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Position Description
Academic Advisors in the Department of Design and Merchandising (DM) in the College of Health and Human Sciences are 12-month, full-time Administration Professional position. The department offers programs of study in two undergraduate majors (Apparel and Merchandising and Interior Architecture and Design), one minor (Merchandising), and a graduate program. Academic Advisors play an integral role in the department by providing an innovative and holistic approach to enhancing the student experience and fostering academic success among students in the Apparel and Merchandising and Interior Architecture and Design programs.
The primary roles of the Academic Advisors are to:
- Provide quality academic advising and support to DM students.
- Promote timely graduation.
- Partner with College and Department personnel to support student recruitment and retention activities/programs.
- Serve as advisor for the Design and Merchandising Leadership Team. Teach DM 192 – Design and Merchandising First Year Seminar.
- Academic advising and support include assisting students in their transition to the university environment, engaging students in discussion and exploration around selected programs of study (e.g., major, concentration, minor) and co-curricular opportunities (e.g., honors program, study abroad), encouraging students to actively participate in departmental and university activities and organizations, and supporting students in achieving their goals related to educational attainment/graduation.
- Specific duties or responsibilities include leading or assisting RAM Orientation, RAM Welcome (CSU’s freshman/transfer student welcoming event), departmental recruitment events, and CSU student visit days.
- Academic Advisors also participate in the CSU Cross-Campus Network of Academic Advisors and Success Coordinators, collaborating to meet the goal of gaining knowledge/expertise of ‘best practices’ in student advising/success as well as campus resources for students. This position requires occasional evening and weekend work hours.
Duties
Academic Advising and Student Support:
- Enhance the overall student experience through thoughtful and efficient advising.
- Facilitate freshman/transfer students’ transition to the university environment and engage students in discussion and exploration of selected programs of study (e.g., major, concentration, minor, honors program, study abroad) in DM and across the university.
- Help students to understand DM curricula, develop short and long-term (i.e., semester vs. multi-year) academic plans, and meet department and University requirements for program admittance (apparel design, interior architecture and design) and degree completion. Host major information sessions for students outside of DM who are looking to change their major to a Design and Merchandising degree program.
- Encourage students to establish mentoring relationships with academic faculty and to actively participate in departmental and university activities/ organizations.
- Support students in achieving their goals related to educational attainment/graduation; including the ability to offer options and resources to students who are not admitted to the apparel design concentration or the interior architecture concentration.
- Coordinate, develop, and lead student retention efforts (per the department and CSU’s outreach and support retention initiatives) through direct communications with ‘at-risk’ students (i.e., students of concern regarding ‘early performance” feedback, non-registration, precipitous GPA change/drop, Academic Watch/probationary status, etc.).
- Coordinate and participate in the completion of student contracts for CSU Degree Completion, and take the initiative to communicate and resolve varied issues related to degree completion, and host graduation information meetings.
- Develop mastery of university advising technologies (eg. ARIES and Navigate) for searching academic and advising history, creating reports, entering overrides, and downloading forms.
- Promote a welcoming environment to each, individual student that reflects CSU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion; develop familiarity with issues certain populations of students may face (nontraditional students, students of color, first-generation college students, transfer students, veterans, etc.) and incorporate this perspective into fulfilling advising responsibilities.
Engagement in CSU Network of Academic Advisors and Success Coordinators:
- Participate in the university Advising Network and CHHS Advising Team, and collaborate with other DM advisors to strategize and implement actions or recommendations.
- Share/disseminate initiatives from the university advising committees with department advisors, faculty, and staff as appropriate.
- Build knowledge of ‘best practices’ in student advising for implementation in DM, including strategies to enhance student recruitment, retention, and success.
- Establish familiarity and foster relationships with CSU student-oriented offices and/or organizations, including the Collaborative for Student Achievement, Orientation and Transition Programs, Admissions, the Honor’s Program, the Career Center, and Health and Human Science (HHS) Career Development Manager.
