Job Overview
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Job Description
About the Academic Coach Role
The Academic Coach serves as the primary contact for learners from matriculation through the completion of their program at Capella University. This role involves managing a pipeline of learners by coaching, motivating, mentoring, removing barriers, owning issues through resolution, and strategizing for program completion and progress. Academic Coaches help learners clarify key decision-points and identify solutions and alternatives aligned with their motivations and goals, utilizing strong relationship-building and influencing skills to drive positive learner behaviors and outcomes, contributing to overall learner success and persistence.
Academic Coaches provide personalized interactions to assist learners in successfully navigating their educational path. This includes proactive outreach at key milestones and based on identified behaviors, helping learners stay on track and overcome obstacles. Each interaction explores needs and provides tailored solutions to prepare learners for long-term success. Collaboration with faculty and other University partners is crucial to address learner concerns and collaboratively define options for academic success.
Essential Duties
Academic Planning & Engagement
- Assist learners in developing an academic plan that includes all program requirements, enables the most direct path to completion, and aligns with their educational and career goals.
- Leverage tools, systems, and software applications to optimize advising engagement.
- Build a strong relationship with the learner to encourage success and engagement.
- Utilize program analytics and outreach protocols to drive purpose-driven and transformational conversations.
- Help learners navigate program changes and understand Capella-initiated adjustments.
- Explore the alignment of learner’s educational and financial plans in relation to degree completion.
- Provide resources and refer learners to university support services.
- Assess learner needs to help them make informed decisions about their pathways and challenge them to make progress toward their goals.
Progress Monitoring & Academic Risk Mitigation
- Proactively reach out to learners identified as at-risk, including those with lack of engagement, academic standing concerns, pace of progress issues, course completion difficulties, or gaps in competency development.
- Highlight and address potential barriers that may impact persistence, success, and completion.
- Encourage learners to develop skills for direct resolution of challenges; coordinate with faculty, academic leadership, and learner-facing teams to seek resolution of learner issues.
- Coach learners through disruptive life events and challenges, providing options based on unique situations.
- Respond to learners via a wide variety of communication tools and systems, including phone, voicemail, chat, email, casework, and social media.
- Collaborate with faculty, chairs, and other university leaders in handling escalated learner situations and supporting conflict resolution.
Communication & Interaction
- Respond to learners via various communication tools and systems, including phone, voicemail, chat, email, casework, and social media.
- Maintain appropriate and accurate documentation of all learner interactions in accordance with departmental best practices.
Program, Process, and Policy Subject Matter Expertise
- Serve as University Subject Matter Experts concerning programs, processes, and policies in meetings, committees, and informal sessions.
- Monitor and communicate trends impacting learner persistence, success, and completion; discuss obstacles and challenges with learners.
- Support development and training for faculty and/or staff regarding programs, process, and policy.
- Proactively and respectfully identify and provide insight into program, process, and policy opportunities and gaps. Participate in creating solutions in partnership with key stakeholders.
- Build trusted professional relationships across the business.
- Participate in projects or initiatives that support departmental goals.
- Support and participate in departmental and cross-functional training.
- Research and stay abreast of issues and trends in other institutions of higher education.
Job Skills
Driving Results:
- Ability to understand key metrics and utilize self-service reporting and tools to monitor and share data.
- Ability to drive results in a team-based environment.
- Ability to influence positive learner behaviors and outcomes.
Thinking and Judgment:
- Fundamental understanding of business acumen to successfully balance learner and University needs.
- Ability to exercise keen discretion and ethical judgment in responding to complex learner situations.
- Ability to adapt quickly and thrive in a fast-paced, changing professional environment.
- Ability to innovate with the purpose of accomplishing key objectives and willingness to take risks.
- Ability to respond positively to consistent change.
- Ability to think critically to build plans of action and personalized solutions.
- Comfortable representing a complex program requiring in-depth, specialized knowledge.
- Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information.
Working with Others:
- Ability to prioritize the needs of the learner and committed to providing an excellent learner experience.
- Ability to quickly understand problems and provide proactive solutions.
- Ability to form positive working relationships, foster an effective team atmosphere, and promote a collaborative environment with learners, faculty, staff, and leadership.
- Ability to work effectively and efficiently with a diverse population.
- Ability to manage conflict; motivated and engaged by frequent and occasionally challenging interactions.
- Ability to develop trust and hold others accountable to commitments.
- Ability to assess challenging situations and effectively communicate with leadership.
- Ability to maintain departmental guidelines for interacting with and responding to learners and Capella stakeholders.
Managing Self:
- Ability to manage time effectively by prioritizing and evaluating work to handle a variety of daily activities.
- Ability to effectively juggle multiple tasks and handle competing priorities.
- Ability to demonstrate resilience and respond appropriately to stressful situations.
- Ability to be self-aware and behave appropriately with a commitment to continuous self-improvement.
- Ability to self-direct and follow through on assigned tasks while working both independently and collaboratively.
- Motivated in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment driven by deadlines.
Technical Functions and Skills:
- Ability to maintain best practices for learner interaction: discovering needs, understanding the situation, recommending options, determining a way forward, and engaging the learner.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to communicate through a variety of channels/systems.
- Foundational understanding of the advising discipline from educational and career perspectives.
- Ability to evaluate and learn new computer software applications quickly.
- Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Work/Location Requirements:
- Must be able to spend significant time working at a computer and on the phone using a headset.
- Must be flexible in work hours/schedule to accommodate learner needs.
- Position may require work above and beyond 40 hours per week during peak periods.
Work Experience
Two to four years of professional experience using advanced coaching, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills is preferred. Experience working with adult learners and/or faculty is also preferred.
Education
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required. A Master’s degree from an accredited institution is preferred. For Doctoral Advisors, a Doctoral degree from an accredited institution is preferred. Preferred degrees are in disciplines such as student development, college student personnel management, education psychology, counseling psychology, social work, student affairs, or higher education, with specific preferences based on school and program assignment.
Key skills/competency
- Academic Advising
- Student Coaching
- Learner Success
- Relationship Building
- Problem Solving
- Communication Skills
- Mentorship
- Program Management
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Critical Thinking
How to Get Hired at Capella University
- Research Capella University's culture: Study their mission, values, recent news, and employee testimonials on LinkedIn and Glassdoor, focusing on their commitment to learner success.
- Tailor your resume for coaching: Highlight experience in academic advising, mentorship, problem-solving, and relationship-building, using keywords from the Academic Coach job description.
- Showcase learner-centric solutions: Prepare to discuss specific examples where you've helped individuals overcome educational obstacles and achieve their goals, demonstrating empathy and strategic guidance.
- Emphasize collaboration and communication: During interviews, articulate your ability to work effectively with diverse populations, faculty, and leadership, showcasing strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Demonstrate adaptability and resilience: Be ready to share instances where you've thrived in fast-paced, changing environments and handled challenging situations with professionalism and a commitment to continuous improvement.
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