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Department
Social Work
About the University
Established in 1965, Metropolitan State University (MSU Denver) was founded to serve students who were underrepresented in higher education whose life paths and experiences did not fit the traditional mold. Sixty years later, the University continues to serve over 16,000 of Colorado’s extraordinary and diverse students, providing them with the foundation on which to build their unique aspirations. As the third largest public institution of higher education in Colorado, MSU Denver
is a model university for today’s college students.
Proud of its federal designation as a
Hispanic-Serving Institution
that also offers graduate programs (gHSI) and the only Seal of Excelencia certified institution in Colorado, the University serves the most diverse undergraduate student population in the state, as well as the most first-generation students. Through affordable, flexible, and holistic education, MSU Denver helps students build essential skills grounded in a multicultural and global perspective that lead to undergraduate and graduate degrees, and career and life success.
At MSU Denver, we are committed to our CADRE values:
Community, Access, Diversity, Respect, and Excellence
. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive environment where all community members are valued and belong. Our dedication to breaking down barriers to education, fostering open dialogue, and promoting world-class scholarship ensures that we provide exceptional services and innovative learning opportunities for our students, faculty, and staf
f.
About the Department of Social Work
The Department of Social Workis a growing academic unit consisting of undergraduate and graduate education and includes the Master of Social Work Program, Bachelor of Science in Social Work Program, grants and contract services, the Office of Field Education, and the Office of Social Work Student Services, Operations and Finance (OSWSS-OF).
The mission ofMSU Denver’s Department of Social Workis toprepare social workers to engage in skillful, ethical, justice-oriented, and effective practice in their communities.
Weaccomplishthis by:
Educating and training students to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, including those who are members of historically excluded populations.
Building community centered and strategic partnerships with organizations, co-creating relationship-centeredlearningand working environments to foster growth and collaboration.
Utilizing the NASW Code of Ethics to inform teaching and practice, while adapting to changes in the field and world, drawing from a vast knowledge base informed by multiple perspectives.
Position Summary
The Department of Social Work at MSU Denver offers CSWE accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs that are available on-campus and fully online. We are seeking an undergraduate academic advising specialist in the Department of Social Work to serve as the primary academic advisor for all undergraduate social work students, online and on-campus, as well as prospective undergraduates. The caseload is approximately 500:1, and the advisor conducts their work with special attention to fully online students and on-campus students.
The academic advising specialist works with students to define educational and career goals, track degree progress, and ensure strong retention and graduation rates. The advising specialist also works with prospective students through new student orientation, and onboarding students to the Department of Social Work, to include transfer credit reviews. This position also facilitates the admission to major process for pre-social work students into the Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSSW) program, which requires running reports and analyzing data to design outreach campaigns. Further, the advising specialist may be askedto participate in recruitment events as needed.
The academic advising specialist serves as a member of the Office of Social Work Student Services (OSWSS) in the Department of Social Work, and reports to the Director of OSWSS. This position works closely with the BSSW program faculty and attends faculty meetings.
Responsibilities
Provide Advising Services to a Diverse Student
Body – 50%
Conduct advising sessions with students, assist with course selection, scheduling and registration using advising-based technology.
Utilize knowledge of curriculum to help students with long-term degree planning.
Prepare and maintain advising documentation in the current student success/customer management system.
Refer students to appropriate University resources, and advocate for student support and ensure follow through.
Provide basic information related to career planning, financial literacy, admissions and other applicable information related to student needs.
Teach students about electronic advising and registration tools and how to best utilize them for success (e.g. Degree Progress Reports, Student Hub, Student Success Collaborative suite, etc…).
Lead and/or participate in new student orientations and registration events, and design follow up campaigns designed to prevent melt.
Attend introductory social work classes to share information about admission to the BSSW program.
Monitor Progress and Retention of Assigned Students and Collaborate with Advising Leadership to Develop Retention Strategies – 40%
Promote student success by building upon their lived experiences and the assets they bring to college.
Advocate for student needs and actively work to foster belonging and engagement for all social work students.
Utilize advising-based systems to track and engage assigned students who are at-risk of not being retained (Early Alert).
Design and/or implement, and participate in appropriate student-centered outreach with a lens toward diversity and inclusivity.
Design and/or implement, and participate in retention initiatives with faculty and staff.
Access, understand, and utilize data related to successfully design retention strategies.
Meet regularly with the BSSW Program Director to problem solve student issues, approve transfer credit, and approve requirement petitions.
Maintain the Pre-Social Work and BSSW Program Canvas orientations which serve to successfully onboard students to the program.
Work together with members of OSWSS to build student engagement events.
Professional Development
Leadership – 5%
Remain up to date on advising techniques and approaches.
Assist in development of advisor professional development opportunities
Become a resource to other advisors and/or faculty regarding curriculum in assigned areas
Assist other advisors and/or faculty in appropriate use of technology resources
Develop and maintain professional learning networks with internal and external stakeholders, becoming a resource to others and assist in problem solving to support student success
Other Duties as
Assigned – 5%
Required
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree
Minimum of 2 years of professional experience as an academic advisor, or similar role in student success
Experience using computer-based student information system(s) (e.g. Ellucian Banner, PeopleSoft, CampusVue, etc.)
Experience developing and/or leading trainings, workshops or presentations
Demonstrated experience with advising techniques or approaches at an accredited institution
Demonstratedabilitytorelateeffectivelytoadiverseuniversitycommunity(students,faculty,staff,alumniandparents)
Demonstratedproblem-solving skills and detail-orientation
Important Note: Successful applicants will ensure their resumes clearly demonstrate that their work experience describes how they meetallrequired qualific
