Senior Academic Advisor, Neuroscience (5142C) #88367 About Berkeley
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Departmental Overview
The Undergraduate Student Services Office in the Biosciences Division in L&S at UC Berkeley serves over 1,800 undergraduate students in Integrative Biology (IB), Molecular & Cell Biology (MCB), and Neuroscience majors through comprehensive advising and student programming.
Together IB, MCB, and Neuro are among the largest academic departments at UC Berkeley. By several measures (including number of faculty and students, budget, and assigned square feet), these departments are larger than many UCB colleges and schools. The three departments represent over 186 faculty FTE (including Adjuncts, Professors of the Graduate School, active emeriti and 15 HHMI professors); 77 Researchers and Specialists; 150 post-doctoral researchers; 375 graduate students; 80 department staff members; and total state and extramural payroll of approximately 1,000 (including Graduate Student Instructors, Graduate Student Researchers and research staff). Financial resources include approximately $51M in annual extramural funding (which accounts for over half of the total sponsored research awards in the College of Letters & Science) and over $46M other fund sources. The division has a total annual enrollment in classes of ~20,000. Divisional personnel are currently housed in eight buildings located in three widely separated parts of the campus.
Position Summary
The Neuroscience Senior Academic Advisor counsels students on academic program policies and issues and provides specialized expertise in an assigned major. This position serves as a representative of that major on cross-campus advisory committees and to faculty in the department, leads office-wide projects such as graduation audits and advising survey reviews, acts as the main transfer equivalency coordinator, leads special projects and programs, mentors and trains other staff, and fills in for the Assistant Director in case of absences.
Application Review Date
The First Review Date for this job is September 4, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.
Responsibilities
Academic Advising - 45%
Applies advanced academic advising concepts and experience to identify and resolve intricate student issues/grievances such as alleged discrimination, complex grade dispute issues, and students' personal crises while empowering students to make the most of their collegiate experience, including the development of both technical and non-technical skills.
Advises undergraduate students in an assigned major using a holistic advising approach, through scheduled appointments, drop-in hours, email communication, workshops, and presentations. Establishes individualized, collaborative relationships with students to learn their skill levels, aptitudes, interests, and strengths. Assists students with identifying academic and career goals and establishing realistic plans to achieve them.
Utilizing in-depth knowledge of the field, counsels students on post-degree employment opportunities and practices. Uses this knowledge to make recommendations to faculty and staff on best practices for career counseling.
Determines the proper referrals for students whose academic success may be adversely impacted by issues related to mental health, financial aid, study habits, personal and/or family concerns, etc.
Manages all aspects of the degree conferral process for undergraduate students in the major, including identifying honors notations, ensuring final research theses are received, assigning caseloads to other advisors, ensuring that all advisors review their caseloads, updating the Academic Progress Reports (APR), and entering final statuses for graduation tracking.
Leads complex programs in the office, such as the Honors Program, Transfer Seminar/Mentoring Program, and/or Peer Advising Program, with assistance from other advisors.
Assists the Assistant Director in training and mentoring other staff.
Acts as Advising Office liaison to the Faculty Advisors, scheduling their office hours, onboarding new faculty advisors, and directing policy petitions.
Counsels L&S college advisors and other campus advisors on departmental policies and procedures.
Facilitates and participates in high-visibility events, including the department's Undergraduate Research Poster Session and Conference Day, Cal Day, Commencement, and Golden Bear Orientation.
Scheduling and Course Support - 30%
Manages all aspects of course and classroom scheduling, analyzing, and planning of neuroscience courses, collaborating with the IB and MCB curriculum planner as well as the Assistant Director of Curriculum Management, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Advising, and Director of Student Services.
Oversees all administrative aspects associated with classroom scheduling, one-time room reservation requests, and course publicity. Coordinates this information with other department units as needed.
Serves as a member of the Curriculum Committee and/or Undergraduate Advising Committee. Using expertise in academic policy, procedures, and major curriculum, analyzes the implications of changes to the curriculum, courses, and the development of new courses.
Serves as the primary source of contact for enrollment support, providing assistance to both instructors and students regarding enrollment procedures, course restrictions, and related inquires.
Coordinates the enrollment and grade submission for undergraduate independent study courses and research, interacting with faculty, outside PIs, the Office of the Registrar, and enrollment managers.
Manages all administrative aspects associated with student evaluations of faculty, lecturers, and graduate student instructors.
Inputs textbook information to online textbook adoption systems, orders desk copies for instructors, organizes a textbook lending library, and submits reserves to the campus library.
Academic Policies and Procedures - 15%
Analyzes the consequences and implications of departmental academic policies and recommends new or changed policies.
Advises the Assistant Director, Curriculum Committee, and Undergraduate Advising Committees on department and college policy, including providing advice on areas needing clarification and identifying solutions. Makes recommendations on exceptions to policy and determines how such decisions will affect undergraduate students.
Develops and maintains online information about department policies, procedures, and curricula in the Undergraduate Catalog and the department's undergraduate web pages.
Represents IB, MCB, and NEU Undergraduate Advising on various campus-wide committees; participates in developing solutions to student issues with broad impact.
Awards and Scholarships - 5%
Oversees the administration, evaluation, and awarding of all departmental undergraduate student financial awards.
Manages annual undergraduate student awards, which total up to $35,000 from multiple sources with varying criteria.
Performs needs analysis, assesses eligibility, and proposes guidelines to the department to determine the allocation of awards under complex, specialized regulations and funding terms.
Maintains current and historic knowledge of Financial Aid and Departmental requirements and procedures relative to the administration of student financial awards, scholarships, and research stipends. Works directly with stakeholders to resolve sensitive financial award issues.
Supervision - 5%
May supervise student employees and volunteers, such as student office assistants (work-study), peer advisors, and transfer mentors.
Required Qualifications
Advanced knowledge of advising and counseling techniques, including experience working in direct student service programs in a higher education setting.
Thorough knowledge of college/school policies, procedures, and requirements.
Thorough knowledge of department/college/school precedents and application of policy.
Skills in judgment and decision-making, problem-solving, project management, and event planning.
Strong abilities in problem identification, reasoning, and the ability to develop original ideas to solve problems.
Ability to gather, analyze, and draw practical conclusions from data, as well as communicate findings to others.
Ability to multitask with demanding timeframes.
Demonstrated skill and ability to adhere to critical academic/administrative deadlines consistently.
Skill in optimally serving students who present with challenging/sensitive issues.
Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
Advanced knowledge of and/or ability to quickly learn University-specific computer application programs and systems, including intermediate skill with Google Suite applications.
Some weekend or evening work is required, typically 1-2 days per semester.
Preferred Qualifications
Advanced knowledge of multiple majors, colleges, and schools is preferred.
Thorough knowledge of UC Campus policies, procedures, and requirements, and/or equivalent experience preferred.
Master's degree or higher in student affairs, counseling, or related area, or equivalent experience/training
Salary & Benefits
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.
Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.
The budgeted annual range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $76,230.00 - $95,000.00.
This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.
