The BSPH program launched in 2022 and has seen strong, sustained enrollment growth; the Director helps to shape the advising team and infrastructure as the program continues to expand.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health (SPH) is seeking a Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising. The Director leads academic advising for undergraduates pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) and oversees the student records team. This role provides direct advising, trains and develops a growing team of advisors and student records staff, advises a caseload of undergraduate students, and partners with faculty and campus offices to support student success. The Director reports to the SPH Associate Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and, as part of the University's Shared Advising Model, to the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Advising.
Key Responsibilities
Provides academic advising to BSPH students and prospective students, including a personal caseload of undergraduate students
Supervises, trains, and mentors advising staff and student records staff; supports their professional development (e.g., NACADA credentialing)
Champions identity-conscious, culturally responsive advising practices; monitors retention and success data to identify and address equity gaps
Oversees key student success and retention processes, including onboarding, graduation certification, academic standing review (in conjunction with the Office of the Registrar), early progress reporting, mid-term grades, not-enrolled student outreach, and academic remediation efforts
Builds a staffing and caseload model that keeps pace with BSPH's enrollment growth
Strengthens partnerships with Admissions, Financial Aid, the SPH Director of BSPH Curriculum, the SPH Director of Educational Programs/Accreditation Initiatives, and faculty to create an integrated student support system
Works directly with the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Advising on the University's Shared Advising Model transition
Oversees projections of course demand for Public Health foundational and core courses each term as well as seat restrictions for all BSPH PUBHLT courses
Develops new programs for student success (e.g., peer tutoring, study-skills support) as student needs evolve
Contributes to a multi-year vision for advising staffing, systems, and space
Maintains university and system-level engagement (PeopleSoft, EAB/Pathways, Academic Advisement Report) and participates in relevant school and University committees
Pursues continued professional development through NACADA or a comparable advising organization, including conferences, credentialing, and leadership development
Oversees departmental workflow and communications.
Proactively works to mitigate student issues before they escalate, partnering with the Associate Dean and Advising Team to resolve issues preventing students from graduating
Builds EAB/Pathways Appointment Campaigns in the fall and spring to onboard internal transfers and incoming first-year students. Monitors the appointment availability and sends reminder messages to students
Develops EAB/Pathways Appointment Campaigns in the fall and spring for special student populations (First Generation, Academic Alert/Probation) to keep students on track in their courses
Works directly with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs on all aspects of advising and student records
Qualifications
A Master’s degree and 8-10 years of undergraduate academic advising experience
Knowledge of University Policy & Procedures and University Partners is preferred
Knowledge of PeopleSoft, EAB/Pathways, Perceptive Content, Qualtrics, Tableau, and DocuSign recommended
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
Prior leadership or supervisory experience is preferred
Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills to enable clear communication with external constituents, students, faculty, and staff
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, time management, conflict management, ability to build rapport and trust
Strong organizational skills and able to manage multiple priorities
Ability to manage a diverse advising caseload
Experience working with non-traditional students, underrepresented groups, and pre-health/pre-med populations
Advisor training and/or professional development associated with the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) or parallel professional organization
Oversees the University's academic advising functions and includes departmental or unit direction, goals, strategies, and polices. Ensures student records and data integrity, advises and assists senior administrators, supervises staff and human resource actions, oversees departmental workflow and communications, and prepares budget.
Must be able to use a computer for PeopleSoft, Microsoft Office Suite, and other software systems. Must be able to communicate via telephone, email, in-person, or using video communication technology. Must be able to attend recruitment events/fairs to represent the school and work extra hours, evenings, and weekends during peak seasons. This is a hybrid position working 3 days in office, 2 days remote, with flexibility for adjustment based on business needs.
The position is essentially sedentary but may require travel to conferences and some lifting of materials.
The University of Pittsburgh is an equal opportunity employer / disability / veteran.
Job Details
- Assignment Category: Full-time regular
- Job Classification: Staff.Director - Academic Advising
- Job Family: Academic & Student Services
- Job Sub-Family: Academic Advising
- Campus: Pittsburgh
- Minimum Education Level Required: Bachelor's Degree
- Minimum Years of Experience Required: 7
- Substitution in lieu of education or experience: Combination of education and relevant experience will be considered in lieu of education and/ or experience requirement.
- Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
- Work Arrangement: Hybrid: Combination of On-Campus and Remote work as determined by the department.
- Hiring Range: $70,000-$80,000 annually
- Relocation Offered: No
- Visa Sponsorship Provided: No
- Background Check: For position finalists, employment with the University will require successful completion of a background check
- Child Protection Clearances: Not Applicable
- Required Documents: Resume, Cover Letter
- Optional Documents: Not Applicable