Associate Director of Academic Advising

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 superior student service. We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What We Offer:

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 Benefits.

What You Will Do:

The Associate Director manages and supervises some of the undergraduate and graduate advisors at the Chicago and suburban campuses, ensuring staffing, training, onboarding and planning professional development. This person will be a point of contact for advisors and students to resolve problems. The Associate Director also advises students on academic programs, curriculum, college and university academic policies and procedures and works directly with students in a variety of disciplines to foster their academic success through wraparound support with the goal of retaining students through graduation. The Associate Director should use data and the student success platform to manage student engagement and success, and ensure that services meet the needs of all student populations. The person in this position must be able to work collaboratively with academic leadership and faculty as well as support staff throughout the institution. The Associate Director is under the supervision of the Executive Director of Academic Advising and Learning Support.

Manage staff of academic advisors on the Chicago and suburban campuses by leading staff meetings, taking a lead role in training new staff members, creating department training materials, and planning on-going professional development training.
• Effectively communicate the curriculum and graduation requirements for program, college and university academic policies and procedures for a caseload of students for retention through graduation.
• Manage reporting and administrative tasks such as SAP outreach, low enrollment reports and class cancellations, EAB Navigate compliance reports, quarterly communication emails, website maintenance, professional development registrations and monitoring the advising inbox.
• Develop assessment plans to ensure student learning outcomes are met by services provided by Advising.
• Work collaboratively with faculty and university leadership to ensure a positive student experience, including resolution of student issues. Work collaboratively with other student service units to develop workflow for connecting students to institutional resources and involvement opportunities.
• Assist in the development and execution of retention strategies, initiating new ideas, pulling data from the student success platform and Power BI, reviewing and presenting quarterly persistence data.
• All other duties as assigned.

• Master's Degree required in related field.
• 2-3 years of academic advising or counseling experience.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential.
• Knowledge of student and adult development theories and current trends in academic and student affairs.
• Word processing skills, database management, spreadsheets and web forms and Banner. Ability to work a flexible schedule.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in higher education.
• Handling Conflict: Takes actions that resolve conflicts in a manner that is best for both the organization and the individuals involved. Addresses complaints and problems quickly and effectively, keeps all parties informed of the status of any negotiations required, encourages employees to report problems or concerns and negotiates outcomes that are viewed as fair and even-handed.
• Strategic Skills: Can analyze organizational strengths and weaknesses and then combine these with knowledge of the industry, market and organization to develop long-term strategy.

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.