First Year Experience Advisor I

Position Summary

Mary Baldwin University is currently recruiting for the position of First Year Experience Advisor I. The First Year Experience Advisor I is the primary liaison to students, serving as their guide and as an advocate for their academic success. Reporting to the Associate Director of First Year Experience, the First Year Experience Advisor I will provide ongoing and regular guidance and support to MBU residential students as part of the Student Success and Advising team, a one-stop service unit that provides advising, career coaching and services, as well as ensuring that students are able to successfully navigate broader support services offered through Mary Baldwin University. This is an onsite position.

MBU Advising is a centralized unit within the university supporting both residential and online learners. This opening will work with residential learners on MBU’s Staunton, VA campus. The team takes a proactive approach to advising and is constantly improving data inputs to best support learners. If you are interested in being a part of a collaborative team whose focus is on the creation of a cutting edge advising unit, the team at MBU is for you.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Academic Advising

As a part of the advising team, you will provide direct service to students during the early stages of their academic experience including exploring interest and assisting in identifying degree programs that align with students’ career aspirations, providing a regular connection between student and faculty, ensuring that students are regularly engaged in their learning experiences, and at times staging interventions when students may be at risk. 

First Year Experience (FYE) Residential Advisors will

• work collaboratively with a team of advisors
• work directly with prospective students, assisting admissions counselors in the decision process and oversee the onboarding of new students
• participate in transfer audits for students coming to Mary Baldwin from community college and other universities
• work with students to create and maintain a degree map of their planned experience at Mary Baldwin university
• provide a comprehensive “one stop” experience, guiding students on their journey and connecting them with additional resources such as faculty advisors, tutors, career coaches, as well as potential co-curricular and extra curricular activities
• ensure that MBU has the full picture of each and every student, to best support them in achieving their immediate and longer term goals
• communicate regularly with students through phone, virtual meeting rooms, in person meetings, and email
• ensure students receive a response to voicemails and their emails as promptly as possible, typically within 24 business hours 
• make use of success dashboards and other sources of data to make informed decisions to best support students
• ensure consistent documentation within our CRM of all interactions with students following the established MBU Student Success and Advising process and procedures 
• provide feedback on current processes and procedures to ensure the team is best supporting learners 
• engage in the current dialogue around advising best practices and methodologies to ensure the team is on the forefront of the field
• and at every step along the way enshrine Mary Baldwin’s personal touch, serving as a positive voice of encouragement, advocating for our students, and ensuring all students receive the same standard of attention and care from the advising unit

Student Success, Retention, and Engagement

Mary Baldwin University has a strong commitment to the success of each and every student. For the First Year Advisor this means ensuring that the student success retention efforts for their advisees include data driven intervention, coaching, and focused engagement that ensures all students will meet their goals. You will also coordinate closely with faculty, other members of the academic team, and various committees to stage interventions to ensure the success of MBU Online students while they are part of FYE. 

Support Services

The advising team at MBU believes in supporting the whole learner and offering 360 degree support. This means the FYE advisor will interface cross-functionally with existing university resources ensuring learners get the support they require. The First Year team will support students in their identification of their professional goals and work with the students to identify the support needed to attain their established goals. The FYE advisors specialize in supporting learners with financial aid, technology assistance (Canvas & MyMBU), new to college best practices, orientation, assistance through add/drop and what to expect, access to learner support services (writing center, tutoring etc), etc. The FYE advisor will work with the student to map out their degree program, identify a major, and support the achievement of identified goals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Ability to create meaningful relationships with students
• Strong attention to detail and willingness to probe for deep understanding
• Demonstrated sensitivity to working in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent time management, organizational, and professional effectiveness skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Years of relevant or specific experience: 1-2 or more years of relevant professional or customer service experience

To Apply

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected].