregon’s most affordable public research university, located in the heart of one of America’s most dynamic cities. Our mission to “let knowledge serve the city” reflects our dedication to turning ideas into action — in Portland and around the world. The city is our campus, giving students unmatched access to career connections, a vibrant cultural scene and hands‑on learning experiences with hundreds of community partners.

More than 20,000 students from all backgrounds bring diverse perspectives to our classrooms and campus life, from the tree‑lined Park Blocks to the bustling Urban Plaza and state‑of‑the‑art science labs. We are proud of our world‑class faculty, groundbreaking research and international reputation for excellence in sustainability, community engagement and innovation.

Reporting to the AVP for Advising and Career Services, the Interim Pathway Advising Director for Language, Culture, & Meaning position will serve on the AVP’s leadership team and work collaboratively with colleagues from the Office of Academic Affairs, academic departments in their Pathway and across Pathways, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and community colleges in the state of Oregon. Pathway Advising Directors oversee Pathway‑specific advising and retention initiatives, serve as the direct supervisor for all professional Academic and Career Advisors in their Pathway, collaborate with the AVP and advisors to delegate duties in their Pathway, provide direct service delivery to students, develop communication plans for faculty, advisors, and students in their Pathway, ensure timely student outreach occurs, and use data analytics for decision‑making and reporting in collaboration with the AVP.

Additionally, the director will coordinate meetings for all professional advisors in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS), work closely with the CLAS Dean and Associate Dean on issues related to student success and advising, serve as the initial point of contact for academic departments housed in their Pathway on issues of undergraduate advising and student success, and may work on university‑wide advising and student success initiatives, as well as with community colleges across Oregon.

This interim appointment is for five months and open only to current PSU employees.

• Master’s degree in a relevant field with a minimum of 2 years of higher education experience with increasing responsibility in the area of student success, retention, and/or advising.
• Evident understanding of the student experience at urban research universities and current best practices in advising, student success, and retention.
• Demonstrated success at relationship‑building and collaborating with a diverse range of campus constituencies and partners outside of the university setting.
• Working knowledge and a strong understanding of the applicability of current technology to inform advising and student success practices and to make decisions impacting staff and students.
• Demonstrated strong organizational, writing, speaking, presentation, leadership, and supervisory skills.
• Clear commitment to multicultural competency and initiatives to advance the success of historically underrepresented student groups.
• Strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in the fulfillment of position responsibilities.
• Successful completion of a background check.

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field with a minimum of 4 years of higher education experience with increasing responsibility in the area of student success, retention, and/or advising.
• Demonstrated ability to improve retention and degree completion rates for undergraduate students.
• Demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning and professional development.
• Experience coordinating the work of professional and faculty advisors and advising activities.
• Create an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates differences.
• Function and communicate effectively and respectfully within the…