Director, Student Advising

Reporting to the Executive Director, Student Success the Director, Student Advising & Learning Supports provides strategic leadership to multiple service areas that support students in navigating their academic program pathways through academic advising, accessible learning supports and testing services, and service navigation supports (in-person and virtual Service Hubs). The Director provides oversight and supervision for service area managers and ensures service delivery excellence, program development and evaluation, and accountability and compliance for academic accommodation services, including accommodated testing, and developmental/holistic academic advising services. The Director ensures equity-informed principles are embedded into the service area programs and services to respond to the educational needs of all students and to reflect the diversity of our student population, their lived experiences, and their academic journey. The Director is a key member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team which includes multi-disciplinary teams committed and accountable to advancing a seamless student experience through a coordinated and holistic student support and advising model. The Director is responsible for ensuring accessibility, equity and inclusion is threaded through all supports, programs, and services. Pan-institutionally, the Director is a champion for equitable learning, is a collaborator, and serves as an expert resource to senior management and our academic colleagues.

**What You’ll Be Doing**
- Providing senior leadership and direction to Accessible Learning Services, including testing services, and Advisement Services, Service Hubs supporting and ensuring service delivery excellence, program development, continuous improvement, relationship management, reporting, and compliance;
- Leading strategic planning, development, and implementation of accessible learning services, including academic accommodation planning, accommodated testing services, service excellence and academic advising services;
- Managing program evaluation, ensuring continuous quality improvement aligned with the strategic direction of Student Affairs & Sheridan;
- Managing financial and human resources including overseeing manager recruitment, onboarding, orientation, training and development;
- Embedding best practices in performance management, employee coaching and mentoring, and advise on employee relations matters including grievances;
- Developing and reviewing budgets including costing activities, monitoring variances, approving expenditures, and manages multiple grant funding envelopes;
- Providing leadership, guidance, and acts as a consultant on pan-institutional strategic initiatives relating to academic advising, including general and Faculty-embedded advising programs, as well as initiatives impacting students with disabilities;
- Informing senior leadership and stakeholders about emerging trends and anticipated future needs of students, influencing organizational decision-making;
- Representing Student Affairs with a broad-based understanding of the role and priorities of Student Affairs and how its supports impact the student experience and success;
- Collaborating with Student Affairs leadership ensuring that equity, diversity, and inclusion is embedded across all service areas;
- Promoting a coordinated student support model and delivers a stepped care approach to service;
- Performing other related duties and initiatives as required.

**About You**

You have a commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusivity, recognize and value the diverse and intersectional identities of our community and promote a sense of belonging.

You have knowledge and understanding of equity-deserving communities in the post-secondary environment and have awareness of current systemic barriers and knowledge of solutions.

You have a clear understanding of the challenges and issues impacting student learning and development, student persistence and barriers to student success.

You are an advocate for marginalized students, and able to lead and inspire change.

You are a self-directed natural leader with a highly collaborative spirit which, combined with your keen interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills, empowers you to build positive and collaborative relationships, lead, develop and motivate staff, create and maintain a positive organizational culture.

You exercise sound judgment, diplomacy, discretion, and sensitivity to confidentiality and privacy and are able to handle stressful situations, make decisions, negotiate and handle all levels of conflict in a time sensitive environment.

You are able to manage complex student situations that involve crisis and/or trauma (e.g. sexual violence etc.) and able to analyze and respond to complex student challenges, using a supportive and holistic approach.

You have knowledge of human behaviour to inform assessment and accommodation processes.

You have a keen ability to