Academic Advisor jobs in Bangor, ME

Are you passionate about empowering students to achieve their academic and personal goals? Do you have a knack for providing guidance and support to help them succeed? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our team as a Johnson Scholars Learning Specialist/Academic Advisor.

The University of Maine at Farmington is seeking candidates for the Learning Specialist/Academic Advisor. This role is a vital position that directly impacts students’ educational journeys and success. The Learning Specialist/Academic Advisor provides a crucial role that involves providing comprehensive academic support to students, helping them achieve their educational and personal goals. Additionally, the role has a deep understanding of pedagogy, learning strategies, and counseling techniques to foster student success. Johnson Scholars is a federally funded TRIO Student Support Services Program.

Full-time, 10-month position (August 15-June 15)

Essential Duties

• Advocates for accessibility and inclusivity in education, ensuring that students with diverse backgrounds and abilities receive equitable support.
• Collaborates with students to develop personalized academic plans, course selections, and degree pathways based on their interests, strengths, and career aspirations. Monitors their progress and makes necessary adjustments to ensure academic success.
• Mentors a dedicated group of Johnson Scholars, offering ongoing academic guidance and emotional support through regular one-on-one meetings.
• Establishes a supportive and trusting relationship with students to facilitate their personal and academic growth, while offering guidance on goal setting, career exploration, and life skills development.
• Provides proactive support to students flagged for deficiencies in UMF's Academic Reporting System.
• Develops, coordinates, and executes a variety of Johnson Scholars programs, encompassing financial aid workshops, course selection assistance, registration support, and personalized academic planning.
• Assesses students’ learning needs and challenges, providing guidance and resources to enhance their study skills, time management, and academic performance. Implement tailored strategies to address individual learning differences.
• Creates tools and materials for teaching, advising, program marketing, and training for the university campus.
• Produces time-critical documents, reports, contracts, and routine correspondence in compliance with federal grant obligations.
• Maintains accurate and detailed records of student progress and uses data-driven insights to identify trends and opportunities for improvement in academic advising and support services.
• Oversees student staffing and operations of the Johnson Scholars Lounge, including inventory management, procurement of refreshments, and equipment maintenance.
• Collaborates with Johnson Scholars staff and Peer Leaders to coordinate, implement, and transport participants on trips.
• Collaborates with faculty and administration to identify at-risk students and implement retention strategies, such as early intervention programs and academic probation counseling.
• Assists in the training and supervision of Peer Mentors.
• Promotes the Johnson Scholars program through various channels, including tabling, orientation, social media, academic department meetings, and collaboration with UMF faculty and staff.
• Performs duties to promote student success and meet the objectives of the project and/or grant.

Note: UMF reserves the right to change or assign additional duties as necessary.

A full position description can be found here.

About University of Maine at Farmington:

The University of Maine at Farmington has earned a national reputation for excellence, gaining stature as one of the finest state-supported liberal arts colleges in the northeastern U.S. Additionally, UMF is rated 5th in U.S. News & World Report Top Regional Public College North for 2023 and has been rated one of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News 25 times since 1998.

The campus is in historic downtown Farmington, just a short walk away from coffee shops, funky stores, restaurants, banks, bookstores, a multi-screen movie theater and a whole lot more. Our perfect location combines the active outdoor lifestyle with the arts & smarts of a small college town. With enrollment at around 1,600 full-time students, UMF is about the same size as many of New England’s most selective private colleges and offers many of the same advantages, yet at a very affordable price — providing a tremendous college value in a spectacular natural setting. Established in 1864 as Maine’s first public institution of higher education, the University of Maine at Farmington is a founding member of The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) an exclusive national group of public colleges and universities committed to providing superior liberal arts and sciences education.

Who is the University of Maine at Farmington?

A Nationally Ranked public university, recognized for its academic excellence, educational value and inclusion.

An Outdoorsy College located in the heart of world class skiing and snowboarding, hiking and mountain biking, kayaking and rafting.

An Affordable, high-quality, residential, liberal arts college.

A school that offers challenging and innovative Academic Programs in the arts and sciences, teacher preparation, and other pre-professional fields.

A small, friendly campus where Students are the center of the universe.

A place where caring Professors work side by side with students — in research, creative endeavors, in the classroom and outside.

An institution that offers unparalleled research opportunities — often at the level and depth found at graduate school.

A campus of 1,600 bright, creative, independent-minded students who thrive on challenges.

A college where students work hard but also enjoy kicking back and having Fun — lots of fun.

A quirky yet warm-hearted, accepting community where it’s OK to be you.

We may not be for everyone, but we just might be the perfect place for you.

Required Competencies

• Relationships and Team Building – Strong interpersonal and networking skills with the ability to interact effectively with all stakeholders within the university, as well as the community.
• Communications – Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills. The ability to present.
• Planning and organizing – Proactive planning and organizing work to manage time effectively and accomplish job duties. Excellent organizational skills. Strong project management and completion skills.
• Innovative thinking
• Adaptability - The ability to react positively and effectively to change. To be able to quickly learn and work effectively with new technology as well as the changing landscape of campus focus, administrators/leadership, and strategy.
• Problem-Solving and Decision-Making – Observe and evaluate the outcomes of implementing the solution to assess the need for alternative approaches and to identify lessons learned; Ability to make ethical decisions and to exercise principled judgment and initiative when necessary, and to do so with a high level of attention to detail. Excellent problem-solving skills and a solution-based disposition.
• Technology Utilization – Strong computer literacy and competency skills (i.e., Microsoft Office 365). Proficiency in the use of social media for educational purposes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in education or related field.
• Experience working with college students in the postsecondary setting.
• Experience with or the understanding of challenges faced by first-generation college students.
• Valid driver's license (in good standing based on UMS requirements).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in education or related field.
• Expertise and understanding of the academic and personal advising needs of students from post-secondary enrollment through graduation.
• Knowledge of financial literacy for college students.

Materials must be submitted electronically via "Apply for Position." Please create an applicant profile, complete a brief application, and upload:

1) A cover letter, which describes your qualifications, interests and suitability for the position

2) A resume/curriculum vitae

3) Contact information for three (3) professional references

You will also need to submit the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status form.

Review of applications will begin end of business day on October 25, 2023. Materials received after that date will be considered at the discretion of the university. Incomplete application materials will not be considered. We are not able to consider applicants who require Visa sponsorship support.

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background screening and references.

The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. View our Benefits Information Summary for additional information.

The University of Maine at Farmington employees are Mandatory Reporters with the exception of UMF’s licensed, clinical medical providers (including athletic trainers) and mental health providers and their clinical interns when working in their capacity as providers.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).