Academic Advisor

Academic Advisor

Position Description
Serves as the primary advisor for a caseload of first-year undergraduate students in the School of Arts &
Letters, as well as a portion of students from other schools. The advisor seeks to effectively partner with
the schools they serve to positively impact academic thriving and student success through counseling
first-year and at-risk students.

Alignment with Theological Positions
Alignment with Theological Positions: The person who fills this position must be someone who personally
agrees with Biola’s Articles of Faith and Statement of Biblical Principles and who is supportive of the
positions taken by Biola as contained in its Eschatology Teaching Position. As such, this person may not
speak against or act in a manner inconsistent with these positions during the course of their employment
at Biola.

Department
Academic Advising

Supervisor
This position reports to the Director of Academic Advising & Success.

Educational Requirements
Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of one year of experience in advising or related academic functions
within higher education.

Work Requirements
Non-exempt (02), full-time – 40 hours/week, 12 months per year
This position requires personal attendance at Biola’s campus in La Mirada, California, but will consider a
limited hybrid/flexible work arrangement in the summer months.

Essential Duties
Academic Advising

• Serves as the academic advisor for all first-year students in their caseload through the end
  of students’ first academic year. Meets regularly with first-year students to assess and
  discuss courses, academic performance, degree progress/timeline, connections to career,
  and any unique program requirements.
  
• Conducts required advising for first-year students during registration periods and ensures
  students register on time for appropriate courses. Conducts outreach to non-registered
  students.
  
• Serves as an academic advisor to assigned probation students. Establishes academic
  goals, provides coaching, and evaluates academic progress via faculty feedback. Provides
  feedback to students in a timely and appropriate fashion. Refers students to campus
  resources as needed.
  
• Ensures the effectiveness of the advising process by maintaining up-to-date digital
  advising notes for all advising appointments and correspondence.
  
• Supervises 1-2 Peer Academic Advisors under the direction of the Senior Academic
  Advisor, maximizing the impact of this student role for the benefit of students and campus
  partners.
  

New Student Registration

• Provides advising and registration for incoming students from the time of “confirmed”
  status through the start of the semester. Works closely with Admissions to manage the
  matriculation of new students, the Registrar’s Office regarding transfer coursework, and
  academic departments with course sequencing and availability.
  

Department Liaison

• Partners as a liaison to faculty in their assigned school(s) to assist with
  registration/academic advising events and information sharing of any curricular, software,
  policy, or system changes that impact advising.
  
• Serves as a supplemental academic advisor to students in cooperation with faculty
  advisors in the development and clarification of educational plans and graduation
  timelines.
  
• Serves as a bridge, building connections between first year students and faculty in their
  program.
  
• Partners with school leadership and faculty to gain expertise on the curricular pathways,
  requirements, and resources in their given program.
  
• Assists with other tasks and duties that support the Academic Advising program.
  

Required Skills/Qualifications

• Passionate about the academic success of all students.
  
• Exceptional interpersonal/advising skills.
  
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to multitask.
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for interacting with diverse clients and
  team members.
  
• Ability to learn and use complex computer-based systems and multi-faceted