Academic Advisor I

Annual Salary: $47,500

Organizational Summary: 

The University of South Florida College of Education serves a community of over 2,200 students and 130 faculty members dedicated to advancing high-quality education through excellence in research, teaching, and learning. Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and fully approved by the Florida Department of Education, the college offers innovative teacher training and collaborative graduate programs aimed at developing educational leaders. In partnership with school districts across the Tampa Bay region, the college is committed to extending proven educational initiatives and exploring new approaches to preparing lifelong learners. Whether pursuing initial teaching certification or advancing professional development through graduate studies, the college provides comprehensive resources and support to help students achieve their educational and career goals. 

Position Summary:

This is a professional, non-instructional, academic advising position supporting the College of Education on Tampa campus. Advisors represent the college, their department, and USF advising in a variety of public forums with a professional demeanor and caring attitude. There is a challenging administrative load requiring strong computer, problem-solving and organizational skills. There is also a high level of personal interactions with students which require human relational and communication skills, distinguishing this position from advising support positions that are primarily administrative in nature. 

This position reports directly to the College of Education, Senior Department Administrator. The College of Educations Advisors must possess extensive knowledge about academic programs, policies, procedures, and student support services within the scope of their responsibilities. It is common for our advisors to work regularly with topics spanning humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences. This position will work with their department and supervisor to develop appropriately and remain current on academic and career information relevant to their student population. 

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and USF Health. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report recognized USF with its highest overall ranking in university history, as a top 50 public university for the seventh consecutive year and as one of the top 15 best values among all public universities in the nation. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in the highest tier, placing it as one of the top 16 medical schools in the nation and inside the top 10 among public universities. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $750 million in research funding in 2025 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of nearly $10 billion for the state of Florida. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Advise students individually, electronically, and/or with groups regarding academic core and/or departmental requirements, appropriate class selection, academic policies and procedures, and campus resources. 
• Assist students with identification of long-term goals and career plans. Work to position students to meet requirements for graduation within appropriate periods of time while preparing them to meet future goals. 
• Advise special populations of students within scope of responsibility, such as new or transfer students, undeclared majors, minority groups, etc., assisting in exploration of academic programs, and focusing on academic direction, procedures, policies, and available resources. 
• Keep accurate advising appointment notes and maintain confidential student advising records. 
• Utilize USF information systems to support delivery of advising service and make appropriate updates to degree audit to accurately reflect student progress.
• Perform related duties as required to meet the Academic Advising goals within the Advisor's scope of responsibility, like supporting new students through orientation process and serving at admission recruiting events. 
• Continue training and professional development to enhance core knowledge, initiative, collaboration, communication, analytical review, professionalism, and dependability to provide excellent academic advising to our students. 
• Provide support to the college of education advising team to ensure all the college of education students receive timely and accurate assistance and provide support to other USF advisors in need of departmental information. 
• Serve on appropriate department, college and/or campus advisory committees.
• Provide support and actively participate in new student orientations, College of Education student events, and other college-wide initiatives and activities, as needed. 
• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree related to the Advisor's specific responsibilities.

• 1+ year of experience in advising or related academic functions within higher education.

Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Education, Counseling or academic field directly related to the Advisor's specific responsibilities with a minimum of one year of experience in advising or related academic functions within higher education. Work experience may not be substituted for the Bachelor's degree requirement for this position. 

Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.
• Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
• SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
• Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
• Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.