Recruitment, Service, and Teaching:
- Coordinate and direct departmental recruitment commitments such as tours for prospective students and families and university-coordinated visit days (will involve occasional weekends).
- Assist with coordinating and participating in student recruitment and welcoming activities, including RAM Orientation, RAM Welcome, and CSU student visit days and recruitment events.
- Work with DM advising team and CHHS partners to gather/track data related to student recruitment, retention, and success; including data specific to selected courses, programs, and students.
- Coordinate the development and implementation of a comprehensive assessment plan for advising services.
- Coordinate schedules of advising team members to maximize student access to advising services and to support departmental needs.
- Serve as faculty advisor to student groups such as the Design and Merchandising Leadership Team (DMLT). DMLT is a selected group of 10-15 students who meet monthly, volunteer in the community, mentor first-year students, help with departmental events, and meet with and give tours to prospective students and families.
- Teach DM 192 – Design and Merchandising First Year Seminar, 1-credit course (2-4 sections per year).
- Serve on departmental committees and participate in commencement, as appropriate.
Application Process
CSU is committed to full inclusion of qualified individuals. If you need assistance or accommodations with the search process, please reach out to the listed search contact. Please submit the following materials directly to this posting: https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/151486. Letter of application addressing all required and preferred qualifications including your education, experience, and skills specifically related to the position description. Resume or vitae. Three (3) professional references, phone numbers, and email addresses (references will not be contacted without permission of the applicant). Applicants may learn more about this position and the University from search chair, Kendra Allen, by email to [email protected] or by phone 970-491-3254, and from the Design & Merchandising home page at http://www.chhs.colostate.edu/dm. Inquiries and initial applications will be treated confidentially. The Committee will notify candidates before contacting references. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
Institution Information
Founded in 1870, Colorado State University is among the nation’s leading research universities and enrolls approximately 32,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Located an hour north of the Denver metro area, Fort Collins is a vibrant community of approximately 157,000 residents that offers the convenience of a small town with all the amenities of a large city. Fort Collins is situated on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains with views of 14,000-foot peaks and offers access to numerous cultural, recreational, and outdoor opportunities. One of eight academic units in the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Department of Design and Merchandising offers B.S. degrees in Apparel and Merchandising (AM) and in Interior Architecture and Design (IAD), and an M.S. in Design and Merchandising. Both undergraduate programs are nationally accredited; the AM program became the ‘first-in-the-nation’ program accredited by the Textile and Apparel Program Accreditation Commission in 2019 and the IAD program has been accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation since 1990. The AM and IAD programs also received accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) in May 2022 in partnership with the Department of Art and Art History. The department’s mission is to achieve excellence in education and scholarship through community engagement, industry collaboration, creative exploration, and scientific inquiry. We are committed to advancing and fostering an understanding of socially responsible conceptualization, design, adoption, and evaluation of processes, products, and environments that responsively enhance the human experience. As a research-one (R1), public land-grant university, Colorado State University holds an expectation of scholarship in creative, engaged, scientific work. The department has 25 faculty as well as administrative professionals and staff who support approximately 700 undergraduate students and 20 graduate students. The department is housed in three buildings: the Nancy Richardson Design Center, which includes the DM main office and features classrooms, computer labs, a design library, and fabrication labs designed to foster innovative teaching and learning; the neighboring Gifford Building, which features classrooms, computer labs, apparel construction labs, an exhibition gallery, a textile library, and textile science labs; and the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising, located in the University Center for the Arts. The Avenir Museum is a designated University Center that features exhibition galleries, a textile conservation lab, a classroom, and a library/conference room. The facility also is a repository for 25,000 historically and culturally significant items of dress, textiles, and interior artifacts representing regional, national, and international cultures. The Avenir Museum is under consideration for accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. To learn more about the Department of Design and Merchandising (DM), please visit: https://www.chhs.colostate.edu/dm
Additional Information
CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.
Contact Information
Kendra Allen
[email protected]
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