Academic Advisor, Further Education and Careers

Union (USW Local 1998) Job Opportunity

Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising

Posting Date: November 3, 2025

Closing Date: November 17, 2025

Position Title: Academic Advisor, Further Education and Careers

Department: Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising

Appointment Type: Term Contract — 18 months

Classification: USW PB 13

Salary: $83,583 with an annual step progression to a maximum of $106,888

Schedule: Full-time, 35 hours per week. Normal daytime hours with occasional evening and weekend work required.

Victoria University is committed to equity in access to employment and a diverse and inclusive workplace. The University encourages applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. If you require accessibility accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Department

Position Summary:

Under the direction of the Manager, Student Success and Academic Advising, the incumbent carries out a range of duties related to service-oriented and holistic academic advising and applying specialized knowledge supporting student transition out of their degree: the bridging of undergraduate academic work with further education and career thinking. The incumbent conducts both general advising and focal advising helping students make strategic choices about their academic pursuits to support their long-term career and post-degree plans, and helping students connect their academic experiences with personal and professional goals, especially as related to paths of further education (including but not limited to graduate school and professional schools).

Required Qualifications:

Education

Master's degree in higher education, adult education, student development, counseling; or acceptable combination of education and experience.

Experience

Minimum four years of experience in a university or educational environment in a student-facing role, with experience in one or more of the following areas: academic advising, career advising, or professional skills development. Must include at least one year of experience with the development and delivery of programs, including workshops or training. Experience working with university policies and regulations.

Experience in supervising peer-led programming an asset. Assets include: good knowledge of Faculty of Arts & Science rules and regulations; familiarity with the electronic student registration system (ROSI), the Canvas learning platform, and/or other degree assessment and enrolment tools in the Faculty of Arts & Science; experience working with data and outcome projections; experience in supervising casual staff, especially in the context of peer-led and peer-supported programming.

OTHER

Demonstrated commitment to advising and programming in support of equity, diversity, and inclusion; ability to communicate with a diverse student population; excellent written and oral communication skills; demonstrated effectiveness in public speaking and presentations to groups; strong interpersonal, advising, and organizational skills; sensitivity, diplomacy and tact in addressing the needs and concerns of students.

Ability and interest in working with students in a very busy student services environment while managing a set of competing priorities; ability to work to deadlines under pressure while multi-tasking; flexibility; initiative and commitment to providing feedback to improve service standards and efficiency: accuracy, and attention to detail; ability to assimilate new information quickly and to implement complex procedures; analytical and problem-solving ability; sound judgment; ability to be a good team member.

Well-developed computing skills with working knowledge of a wide variety of software: including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Ability to learn new software quickly

Duties:

Academic Advising

• Through one-on-one confidential appointments (in person, online, or by phone) or through email, provides holistic advising on academic, financial, career, and personal issues, detailing the range of options and consequences of specific decisions, and incorporating personal circumstances which impact academic success in the context of an individual's background. Provides advising on degree progress, graduation requirements, and options related to both, and supports students pursuing non-degree studies. Refers students (with liaising as needed) to academic units or student services/resources both at Victoria University or at the University of Toronto.
• Interprets academic regulations, program, and degree requirements in the context of providing academic advising and maintains up-to-date knowledge of such regulations and policies. Attends Faculty of Arts & Science or wider University meetings as needed.
• As needed, on student request, provides documentary support for students confirming registration, planned degree progress (excluding degree completion), and student academic standing.
• Offers planning and strategic support to students with respect to immediate academic goals or challenges, including developing academic plans, and with respect to long-term goals and needs.
• Provides and, as judged beneficial based on advising relationship, recommends community-engaged experience and opportunities to students, whether to cultivate an engaged and balanced student life, or to profit from experiential educational opportunities.
• Advises on transfer credits and their assessment, whether for transfer students or for students who seek out exchange or external learning opportunities.
• Provides general information on fees and financial issues, including student loans (OSAP), fee and refund calculations, and general information on University and Victoria College-based awards/scholarships/bursaries.
• Supports students seeking academic consideration or negotiating needed accommodations. Advises on policy and processes related to formal petitions/appeals to the Faculty of Arts & Science and supports students as needed who seek consideration within courses, collaborating as needed with Accessibility Services advisors. As needed, provides informal or formal recommendations and support to instructors on behalf of students seeking consideration.
• Advises on processes related to alleged academic misconduct, also providing information and resources on the University policy and how to avoid academic misconduct.
• Provides immediate and proportional advising, counsel, and support for students demonstrating or indicating negative mental health or wellness, including crisis. Maintains training in student safety, mental health support, and de-escalation techniques.
• Escalates, as needed, student cases or complex advising challenges to colleagues with appropriate specialized knowledge, or immediate supervisor.

Specialized Advising on Further Education and Careers

• Provides specialized academic and future education and careers advising to Victoria College students.
• Provides customized plans for students around future education research, planning, and preparation, across repeated appointments if needed.
• Acts as a consultative resource to the ORAA team around providing specialized holistic academic advising in connection with future education or career planning to Victoria College students.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of career/market trends, graduate/professional school admissions and its relation to academic record and achievement, graduate/professional school research and planning, and career planning.
• Supports students around résumé/C.V., personal statement, and application development.
• Provides cross-training to other ORAA staff on general information related to the admissions and recruitment cycle, and on advising prospective students.
• Keeps up to date on, and coordinates collaboration as needed with career and education programming offered at the University of Toronto outside Victoria University.
• Reviews and proposes updates and improvements to the online professional/graduate school materials and online resources.
• Supports the hiring and training of casual staff in support of this specialized advising as needed, including work study staff.

Future Education and Careers Programming

• Proposes, develops, and implements programming within the ORAA with a focus on future education opportunities including graduate school and professional school. In this role, communicates with outside stakeholders and supports partnering relationships, and assesses success in terms of qualitative feedback and quantitative engagement.
• Analyzes effectiveness of further education and careers programming and recommends changes for ongoing improvement of such programming, monitoring up to date research on student needs.
• Acts as a critical partner in the planning and development of Victoria College programming around future planning and thinking, working closely with the Office of the Dean of Students and other stakeholders within the "Vic Ready" program. Develops and presents key modules both specifically in future education but also in terms of broad learning around future and career planning.
• Supports the University goals in prioritizing programming intended to change underrepresentation of populations historically subject to systemic barriers, including Indigenous and Black students within STEM fields.
• Compiles and updates statistics around programming and specialized advising to support strategic thinking around future programming and advising needs. Conduct qualitative research as needed to determine unmet need or to accumulate critical feedback regarding effectiveness of programming.
• Advises on needed changes to programming based on assessment of industry and social trend and develop and maintain goals connected to measurable outcomes and key performance indicators.
• Researches and maintains up-to-date understanding of trends in industry and careers/professions and the progress of diversity, inclusion, and equity in professional

TO APPLY:

Internal candidates are asked to submit their applications online by logging onto Dayforce. Please visit and click Internal Opportunities to login and apply.

External Candidates may proceed by clicking "Apply Now" above.

Victoria University thanks all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.