Assistant Director of Graduate Advising

Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff.

AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples' lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work.

We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

At AU we believe that continuous learning is a fundamental part of working life, and our goal is for all colleagues on our campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support our community by providing all employees with opportunities to engage in professional development activities, as well as a range of tuition and employee benefits that can be found here.

The Crouse Center for Academic Advising provides personalized and proactive advising and mentoring to guide AU students toward a successful academic experience. From a student's first day at AU, their dedicated academic advisor supports them in making informed decisions, connecting with campus resources, and achieving their goals. Advisors help students develop personalized degree plans, explore majors and career paths, and ensure they meet requirements for graduation or pre-professional programs. They also connect students with tutoring, career services, and other resources that enhance their academic and personal growth. Whether offering guidance in time management, goal setting, or overcoming challenges, advisors serve as a supportive advocate throughout each student's journey to success at AU.

Position Purpose: The Assistant Director of Graduate Advising supports student learning and success by providing strategic leadership for advising services across all graduate programs and modalities. They ensure consistent, high-quality support for graduate students while collaborating with faculty, campus partners, and fellow Assistant Directors to maintain consistency and enhance the overall advising experience. The Assistant Director oversees procedures specific to graduate advising and collaborates with the Director of Academic Advising to promote excellence across all advising practices.

Core Competencies:

• Represents Aurora University in the most positive manner with prospective, former and current students, clients, suppliers and the community we serve. Interacts effectively with a diverse group of faculty, staff, students and other customers of our service, learns and uses operating practices of the department and Aurora University.
• Upholds the Mission Statement: At Aurora University, our singular goal is to empower students to achieve lasting personal and professional success. We do this by being an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. As a teaching-centered institution, we encourage undergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes to build meaningful and purposeful lives.
• Handles all information with tact and discretion and recognizes the confidential nature of university business.
• Supports learning through performance of essential job functions and performing other duties and functions as necessary or as assigned, including voluntary participation in university committees, activities and events.

Academic Advising

• Provide leadership and supervision to academic advising staff while overseeing graduate advising across all programs and modalities, maintaining consistency and quality in advising practices.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of all graduate programs modalities and create resources and training to support advisors in delivering effective, program-specific guidance.
• Collaborate with the Director and other Assistant Directors to communicate current policies, procedures, and program requirements to advisors and assess student needs related to graduate advising.
• Collaborate with graduate enrollment teams to support student onboarding, retention, and progression through proactive communication and outreach strategies.
• Provide strategic oversight and expert guidance on graduate financial aid to ensure advisors and students receive accurate, timely, and comprehensive support
• Monitor waitlists and work with faculty and enrollment teams to address section and seat needs.
• Support schedule projections, course planning, and budget creation by working with academic departments and leadership.
• Use data to guide advising practices, retention strategies, and decisions related to graduate student outcomes.
• Lead new initiatives to enhance the graduate advising experience, streamline processes, and strengthen overall advising operations.
• Serve on committees requiring graduate advising representation to provide input and advocate for student success.
• Deliver presentations and advise graduate students on program, concentration, or specialization selection, course registration, and academic planning.
• Conduct individual and small group advising sessions for new and continuing graduate students, including review of transcripts and student records.
• Provide students with resources and guidance to navigate registration systems, academic policies, and degree requirements.
• Proactively communicate information relevant to student success, including program requirements, registration deadlines, and academic opportunities.
• Demonstrate expertise in student success platforms to support both advisor efficiency and student outcomes.

Mentoring

• Assist graduate students in confirming program, concentration, or specialization selection in support of their academic and professional goals.
• Assist students through the process of vocational discernment by discussing their strengths, values, and interests and encouraging vocational exploration.
• Intentionally focus on guiding graduate students toward increased independence and self-directed learning throughout their program.
• Listen to, advocate on behalf of, and build positive working relationships with students.
• Build positive working relationships with parents, as appropriate.
• Strategically mentor at-risk students.
• Refer students to appropriate university resources.

University Partnerships

• Establish and maintain relationships with assigned department chairs to understand and clarify departmental expectations to assist in maintaining current knowledge of assigned degree programs.
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs to review academic materials for accuracy (e.g. degree audits, academic catalog, online resources) and provide feedback regarding course offerings.
• Collaborate with university departments (registrar, student accounts, financial aid, admission, athletics, etc.) to help facilitate student retention and academic progress.

Other

• Other duties as assigned.

Education:

• Master's degree required

Experience:

• 4 years previous experience in higher education within the areas of student support, academic advising, academic support, teaching and learning, or related field required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience providing academic advising or student support to online student populations.

Skills:

• Sound problem-solving, interpersonal, decision-making, and conflict-resolution skills. Excellent written, oral, and presentation communication skills.
• Quick learner with great prioritization skills.
• Ability to work independently and be dependable.
• Ability to accept divergent views while maintaining a constructive working relationship with other team members.
• Solid understanding of student data and communication systems.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work with a computer for long periods of the day.
• Ability to attend off campus meetings.
• Office setting, standing, walking, sitting.
• Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours.

Work Hours:

• Expected equivalent of 40 hours per week, but days/hours may vary as needed.

The pay range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted amount the university reasonably expects to pay for this position. The final pay rate will not be below the lowest pay rate listed herein.

Benefit-eligible positions offer excellent benefits including health, dental, life, vision, long term disability, a 403(b) retirement plan through TIAA, and tuition remission.

Aurora University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Aurora University offers competitive, flexible benefits to eligible employees.

• Health Insurance
  
  Choice of HMO or PPO offered through BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois.
• Dental and Vision Insurance
  
  Choice of two dental plans and vision insurance offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Life Insurance and AD&D
  
  1.5 times annual salary, dependent on age. Additional life insurance also may be purchased for self, spouse, and children.
• Long Term Disability
  
  60% of salary, taxable and nontaxable options.
• TIAA Retirement Account
  
  The University offers a 403b retirement plan, administered by TIAA. Matching contributions offered first day of employment to eligible employees, at the discretion of the University and Board of Directors.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
  
  FSAs are available for medical costs and dependent care costs.
• Paid Time Off
  
  Vacation, personal, and sick leave are provided to eligible employees.
• Holidays
  
  The university observes nine major holidays where the university is closed.
• Tuition Assistance
  
  Tuition assistance for AU undergraduate courses is available to eligible employees and eligible family members beginning the term following one (1) year of regular, full-time employment. Tuition assistance for graduate programs paid at 60% for employee following Senior Leadership approval.
• Tuition Exchange Consortiums
  
  AU is a member of the Tuition Exchange (TE) and the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP) enabling full-time employees and eligible family members to be eligible for tuition assistance at more than 600 universities nationwide. Eligibility for the CIC-TEP and TE programs is one (1) year of regular, full-time employment as of 8/31.

To see more benefits details and breakdowns please see our benefits guide here (Download PDF reader).