This page provides information about advisor job classifications and advancement. The promotion of academic advisors is designed to recognize and reward a sustained level of excellence and responsibility in the performance of duties and contributions within the advising responsibilities. More information about the university’s job family structures and classifications is available on the human resources website.
Advisor Classifications
The following list provides a brief snapshot of the four advising classifications.
Student Services Professional 2 - Academic Advisor I
Advising Foundational Skills and Knowledge
- New to the experience of academic advising and/or working with college students.
- Learning/being introduced to the advising experience.
- Focus is on advisor skill building and learning the role, such as how to have meaningful conversations with students and understanding curriculum and academic policy.
Job Scope
- Independence and Decision Making
- Works with moderate supervision (supervisor is reviewing work more regularly). Supervisor provides more guidance, coaching, training, and shadowing for skill-development.
- Job Classification Specification description: Work is performed under moderate supervision. Work is guided by general procedures and professional norms, with periodic checks on accuracy, quality and timeliness of outcomes.
- Complexity and Problem Solving
- Can manage foundational academic advising functions and basic student needs/interactions. Seeks support or assistance in more complex student issues.
- Job Classification Specification description: Must find solutions to modestly technical or operational problems. Once a problem is identified, solutions generally can be determined using conventional or standard procedures.
- Scope of Influence/Measurable Effect
- Students: Assists with degree planning, student development and processes related to degree progress. Reaches out for assistance with more complex student issues
Student Services Professional 3 - Academic Advisor II
Experienced Advising Skills and Knowledge
- Solid advising skills and knowledge to function effectively and independently
- Assumes more independent work, such as serving on committees, broader project responsibilities and will often lead projects
- Typically assists with on-boarding and may serve as a resource for new advisors
- If teaching is a part of responsibilities, can present predetermined curriculum materials independently, often co-teaching
Job Scope
- Independence and Decision Making
- Works with minimal supervision. Supervisor supports skill-development and provides guidance for complex situations and overall responsibilities.
- Serves on committees, broader project responsibilities and will often lead projects (i.e., unit/departmental programing, searches).
- Complexity and Problem Solving
- Can manage foundational academic advising functions and basic student needs/interactions. Seeks support or assistance in more complex student issues.
- Advisors assume more independent work, such as serving on committees, broader project responsibilities and will often lead projects (i.e., unit/departmental programing, searches).
- Scope of Influence/Measurable Effect
- Students: Assists with degree planning, student development and processes related to degree progress. Deals with complex situations involving crisis management, problem solving, career planning, and engagement activities.
- Advisors: Assists with on-boarding new staff and may serve as a resource for new advisors. Able to answer questions related to processes, technology, and policies for other advisors. Serves on committees within the college or department.
Student Services Professional 4 - Senior Academic Advisor
Excels at Advising Skills and Knowledge
- Excellent advising skills, knowledge, and competencies. Often are subject matter experts and resources for faculty, colleagues or departments.
- Responsibilities involve contributing to the advising unit with strong foundational knowledge, mentoring or overseeing training of new advisors.
- Expectation to lead a significant project for the unit.
- Committee assignments include more on-going, as well as involving academic policy or campus-wide initiatives.
- Providing leadership and significant engagement in the profession.
- If teaching as part of responsibilities, typically an instructor of record.
Job Scope
- Independence and Decision Making
- Independent work and decision making with minimal supervision.
- Leadership in the unit mentoring or overseeing training of new advisors, leading significant projects or committees.
- Committee assignments include leading or influencing standing committees, academic policy/practices or campus-wide initiatives.
- Complexity and Problem Solving
- Can manage complex student situations independently through integrated knowledge and skills including counseling and development theory, campus and academic knowledge, career and life planning.
- Scope of Influence
- Students: Assists with degree planning, student development and processes related to degree progress. Deals with complex situations involving crisis management, problem solving and engagement activities. Able to help students navigate competing priorities, policies and demands. Understand and engages with nuances related to identity development.
- Advisors: Serves as a subject matter expert. Responsible for leading committees that affect college policy and projects. Directs unit success through leading or serving on hiring committees. Mentors/trains other advisors, both new and early career.
- Proactively seeks resolution on issues affecting advising. Assists other advisors in navigating complex situations.
- Advising community campus wide: May serve on cross-college committees that affect policy and procedures campus wide.
Student Services Professional 5 - Senior Academic Advisor & Project Lead
Expert Advising Skills and Knowledge, Independent Project Lead
- Expert advising skills, knowledge, and competencies. Often are subject matter experts and resources for faculty, colleagues or departments.
- Serves as a specialized subject matter expert in an advising area with college- or campus-wide responsibilities.
- Has a high degree of autonomy and responsibility for a program or project area. Develops new programs, resources, and activities and/or leads significant initiatives for unit/college.
Job Scope
- Independence and Decision Making
- Independent work and decision making with minimal supervision.
- Leadership in leading and creating content, resources, programs.
- Complexity and Problem Solving
- Can manage complex student situations independently through integrated knowledge and skills including counseling and development theory, campus and academic knowledge, career and life planning.
- Can navigate complex challenges and strategy related to projects/initiatives.
- Scope of Influence
- Students: Responsible for developing programs and policies that directly impact student success and persistence. Deals with complex situations involving crisis management, problem solving and engagement activities. Able to help students navigate competing priorities, policies and demands. Understands and engages with nuances related to identity development and how they may affect student engagement and persistence.
- Advisors: Serves as a subject matter expert. Responsible for leading committees or project areas that affect college policy and projects. Directs unit success through leading or serving on hiring committees. Mentors other advisors, both new and early career. Proactively seeks resolution on issues affecting advising. Develops comprehensive training and provides professional development for advisors within the unit.
- Campus-wide: Serves as a representative for the college in building cross-college relationships and programs. High level of responsibility and autonomy for work.
Advisor Placement Guidelines and Promotion Eligibility
Academic advising on the Twin Cities campus is dispersed across colleges and some central academic units. Therefore, the process and decisions relating to promotion are determined by the college/unit in consultation with the central Office of Human Resources.
In an effort to create an equitable process across UMTC, the advising community created central Guidelines for Academic Advising Placement & Promotion. These guidelines are intended to serve as a foundation for colleges to create their own promotion guidelines, which may vary slightly from these central guidelines due to unit-specific human resource policies and procedures.