Academic Counselor - TRIO Student Support Services (Part-Time)

Company Description:

Bristol Community College is an exciting place to work, learn, and grow! Bristol is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment with a rich diversity of beliefs, cultures, languages, abilities, and lifestyles. Committed to enriching its educational experience through a supportive community, Bristol actively encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply and achieve our vision of advancing a vibrant, diverse community through education, learner by learner. If you share a passion for helping students succeed and enjoy working in a community of innovative, inclusive, and collaborative colleagues, Bristol is the place for you!

As a Commonwealth of Massachusetts employer, Bristol offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including health, dental, life, long-term disability, retirement and paid time off (vacation, personal, sick, and holiday pay). We also offer tuition waiver discounts at the Commonwealth's public higher education institutions. More information can be found on our Benefits website.

Job Description:

POSITION TITLE: Academic Counselor - TRIO Student Support Services (Part-Time)
DEPARTMENT: SSEM - TRiO Programs
PRIMARY LOCATION: Fall River, MA
REPORTS TO: Associate Vice President, Student Success
POSITION SATATUS: This is a part-time, grant funded, unit position without benefits, not to exceed 18.5 hours per week. This position is subject to grant appropriations. It is funded through 8/31/2026.
SALARY: $36.55 per hour.

STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

The Advising and Success department is comprised of Academic Advising, Coaching, and the Success Initiative. The department seeks to provide a relentless welcome to their students; prioritizing relationship building, motivational support, and accurate, timely advising. TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is a federally funded grant, which supports first generation, low-income students, and/or students with disabilities and helps them navigate the complexities of college life both in and out of the classroom. The program strives to help students graduate from college and successfully transfer and complete a Bachelor's degree.

The Academic Counselor (Academic Advisor & Coach) is a key member of the Advising and Success team, directly serving students and their families in their successful educational pursuits at Bristol Community College. They provide academic and non-academic advising to TRIO SSS students - connecting students to on- and off-campus resources designed to support their success, to learn what inspired them to attend college and help identify what will motivate them to complete their goals.

The Academic Counselor (Academic Advisor & Coach) will work collaboratively with campus partners across the college, including but not limited to Admissions, Financial Aid, Accessibility & Disability Services, the Library Learning Commons, and TRIO staff.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Academic Advising & Case Management:
  • Provide Academic and non-academic Advising for an assigned caseload of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) students.
  • Engage with students regularly to establish meaningful interpersonal relationships
  • Assist students in building realistic and attainable academic plans that focus on persistence and completion
  • Serve as a communication hub for academic and non-academic concerns for students on an assigned caseload
  • Encourage and support students' personal and professional development, including helping them connect with campus resources to meet their needs holistically
  • Follow up with students, staff, and faculty as assigned through Bristol's academic alert system to address concerns
  • Perform administrative tasks associated with advising activities
  • Provide e-mail communication to active, not registered students at the start of each enrollment period.
  • Collect, organize, and report meaningful data to illustrate trends and inform decisions
  • Maintain and update student files, including but not limited to writing and maintaining notes in EAB Navigate 360, Degreeworks, Banner, Maxient, and other Bristol software systems
  • Maintain academic plans and degree audits for assigned students
• Academic Coaching
  • Provide coaching and support services to identified TRIO SSS students from all academic programs
  • Conduct follow-up outreach to students to assess the effectiveness of the student success plan and make any necessary modifications.
  • Connect students with community and college resources based on identified need;
  • Engage regularly with student caseload to build rapport and trust between Coach and student;
  • Prioritize connection and relationships to support students in their social/emotional well-being;
  • Provide students with the foundation to become increasingly capable of making informed personal and academic decisions;
  • Discuss and help to clarify educational goals with each student; establish plans, reinforce milestones, and monitor progress;
  • Set expectations with students, including meeting with tutors, class attendance, and consistent check-ins with the Coach;
  • Provide support, guidance, and assistance in building skills related to time management, college readiness, academic planning, self-advocacy, and goal setting
• General
  • Maintain and share professional knowledge in applicable areas including but not limited to national trends and promising practice within advising & coaching.
  • Operate a computer and utilize college technology including but not limited to Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Work, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), Microsoft Teams, Bookings, Avaya soft phone and voicemail, MyBristol, EAB Navigate 360, Zogotech, Banner, Argos reporting, DegreeWorks, Maxient, and Dynamic Forms.
  • Attend and participate at Advising & Success, TRIO, division, and all-college meetings, as well as related meetings assigned by the Director (or designee)
  • Perform assigned responsibilities at all Bristol locations, including some nights and weekends.
  • Ensure compliance with all College policies as well as local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned, consistent with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Requirements:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all required qualifications must be met by date of hire.

• Master's degree in Education, Counseling, Psychology, Human Services, Social Work, or closely related field; with three (3) years' experience and/or training involving college admissions, academic advisement, career development, or program/project management; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience;
• Sensitivity and commitment to the goals of Affirmative Action and workforce diversity;
• Experience working in a diverse environment;
• Demonstrated ability to work with underserved students;
• Retain a high energy level, and exercise strong time management and interpersonal skills

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Professional experience working with Banner Student Information Systems, DegreeWorks, EAB Navigate 360, and Maxient.
• Demonstrated experience working in higher education, with a preference for experience working at a community college.
• Ability to communicate in a language in addition to English, with a preference for American Sign Language (ASL), Spanish, or Portuguese.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Physical Ability: Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight.

Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.

Environmental Factors: Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

Additional Information:

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action:

Bristol Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, TitleVII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and college policies. The College prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual violence. Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or sexual violence shall be referred to the College's Title IX & Equity Compliance Officer, Emmanuel Echevarria at diversitytitleix@bristolcc.edu or 774.357.2682; the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination; the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Right.

Application Instructions:

TO APPLY: Please complete our online application by clicking on the "Apply" button. The position will be open until filled. Review of applications will begin 10 calendar days from the posting date.

REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE APPLICATION PROCESS:

1) A completed Bristol Community College Employment Application.

2) A current resume/curriculum vitae.

3) A cover letter that demonstrates how your skills and experience meet the desired and required qualifications of the position (not limited in length).

All candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States. Bristol Community College is an institution that does not sponsor work authorization.

A pre-employment criminal background check will be conducted for all positions.

The college will independently verify education credentials as provided on the application. For certain positions that require a college degree, the hired candidate must supply official transcripts upon hire. Transcripts must include your name and degrees conferred.