Title: Assistant Specialist (Academic Advisor)
Position Number: 0082903
Hiring Unit: VPSS / Student Academic Success /Manoa Advising Center
Location: Manoa
Date Posted: April 2, 2024
Closing Date: April 30, 2024
Salary Information: Commensurate with qualifications and experience
Monthly Type: 11 month
Tenure Track: Tenure
Temporary/Permanent: Permanent
 
Other Conditions: To begin July 1, 2024
Duties & Responsibilities:
This position will join a team of faculty and staff student affairs professionals in Student Academic Success, under the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Success. The mission of the Manoa Advising Center (MAC) is to assist students in selecting a major that best fits their interests, abilities, and goals, and to provide advising support for them until they can declare or enter their major. The Assistant Specialist position in MAC will provide advising for students in all aspects of academic development and planning, including an exploration of graduate education or professional training and possible career opportunities. The position requires an understanding of broad curricular issues for undergraduate, college-level education and an ability to effectively communicate with individuals and groups. MAC provides academic advising for students who are exploring their options or working towards admission into a major program that has pre-requisite requirements. MAC assists students with understanding general education requirements, major selection, academic planning, and scheduling. MAC also provides a cross­ campus perspective on over 100 majors offered at UH Manoa.
This is a progressively responsible position with varied duties. Responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: advising students on curricular requirements, academic options, policies, and procedures; design curriculum and training modules and materials for college students, teach courses, workshops, and/or seminars for the department; advise students in formulating and assessing academic and career goals, and develop and implement group sessions and workshops; and assist in planning, implementing, managing, and assessing academic advising support programs and services.
A key duty will be to build collaborative partnerships with a broad range of on-campus organizations and programs with the goal of ensuring an inclusive and supportive student environment. These collaborative partnerships must be grounded in best practices regionally and nationally. The individual in this position will be expected to develop relationships with professional associations (such as NACADA: the Global Community for Academic Advising and NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education), to establish networks for best practices for MAC programs and projects. MAC advisors keep abreast of peer and benchmark practices and standards in advising and engage in regional, national, and international discussions; maintain active engagement with relevant professional organizations, which includes, but is not limited to: serving on regional, national, and international committees and advisory boards, presenting at conferences and sharing research, as well as planning and implementing campus-based opportunities, workshops, and seminars; and leading changes in policies and procedures for advising based on national trends. In addition to presenting at conferences, other avenues of scholarly contribution may include, but are not limited to: conducting research individually or in collaboration with colleagues; making written or editorial contributions to academic journals, monographs, and books; publishing results, data, or other materials that have been collected for the purpose of program assessment and evaluation; providing professional consultation with colleagues and assist them in developing tools, documents, and/or university guidelines.
The specialist position will provide student support via a range of delivery methods, grounded in and informed by the professional competencies and research. This includes direct services to students, as well as co-curricular programming, workshops, training, meetings, and events, create and implement programming that enhances student self-advocacy, initiate the development, implementation and evaluation of relevant programs and activities to meet the needs of students, and possess an understanding of diversity issues in Hawai'i.
The position will also provide ideas and initiatives in the development and evaluation of academic advising policies and procedures; write a variety of correspondence and program descriptions and proposals; and assist with the design and distribution of program information and outreach materials. There will be possible evening and/or off campus assignments and other duties may be assigned to improve services to students.
Minimum qualifications:

• Master's degree and 30 additional graduate credits in Education, Counseling, Social Work, Student Affairs, or any other field that is related to the duties of the position from a college or university of recognized standing.
• At least three (3) years of experience in academic advising at the next lower rank or its equivalent
• Knowledge of post-secondary curricula and academic requirements.
• Familiarity with current research regarding advising issues and advising models.
• Knowledge of retention and graduation issues in higher education.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a culturally sensitive manner with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds.
• Knowledge of student development theory.
• Knowledge of diverse student populations and issues in higher education. 
• Experience and ability to ground academic advising work in nationally recognized competencies and standards.
• Experience presenting and sharing research and best practices with other professionals at the local, regional, and national level.
• Knowledge of academic advising and resources for diverse student populations at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and in Hawai'i.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with university students, staff, faculty, and administration.
• Must have strong computer skills, including using internet, email, and word processing
• Familiarity with spreadsheet software.
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to establish priorities and see tasks to completion.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate groups and ability to work as part of a team.
• Ability to uphold established policies and procedures
• Experience designing and implementing programs and initiatives.

• Knowledge of university-wide academic programs.
• One year of teaching experience at an institution of higher education.
• One year of grant writing experience for an accredited institution of higher education.
• One year of research and assessment experience at an accredited institution of higher education.
• One year or more of demonstrated experience in a managerial, coordination/supervisory position.
• Commitment to working with a diverse multicultural student body, including awareness of UHM's goal to become a Hawaiian Place of Learning.
• Interest in working with exploratory students.
• Concern for students, their careers, and goals.

1. Cover Letter (Convey your interest in the position and how you meet the minimum and desirable qualifications);
2. Current Curriculum Vitae;
3. Names and contact information (telephone number and email addresses) of 3 professional references; AND
4. Copies of official graduate and undergraduate transcripts showing degree and coursework to date appropriate to the position (original official transcript(s) will be required at the time of hire). Copies of transcripts must be attached to your application to receive credit for degree(s). Transcripts issued outside the United States of America require a course-by-course analysis with an equivalency statement from an agency having membership with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc., verifying the degree equivalency to that of an accredited institution within the USA. Expense of the evaluation shall be borne by the applicant. 

The University of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, genetic information, marital status, breastfeeding, income assignment for child support, arrest and court record (except as permissible under State law), sexual orientation, domestic or sexual violence victim status, national guard absence, or status as a covered veteran. For more information or inquiries regarding these policies, please refer to the following link: http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/eeo-coordinators/
Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.
In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawai'i may be viewed at: https://www.hawaii.edu/titleix/help/campus-security/, or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.
Accommodation Request: The University of Hawai'i complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the EEO coordinator directly. Determination on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. For further information, please refer to the following link: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/eeo/accommodation-request/