Job Description: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 27,000 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. PSU has seven Advising Pathways that group similar majors together based on common major-changing patterns. Pathways give students the opportunity to stay with the same advisor and advising team as often as possible if they change their major. For more information about PSU's innovative Advising Pathways, please click here. PSU's seven Advising Pathways are housed within the division of Advising and Career Services (ACS), which is responsible for providing undergraduate students with career development and advising support and resources. For more information please click here. The advisor provides prospective and admitted undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students with assistance selecting majors and/or careers related to fields within the Health, Science, & the Earth Advising Pathway. The advisor’s caseload includes a subset of the majors and pre-professional tracks represented in the pathway, which includes Applied Health & Fitness, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Geography, Geology, Health Studies (with 5 possible concentrations), Science, and pre-health (including 14 tracks such as pre-medicine, pre-veterinary medicine, pre-nursing, etc). The advisor reports to the Health, Science, & the Earth Pathway Advising Director and focuses on advising initiatives in the pathway. Advising includes helping students formulate an academic plan based on exploration and understanding of their interests, skills, and values in conjunction with degree requirements and co-curricular opportunities. The advisor will track academic progress of identified student populations and provide appropriate interventions and referrals to campus services as needed to support student success. In addition, the advisor will participate in other relevant university activities which support student retention and graduation, such as orientation advising of transfer and freshman students and outreach to community college students. The advisor also assists students in building the skills and experiences needed to prepare for graduate/professional school and helping them to prepare for the application process. The advisor uses sound judgment when taking notes in a unified advising record and participating in a coordinated service network. This work requires face-to-face and online interaction with students, colleagues, supervisors, administrators faculty. The role also includes group presentations to prospective students at PSU recruiting events, as well as current students regarding advising and career-related topics.
Minimum Qualifications:
- BA/BS with 1+ years of related experience.
- Successful completion of a background check.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree with 1+ years of experience in higher education advising/mentoring students
- Ability to effectively analyze, synthesize and explain complex requirements and regulations/policies.
- Ability to counsel students in decision-making processes related to setting personal goals.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both in one-on-one interactions, in small groups and in public presentations; comfort with public speaking. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work with diverse populations and understand the unique challenges faced by diverse student populations.
- Experience and comfort with technology (e.g. databases, electronic modes of communications). Ability to use Student Information System (SIS) or other similar programs.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule as needed.
- Ability to identify areas for improvement & innovation and develop programming to improve the student experience.
- Ability to work as part of a team to achieve established goals; ability to collaborate with representatives of campus services and programs as well as the community.