Academic Coach

Academic Coach

The Academic Coach serves as the primary contact for learners from matriculation (orientation) through the completion of their program. The Academic Coach manages a pipeline of learners by coaching, motivating, mentoring, removing barriers, issue ownership through resolution, strategies for completion, and progress. They help learners clarify key decision-points and identify solutions and alternatives which align with the learners' motivations and goals. The Academic Coach utilizes strong relationship-building and influencing skills resulting in positive learner behaviors and outcomes, contributing to overall learner success and persistence. The Academic Coach is responsible for providing personalized interactions to assist learners in successfully navigating the path to achieve their educational goals. The Academic Coach will provide outreach at key milestones and based on identified behaviors throughout learners' programs to help keep them on track and to assist with overcoming obstacles they encounter. Each interaction includes exploration of needs and provides personalized solutions to learners to effectively prepare them for long-term success. The Academic Coach also works with faculty and other University partners to address learner concerns and to collaboratively define options to help learners overcome obstacles and achieve academic success.

Essential Duties

• Academic Planning & Engagement
• Assist learners in developing an academic plan that includes all program requirements, enables 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 relationship with the learner to encourage learner success and engagement
• Utilize program analytics and outreach protocols to drive purpose-driven and transformational conversations.
• Help learners navigate changes in their programs and plans and understand and respond to Capella-initiated changes
• Explore 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 in order to help them make fully informed decisions about their pathways as well as challenging them to make progress toward their goals.
• Progress Monitoring & Academic Risk Mitigation
• Proactively reach out to learners identified as at-risk, including but not limited to, lack of engagement, academic standing, pace of progress, course completion, gaps in competency development
• Highlight and address potential barriers that may impact persistence, success and completion
• Encourage learners to develop skills and abilities in direct resolution of challenges and issues; coordinate with faculty, academic leadership and learner-facing team to seek resolution of learner issues.
• Coach learners through disruptive life events and challenges.
• Provide options based on the unique situation.
• Respond to the learner via a wide variety of communication tools and systems including, but not limited to: 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 the learner via a wide variety of communication tools and systems including, but not limited to: 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 to the learner
• 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 the key stakeholders once areas of improvement are identified.
• Build trusted professional relationships across the business
• Participate in projects or initiatives that support departmental goals
• Support and participate in departmental and crossfuctional 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 in order 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. Willing to take risks.
• Ability to respond positively to consistent change.
• Ability to think critically in order 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 effective team atmosphere and promote a collaborative environment with the learner, 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 communicating 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 manage 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: Each interaction involves discovering needs, understanding the situation, recommending options and customized solutions, determining a way forward, and always engaging and listening to the needs of the learner. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate through a variety of channels/systems.
• Foundational understanding of the advising discipline– both from educational and career perspective.
• Ability to evaluate and learn new computer software applications quickly.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook.

Work Experience

• Prefer two to four years of professional experience using advanced coaching, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. Experience working with adult learners and/or faculty is preferred

Education

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution required. Master's degree from an accredited institution preferred. Doctoral degree from an accredited institution preferred for Doctoral Advisors. degree from an accredited institution(s) in disciplines such as student development, college student personnel management, education psychology, counseling psychology, social work, student affairs, or higher education are preferred. Specific degree from an accredited institutions may be preferred based on school and program assignment

Certificates, licenses and registrations

Other

• Must be able to travel0-10 % of time.
• Must be able to lift 20lbs.
• Typical office setting.
• Mobility within the office including movement from floor to floor.
• Travel via plane, car, and metro may be required to perform this job.
• Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant
• Access information using a computer.
• Effectively communicate, both up and down the management chain.
• Effectively cope with stressful situations
• Strong mental acuity
• Regular, dependable attendance and punctuality