Student Success Advisor, Kendall College

Who We Are:

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and asks how do we become more "student ready" so that we may better serve our students. We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our community works hard in the service of students and supports one another like a family.

What You Will Do:

The Student Success Advisor, Kendall College is responsible for providing holistic support and services to guide undergraduate students in achieving academic and ultimately career success in their Kendall College program. The Student Success Advisor works with student holistically providing overarching academic guidance which included creating an academic plan that provides a path to graduation and employment. This position is the main support person for an assigned population of approximately 150-175 undergraduate students during their enrollment at the institution and has primary responsibility for resolving barriers to retention and providing proactive support.

The successful candidate will be expected to advise students on academic programs, curriculum, college and university academic policies and procedures focused on fostering their success and academic growth. The successful candidate will assist students individually and in groups in-person, over the phone or through video conference. The successful candidate will strive to understand their students and function as academic coach and mentor. This position is under the supervision of the Dean with a dotted line to the University Registrar and is a member of the Provost division regarding academic policy. The individual works closely and collaboratively with the Kendall faculty both individually and through weekly Student Support meetings. This individual is also expected to attend college engagement events, Open House events, and other college events that support student success, thus functioning as in integrated member of the Kendall College community. Moreover, the position must collaborate with staff from other student service units including Student Finance, Enrollment, Admissions and Registrar, serving as the student's primary point of contact for questions and assistance.

In order to best serve students, this is a full-time on campus position which requires in-person presence at meetings and events.

Provide single point of contact advising service to an assigned group of students from admission through graduation to retain students. Advisors should ensure students are eligible to continue their degree and registered for courses on their degree plan on a quarterly basis, and will assist with constructing this schedule with the Dean. In addition, students should be supported to access wraparound supports available as needed and through academic and personal challenge areas.
• Effectively communicate the curriculum and graduation requirements for program, college and university academic policies and procedures. Work with Dean on creating and updating program schedule for the upcoming term to ensure the appropriate courses are available for students' needs.
• Build collaborative relationships with Kendall program faculty, Department Chairs and Dean to ensure a cohesive student experience. Participates in department meetings, as well as weekly Kendall Student Support meetings. These meetings require feedback on student participation and absences, share information on conversations and recommendations for next steps. Advisors will collaborate with Career Bridge to prepare students into Professional Development courses and internship requirements.
• Maintain accurate and timely student records in Banner and use data tools and retention systems, including EAB Navigate, to work with at risk students proactively and assist students on SAP/SAR.
• Provide student with general information on the university that students need to be successful and collaborate with other student service areas to support students.
• Attend Saturday Open House and Kendall After Dark (evening open house) to support potential students and recruitment, as well as New Student Orientations for NLU and Kendall Specific engagements/presentations. Attend classroom visits to individual courses per request of the Chair and/or Dean. Additional engagement opportunities include end of quarter meetings and Kendall Connections where all college staff/faculty engage, and other Kendall events where students are participating.

• Bachelor's Degree Required
• Minimum of two years of experience in academic advising or career services
• General knowledge of the Culinary and/or Hospitality Industry (experience in the field strongly preferred)
• Customer Focus - Personally demonstrates that external (or internal) customers are a high priority. Identifies customer needs and expectations and responds to them in a timely and effective manner. Anticipates and prevents delays or other things that can adversely affect the customer. Keeps customers informed about the status of pending actions and inquires about customer satisfaction with products or services.
• Interpersonal Communication - Communicates effectively and appropriately. Uses good judgment as to what to communicate to whom as well as the best way to get that accomplished. Speaks in a clear and credible manner, selecting the right tone for the situation and audience. Listens to others and allows them to make their point.
• Problem Solving - Takes a proactive approach to anticipating and preventing problems. When problems occur, defines those problems, investigates obstacles, gathers relevant information, decides whether solving the problem should be a group decision, generates and analyzes alternate solutions and arrives at a workable solution.
• Team Orientation - Establishes an environment that creates incentives for, and eliminates barriers to, a team environment. For example, articulates common goals, communicates how individual roles contribute to team success, provides both clear direction and sufficient resources while removing or reducing obstacles to team success.
• Time Management - Prioritizes tasks and manages time to ensure that deadlines are met. Plans his or her time and sticks to those plans. Prevents or manages interruptions until the highest priority tasks are accomplished.
• Results Focus - Achieves results within established timelines. Understands and demonstrates that intentions, activities and results are not the same. Expects that obstacles will occur and refuses to use them as an excuse for not achieving results.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Opportunities. Additional information regarding full-time staff benefits can be found here.

The salary range of the grade for this position is $41,429 to $58,000 annually. Compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate. Offers are based on multiple factors permitted by law, including but not limited to: budgetary considerations, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, market considerations, tenure and standing with the university (applicable to current employees), and internal equity.

Please Include the following along with your application:

• Resume (Required)
• Cover Letter (Optional)
• Current NLU employees please also submit an Internal Posting Form