Director University Advising Leadership, University Advising Leadership, Enrollment Management

Current UC employees must apply internally via SuccessFactors 

Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati ranks among the nation’s best urban public research universities. Home to 53,235 students, nearly 12,000 faculty and staff and 350,000+ living alumni, UC combines a Top 35 public research university with a physical setting The New York Times has called “the most ambitious campus design program in the country.”

With the launch of Next Lives Here, the Cincinnati Innovation District, a $100 million JobsOhio investment, the oldest and one of the largest cooperative education programs, a dynamic academic health center and entry into the Big 12 Conference, UC’s momentum has never been stronger. UC’s annual budget stands at $1.85 billion, and its endowment totals $2 billion.

UC is a mission-driven organization where we are committed to student success and positively transforming the community through scholarship and service.  We thrive on innovation, making an impact, and fostering an environment where staff and faculty are key contributors to UC’s success.   

Job Overview

Provide creative vision, leadership, and strategy to advance a culture of high-quality, proactive advising practice across the university.  Advance the UC Advising vision and mission, building upon the university’s reputation for advising quality, innovation, and demonstrable impact to improving retention and graduation outcomes. Provide leadership coordination and strategy for advising offices across the institution and work in close partnership with several university offices to support student success.

Essential Functions

• Lead the university-wide, decentralized multi-campus advising effort to advance student success outcomes of advising, supporting increased student persistence, course completion, graduation, and goal attainment.
• Manage strategic initiatives to implement high-quality and research-based advising models (e.g. proactive advising) in alignment with UC’s Bearcat Promise and the UC Advising mission and vision.
• Facilitate, support, and partner with advising administrators across decentralized colleges and specialized advising centers to collaboratively maximize outcomes. Collaborate regularly with colleagues across Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, and Student Affairs.
• Lead as a senior member of the Office of Advising & Academic Services directorial team, supervising two unit-level advising directors, two assistant/associate directors, and a project manager role.
• Partner with other AAS offices, including orientation, advising tools & technology, Launch UC early college programs, and Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Strong to strengthen enrollment and ensure quality student experience.
• Identify and address policy, process, organizational, and cultural barriers to student success in partnership with university offices and leaders.
• Advance strategies that support student access to education and close student outcome gaps. Communicate inclusively to achieve an accountable and sustainable climate for advising across the university.  
• Strategize and enculturate best practice utilization of advising & student success software tools, case management, and analytics to maximize advisor use and student impact.
• Partner with faculty to ensure a coordinated, responsive approach to course-based student needs and advising outreach, including early alert strategy.  
• Identify student progression barriers in academic program structures.
• Oversee advisor training and professional development, sponsor the UC Advising Association and UC Advising Conference, and serve as a university advocate for the needs of more than 150 advisors.
• Analyze data, identify trends, report, and present outcomes to identify student needs and inform university planning.
• Assess services and programs to ensure accountability and continuous quality improvement toward targeted outcomes.
• Represent the university in national and local advising forums, share strategy and outcomes, benchmark best practices, consult with peers, and engage research to continually develop expertise.
• May provide direct and/or indirect supervision to exempt and non-exempt staff (i.e., hiring/firing, performance evaluations, disciplinary action, approve time off, etc.).
• Perform related duties based on departmental need. This job description can be changed at any time.