[Photo of Mountains from departmental webpage]

Campus-Only Recruitment

Only current UM Employees* are eligible.

*Open to all employee types including Temporary Staff and Student Employees.

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THE COLLEGE OF FORESTRY AND CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT invites applications for an ACADEMIC ADVISOR II to work with undergraduate students in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation.  This position would be working under the supervision of the Director of Student Services to serve undergraduate students within the College. This is a complex position that requires familiarity with academic requirements for natural resource majors, University of Montana (UM) general education requirements, and software programs used by UM to advise students (e.g., Banner, DegreeWorks, Microsoft Office).  Specific job responsibilities include: advising students on selecting and scheduling classes; helping each student develop an individualized plan to accomplish the student’s educational objectives and ensuring all requirements are met for graduation; maintaining electronic advising records for each student and sharing those records with the faculty mentors within the College; helping with organizing and conducting orientations for new students; evaluating transcripts of transfer students; helping in administering scholarships and awards; preparing initial course schedules for incoming students in advance of orientation; communicating with undergraduate students about opportunities for internships, jobs, and important deadlines; and reviewing and approving graduation applications. The position must also stay current with requirements for employment with federal and state natural resource agencies and for certification in professional societies.

Considerable initiative and independence is required. The position independently advises students and routinely makes decisions as to how to most effectively and efficiently advise ~200 students with variable advising needs.  For example, some students require considerable advising assistance in order to be successful, whereas other students require minimal assistance.  To be both efficient and effective, the position must put in place advising procedures that are tailored to the different needs of students.  Thus, the position is expected to recognize the different advising needs of a diverse student body and be inclusive of all students.  Furthermore, the position is expected to independently solve problems that arise during routine academic advising and complete other student services duties as assigned.

This position requires incumbent to develop optimal time-management skills and ability to maximally leverage benefits of software and other resources available to academic advisors; and develop a working knowledge of UM computer software tied to academic advising, with the ability to help faculty with the new software.

SPECIFIC JOB RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Advising students on selecting and scheduling classes
• Helping each student develop an individualized plan to accomplish the student’s educational objectives and ensure all requirements are met for graduation
• Maintaining electronic advising records for each student and sharing those records with the faculty mentors within the College
• Help with organizing and conducting orientations for new students; evaluating transcripts of transfer students
• Assisting in administering scholarships and awards; preparing initial course schedules for incoming students in advance of orientation
• Communicating with undergraduate students about opportunities for internships, jobs, and important deadlines
• Reviewing and approving graduation applications
• Other duties as assigned

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Communication skills are critically important, and the successful applicant must be able to work effectively with a wide variety of people, including undergraduate students, administrators, staff, and faculty. The position requires interacting with personnel in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, and several other units within and outside of the UM.
• Familiarity with (or the ability to learn) the academic requirements of the different majors within the College, UM general education requirements, the Americans with Disability Act., and FERPA.
• Computer skills that include a working knowledge (or the ability to learn) Banner, DegreeWorks, and Microsoft Office software (Outlook, Access, Excel, Word, and Powerpoint).
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills.
• Ability to follow timelines and meet deadlines.
• Ability to keep student information strictly confidential.
• Ability to advise students regarding a myriad of issues from course selection to withdrawals and reinstatements to support services and referrals such as counseling and tutoring.
• Ability to make sound decisions and provide quality academic advising in often difficult and complex student situations.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in addition to two (2) years of academic advising experience; or any combination of experience and education that provides the competencies necessary to successfully discharge the duties and responsibilities assigned to the position.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• College degree in a natural science field, education, counseling, or advising
• Demonstrate experience advising and/or mentoring students in the sciences
• Proficiency in the use and customized application of Microsoft Office and other computer software
• Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities
• Demonstrated communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and other computer software
• Demonstrated time-management and organizational skills

About the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation and UM, and Missoula

Demonstrated through innovative teaching, research, and service, the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation empowers society and its future leaders to better understand and more effectively conserve, restore, and sustain complex social-ecological systems in the Rocky Mountains and beyond.

The University of Montana is a unit of the Montana University System with over 10,000 students. It is located in Missoula, a culturally vibrant community of about 72,000, surrounded by mountain grandeur which was recently ranked in the “top 20 best college towns with a population of less than 250,000” by the American Institute for Economic Research and ranked 9th in Outside Magazine’s “The 16 Greatest Places to Live in America” in 2014. Many national publications recognize Missoula for its high quality of life. Abundant recreational opportunities in surrounding state and national forests and nearby Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park complement a thriving intellectual atmosphere.  The University of Montana offers eligible employees a generous benefits package that positively separates UM from other local employers and offers many programs and policies to support work-life balance for its employees.

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five PRIORITIES FOR ACTION: Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always"; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, MISSOULA, AND THE STATE OF MONTANA, PLEASE VISIT THE LINKS BELOW.

University of Montana

• Video: UM Lifestyles
• University Highlights

City of Missoula

• Video: There's This Place
• Destination Missoula
• Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce

The State of Montana

• Visit Montana

Position Details

POSITION TITLE:                    ACADEMIC ADVISOR II

POSITION NUMBER:              070210

DEPARTMENT:                       W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

WORK SCHEDULE Full-time, 1.0 FTE (40 Hours a week), Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 12 months/year.

SALARY:                                $16.984/HR –Current employee’s rate of pay for this position will be determined by the staff compensation plan and will minimally be this posted salary. For questions and details regarding the staff compensation plan, email the Compensation Department.

UNION AFFILIATION:               FOCUS-MFPE

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:        Six months minimum

BENEFITS INCLUDE:               Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to the Offer of Employment In accordance with University regulations, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations. ADA/EOE/AA/VETERAN'S PREFERENCE Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law. REFERENCES: References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant. TESTING: Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions. EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY: All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9). 

HOW TO APPLY

APPLICATION DEADLINE: SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2021_ by 11:59 PM (Mountain Time)_

Candidates are required to submit the following materials online via "New Resume/CV" button below

 A COMPLETE APPLICATION INCLUDES:

1. LETTER OF INTEREST – addressing your qualifications and experience related to the stated required skills for the position. A general letter salutation such as “Dear Search Committee” or “Dear Hiring Manager” is acceptable.
2. DETAILED RESUME – listing education and describing work experience.
3. PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES – names and contact information for three (3) professional references.

Need additional help? Check out our UM Jobs FAQ website.

Required Skills Required Experience

• Ability to work flexibly and collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team
• Professional training and experience providing clinical services to program population
• Experience utilizing Electronic Health Record preferred