Purpose of Role
The post of Student Advisor is a full-time role which forms a new approach within Heriot-Watt University to student support: providing a wide range of advice, support and guidance across the whole student life cycle, from pre-arrival to graduation.
Student Advisors will be a key contact point for students, providing guidance and support, including referral to other support services where required. Working closely with academic and professional services teams, the role is an advocate for students, ensuring parity of experience for all students.
The postholders will report to the Manager of the Student Advisor team, and will collaborate routinely with colleagues in the wider Team and with academic staff. There will also be regular collaboration with the Student Experience Team within Student Wellbeing Services as well as with other teams within the Student Life Division and wider RAS Directorate, and with other student support services.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Supporting Assigned Individual Students
1. Provide assigned students with a personal, professional relationship tailored to the student’s needs and requirements;
2. Support every student assigned to them through critical stages such as pre-arrival, induction and key study transitions;
3. Advise and support assigned students with all aspects of School and University systems and processes related to their studies, such as finance, mitigating circumstances, temporary suspension of studies programme/course registration and selection, progression criteria, student conduct and disability-related adjustments;
4. Resolve issues directly for students by advising or guiding through options and processes and, where appropriate, signpost, refer or facilitate access to more specialist support, within the School and across the wider University support services, including referrals for cases of urgent or complex health and wellbeing concerns;
5. Support each assigned student at any challenging points in their studies or personal circumstances, engaging with the University’s wider student support services and Personal Tutors/Academic Advisors;
6. Provide information on individual student situations to relevant staff, such as the student’s Personal Tutor/Academic Advisor;
7. Use management information to identify students who are not engaging with their studies and are at risk academically, putting in place or facilitating advice and support for such students, and tracking the impact of such interventions.
The Student Advisor based at the Scottish Borders Campus will work jointly with the Student Experience Team to carry out specific responsibilities detailed below.
8. Delivery of new stdent induction and Welcome Week activities and liaison with academic staff on this;
9. Liaison with Edinburgh based Student Experience Team and SBC colleagues to ensure the delivery of SBC components of Kick-Start Your Success and Kick-Start Your Dissertation.
10. Identification of and contact with at-risk students using the Engagement Dashboard, if capacity allows.
11. Responding to enquiries that fall within remit forwarded by the Student Wellbeing Advisor from the SBC.
12. Providing tailored SBC specific content for communications to current students and offer holders across a variety of media.
13. SBC specific input into yearly updates to student and staff guidance documentation such as the A to Z Student Guide and the Quick Referral Guide for staff.
Supporting Wider Student Community
14. Support students to engage with the University, feel part of a community, benefit from opportunities related to the learning and broader experience and understand their study options and programme/course requirements;
15. Contribute to the development of a holistic student support system, aligning with Personal Tutors/Academic Advisors, student peer support systems;
16. Undertake any other duties as required by the Manager of the Student Advisor team in order to support and enhance the student experience.
17. Identify common issues affecting student groups and identify solutions and preventative factors (e.g. support resources/group workshops) to address these.
18. Meet regularly with key academic staff to keep up to date with academic and staffing developments within their areas of responsibility.
Other Tasks
19. Progress any other tasks associated with the work of the wider Registry and Academic Support Directorate, for example assisting at student enrolment events, graduation ceremonies and the Student Helpline.
20. Undertake any other duties as required by the Global Director of Student Experience + Academic Registrar and/or Head of Student Life
Person Specification
These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made.
Essential
21. Educated to first degree level (or equivalent) or equivalent practical experience in the workplace.
22. Experience of working within a student-facing support role in a similar environment as outlined in the job description.
23. Competent in the use of relevant IT packages
24. Analytical problem solving skills
25. Well-developed interpersonal skills
26. Demonstrable excellent customer service
27. Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment
28. Demonstrable professional and proactive approach
Desirable
29. Experience of Higher Education
30. Experience of advising students
31. Experience in collaborating with multi-location teams