Academic Advisor

Overview

The Academic Advisor works as a member of the LSUS Student Success Center, performing a range of tasks enhancing and supporting our academic advising team and students.

The Academic Advisor serves as a generalist advisor, serving all undergraduate majors using a personalized, holistic advising model. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in advancing student success and retention by removing barriers, fostering engagement, supporting academic achievement, career readiness, and ensuring a smooth and supportive start to their college career.

Reports to the Assistant Director of Academic Advising, College Advising Coordinator, and is a full-time, unclassified position. This summary is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive description of duties and responsibilities.

About Us: The Student Success Center at LSU Shreveport champions student-centered excellence, offering comprehensive resources, services, and programs – including Academic Advising, Academic Success, Career Services, First-Year Experience, and more – to promote a smooth transition, build academic and life skills, foster persistence and resilience, and empower goal-oriented success.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
  • LSUS values skills, experience, and expertise. Candidates who have relevant experience in key job responsibilities are encouraged to apply – a degree is not required if the candidate meets the required years of experience specified in the job description.
• 3 years of related experience, such as education, counseling, or other student support roles.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in student personnel services, higher education administration, psychology, counseling, or a related field.
• Prior experience in academic advising in higher education.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to assess student needs with empathy, active listening, and critical thinking, while considering their background and developmental stage.
• Strong understanding of student development theories and best practices.
• Knowledge of academic advising and admissions processes in higher education.
• Effective time management and caseload management skills to prioritize and support wide-ranging student needs.
• Attention to detail with strong administrative skills and a commitment to accuracy in data entry, especially related to academic records and student support services.
• Sound understanding of how advising activities influence student progress, outcomes, and timely degree completion, with a focus on precise decision-making and task completion.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with other university offices.
• Proven ability to work effectively under pressure while maintaining professionalism, collegiality, and excellent customer service in a diverse environment.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Dedication to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment that benefits all students, particularly those from diverse backgrounds.

Position

Duties & Responsibilities:

Academic Advising & Student Support

• Serve as a university-wide undergraduate academic advisor, guiding students in course selection, degree planning, and academic progress across diverse majors and programs.
• Conduct individual advising sessions to assist students in understanding academic requirements, course equivalencies, and academic planning, considering the impact of academic readiness and personal adjustment.
• Administer and interpret assessment tools (e.g., College Student Inventory, Appreciative Advising Inventory) to better understand student needs and tailor interventions.
• Develop personalized success plans based on students' academic backgrounds, interests, and goals, addressing common transition challenges and academic skill gaps.
• Provide guidance on academic policies and procedures as they relate to student success, including but not limited to course registration, degree progression, academic standing, withdrawal procedures, and university policies related to student academic life.

Student Success Programs & Outreach

• Collaborate on group outreach/educational events, such as new student orientation, student success workshops and events, and campus resource information sessions.
• Monitor academic progress of students in caseload; track and act upon early alerts/interventions.
• Assess student needs and challenges and connect to relevant resources.
• Collaborate with key campus departments to streamline processes, enhance support services, and ensure a smooth transition for students.

Career Development Integration

• Incorporate career readiness activities into academic advising, encouraging experiential learning, internships, and networking opportunities, with specific guidance on career exploration and foundational career planning.
• Support students in aligning coursework,…