Assistant Director and Academic Advisor (Student Support Specialist), Groups Scholars Full Time

The Office of Student Life is focused on building a strong foundation to ensure every student’s Indiana University (IU) experience is positive, safe, healthy, and meaningful. The Office of Student Life staff and multiple departments aim to help students navigate their time at IU, providing the tools they need to be successful in school and after graduation. Students are our priority, and their health, safety, and overall well-being are our core mission.

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Provides academic programming and advice, and counsels and tutors Groups Scholars Program participants that are first generation underrepresented students
• Assists students with their college transition including understanding Indiana University educational system and assimilating to the Bloomington campus environment
• Plans, develops, and implements successful programs that support students’ needs, provide essential academic resources, enable informed decision-making regarding academic major and career choices, and ensures continuous academic progress while meeting all degree requirements for successful graduation
• Coordinates and manages the admissions process as well as track students that apply, those who are admitted, and attend
• Identifies academic at-risk students and strategically problem solves issues and concerns
• Coordinates all data used in the Groups Scholars Program
• Maintains accurate records and generates reports
• Collaborates with staff, faculty, parents, and others
• Provides a good understanding of university policy and procedures, federal and state regulations, and grant and scholarship provisions, as well as ensure compliance
• Provides advising, registration advice, and individualized assistance to assigned students from point of admission through graduation which could include up to 4 years
• Implements specific advising programs that ensure academic progress and success such as Registration Outreach, transitional Student Guidance, Early and Mid-Semester Warning systems, Probationary Student Support, Major and Career Decisions, Campus Academic Support and Resources, and others
• Communicates available student seminars, workshops, and other support programming for student development
• Maintains familiarity with all relevant academic policies and procedures; provides a clear understanding of the required course sequences, pre-requisites, internships and other educational and career opportunities
• Collaborates and communicates with various departments, units, student support offices, faculty, staff and others ensuring joint program development and optimal student support
• Maintains contact with all advisees during each semester through in-person meetings, group meetings, phone calls, and email
• Responds constructively and timely to a wide range of student inquiries and concerns related to academic needs, and to personal or private issues, health concerns, family matters, personal relationships, financial concerns, and other matters
• Listens actively, assesses the inquiry or situation, and uses sound judgment in responding, referring, and/or calling for additional assistance as the matter dictates
• Advises, counsels, and educates students about career resources and job search engines and graduate school application strategies
• Maintains clear and concise advising notes reflecting all advising meetings
• Tracks performance, retention, and graduation rates of assigned students and generates appropriate reports
• Collaborates with other advisors, staff, and faculty to ensure strong support for all of Groups Scholars
• Maintains confidentiality and complies with university policies, federal and state regulations, and grant and scholarship provisions
• Coordinates and manages the Groups Admissions process
• Works closely with Admissions to manage the applications to Groups, determines eligibility to Groups and IU, meets with students and their families to educate them on the program, and coordinates the Groups Admissions Committee to make decisions to admit or not
• Coordinates all communications to students and their families about deadlines and requirements of the program
• Organizes and coordinates information to all Recommenders in a timely manner to ensure they identify the targeted population and provide adequate information to these applicants
• Gathers and reports all data regarding the incoming class
• Acts as Liaison to the Office of Admissions
• Serves on any committees that pertain to the Admissions process
• Coordinates all data management for the office
• Provides special reports for the Director as needed
• Gathers and reports data regarding recruitment, retention, and graduation for the office
• Ensures that all reporting is kept up to date regularly for sharing purposes
• Attends internal and external meetings, workshops, programs and conferences
• Creates and delivers Groups Scholars Program presentations

General Responsibilities

• Develops and implements programs and initiatives that offer support for students in crisis, facing adversity or challenges, or who belong to an under-represented or minority student population
• Interfaces directly with students by attending student programming events, advising student organization leaders, meeting 1-on-1 to discuss support needs, and gathering satisfaction feedback from student participants to implement into future student services initiatives and objectives
• Places an emphasis on confidentiality of student concerns, university policy compliance, and a culture of care within all direct student interactions
• Collaborates with staff in own department and other departments, as well as academic and campus leaders, on shared student support goals, often coordinating funding to sponsor student programs and initiatives
• Projects outcomes for support services offered at the program, department/division, or campus level
• Measures and evaluates effectiveness of student support initiatives against projected outcomes; regularly prepares reports on impact to students and budget and presents to stakeholders on effectiveness and to secure funding for initiatives moving forward
• Serves on committees and performs student support research across the field of higher education and at peer institutions to identify and recommend best practices
• Plans and coordinates communications for student support initiatives to ensure student participation, inclusion, and engagement
• May provide guidance to other student support staff; makes process recommendations to manager for improved delivery of service
• May serve on various campus or cross-functional committees to share student support best practices

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in education, public affairs, public health, counseling, social work, business, or related field

Preferred

• Master’s degree in higher education student affairs or related field

Required

WORK EXPERIENCE

• 5 years in student services, higher education, social work, counseling, law, or related field

Skills

Required

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty
• Highly thorough and dependable
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure
• Possesses a high degree of initiative
• Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents
• Demonstrates ability to maintain confidential information
• Ability to simultaneously handle multiple priorities
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision making skills
• Demonstrates customer service skills
• Knowledge of student development, counseling, or career development theories and practices
• Knowledge of current needs and trends of student populations
• Ability to advise students individually and in groups on student-related matters
• Ability to build strong partnerships with students and other university departments

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Travel inter-campus and intra-campus, as well as within the state of Indiana is required.

Priority consideration will be given to candidates who apply on or before May 8, 2026.

This is an in-person position.

Indiana University Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

$59,000.00 annually

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure.

Career Level: Advanced

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Student Services

Job Family: Student Support

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This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, containing policy statements, crime and fire statistics for all Indiana University campuses, is available online. You may also request a physical copy by emailing IU Public Safety at iups@iu.edu or by visiting IUPD.

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Telephone: 812-856-1234