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Job Category:
Academic Staff
Employment Type:
Regular
Job Profile:
Academic Advisor
Job Summary:
PEOPLE College Advisor
The Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) is a premier college readiness program sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The PEOPLE Program is seeking an individual to fulfill the role of College Advisor for their PEOPLE College Success Center. PEOPLE College Advisors work directly with students, many of whom are first-generation and/or from a low-income background, focusing on their holistic development. This position is responsible for advising and facilitating college success programming to an assigned caseload of students through undergraduate degree completion. Responsibilities of the position include monitoring academic progress and progress toward degree completion, planning college success activities, ensuring scholars’ adherence to program and campus policies, complying with data collection procedures, monitoring student outcomes, and providing recommendations for career and professional development opportunities.
This position reports to the PEOPLE College Academic Advising Manager and is part of a committed team of student service professionals in which inclusion, transparency, accountability, community and organizational excellence are centered in the shared vision and their day-to-day work. Dedication to academic excellence, inclusion, flexibility, patience, energy, and a genuine desire to support PEOPLE Scholars are highly valued. A highly motivated self-starter with enthusiasm and energy to move the program’s mission forward in meaningful and intentional ways with their skills, experience, and perspective is an ideal candidate for this position.
About the Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE)
The Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) prepares Wisconsin students to succeed in college with an emphasis on enrollment at UW Madison. Our programming is offered in three distinct units: Madison Precollege, Milwaukee Precollege, and The College Success Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The program recruits students at the precollege level in Madison (8th grade) and Milwaukee School districts (9th grade). During the academic year, our precollege team advises students in Madison and Milwaukee public high schools, creating new pathways to higher education for low-income, and first-generation families. During the summer, our precollege team hosts our high school students in a robust residential program on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, offering students an opportunity to experience college life and build community in their cohorts. Students who are admitted/enrolled at UW–Madison are eligible for a four-year tuition scholarship. Our college team offers one-on-one high-touch advising services, unique programming created specifically for our student population, and other high impact practices to foster student success. PEOPLE provides a support infrastructure dedicated to achieving the goals of college attainment and degree completion. PEOPLE currently serves over 1,100 students (middle school to college) in the state of Wisconsin.
About the Student Engagement and Scholarship Portfolio (SESP)
The Student Engagement and Scholarship Portfolio (SESP) houses four student scholarship programs (PEOPLE Program, Posse Program, Mercile J. Lee, and First Wave/OMAI) with an infrastructure dedicated to support college attainment. Through intentional programming, personalized advising, and scholarship support, the SESP portfolio prioritizes student success, focusing on academic excellence, leadership, community building, and service. SESP prepares students to enact the Wisconsin Idea, growing as ethical and responsible leaders who can thrive in a world that is diverse, global, and interconnected.
Academic Advising
• Maintain expertise with academic programs, policies and resources across campus; assist in developing and recommending exceptions for the center’s policy and curriculum.
• Maintain individual appointments with PEOPLE Scholars for high-touch, holistic academic advising.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and update accurate student advising records according to the center’s data entry deadlines.
• Ensure students receive accurate, timely, holistic advising services in support of promoting student success, retention, and program completion.
• Monitor academic progress and make referrals to appropriate campus resources.
• Conduct proactive outreach.
• Assist Scholars with their transition to the university community through mentoring relations and by connecting scholars with alumni, campus and community partners.
• Prepare, compile, and submit all required advising and center-wide reports. Monitor the effectiveness of service to assigned caseload utilizing assessment, evaluation, and documentation of overall student progress, engagement with PEOPLE services and programming outcomes.
• Support group or drop-in advising initiatives towards College, Precollege, and ITA Scholars as requested.
Programming
• Develop, plan and implement programs such as mentoring, workshops, panel discussions, guest speakers, and other events and programs that align with the PEOPLE College Guiding Principles.
• Work collaboratively to coordinate the planning and execution of PEOPLE College key events and program, evaluate program effectiveness, and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Participate in the full range of PEOPLE College activities and programs, including First Year Orientation, Fall Kick-Off, Level Up Student Development Conference, PEOPLE Badger Day, Senior Send-Off and other events as assigned.
• Provide insights to the College Success Specialist to support the preparation of the PEOPLE First-Year Seminar curriculum.
Administrative Responsibilities
• Help unit leadership develop and maintain the PEOPLE Calendar to include program and center-specific, campus-wide, and other relevant events for PEOPLE College Scholars and Staff.
• Work collaboratively as a PEOPLE College team member and contribute to the planning and operation of the center, including evaluating and documenting the effectiveness, outcomes, and quality of assigned center-wide duties relative to programming and support services.
• Utilize and align data assessment instruments with the academic success plans of Scholars.
• Conduct performance self-evaluations and contribute to overall unit and campus assessments and evaluations as requested.
• Uphold the center’s organizational excellence by abiding by record-keeping procedures established for advising and programming.
Miscellaneous
• Represent PEOPLE on campus and within the advising and general community through participation in institutional and divisional committees, working groups and attendance at events as requested; and report findings to the College Success Team to support the unit’s development.
• Uphold the values of the DTL by contributing to the overall mission of the organization according to the divisional Criteria for Success and the achievement of identified strategic priorities on the divisional, departmental, and unit-wide levels.
• Actively engage in outreach initiatives that help strengthen the partnerships between PEOPLE Precollege, Information Technology Academy (ITA) and other community partners to better support Scholars’ transitions and academic journeys.
FTE: This position is full-time, 100%
Appointment Duration: Ongoing/Renewable
Occasional travel will be required and some evening/weekend and overnight work will be required.
This position is eligible for partial remote work. Remote work requires an approved remote work agreement (RWA). An RWA requires successful candidates to possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform the work on a university-provided computer. Per University policy, transportation between home and assigned work location is not payable/reimbursable and will be at the expense of the employee.
Key Job Responsibilities:
- Serves as a main point of contact for students and provides information about educational options and academic requirements; assists with identifying and assessing interests, skills, and values to match appropriate field of study/career options, and refers students to appropriate institutional resources
Implements and actively engages in student development programming and other co-curricular activities to support the academic, personal, social, and career development of PEOPLE Scholars
- Proactively engages students as needed
- Receives, processes, and responds to academic inquiries according to established policies and procedures
- Maintains expertise with advised curriculum and may assist in developing and recommending exceptions for policy and curriculum
- Maintains confidentiality and accurate student records and processes and responds to academic inquiries according to established institutional and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policies
- Implements academic advising events such as workshops, panel discussions, and guest speakers
- Participates in the campus-wide advising community providing input to leadership regarding the development of advising, recruitment, and co/curricular programs offered by the school/college
Department:
Division for Teaching and Learning, Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE)
Compensation:
The starting salary for the position is $50,000 (but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications).
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.
Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.
Required Qualifications:
• At least one year of work experience advising and supporting students with their educational goals; preference on work experience with targeted PEOPLE demographics
• At least one year of work experience providing advising and college success best practices and/or experience working with a college access program
• Experience leading or supporting programming initiatives that support student retention/persistence
• Demonstrated ability to support a full advising caseload while managing a workload in a fast-paced, high-traffic environment that requires the juggling of multiple projects/tasks
Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience and demonstrated success in relationship-building and advising students from an array of backgrounds including those who are first-generation college students and/or students from economically diverse backgrounds and/or students with disabilities
• Experience planning curricular and/or or co-curricular programs for students.
• Ability to effectively advise on course and major selection, financial literacy, professional developmentand/or transitional issues
• Knowledge of university policies and procedures, electronic advising tools, and campus/communityresources
• Knowledge of academic programs and resources at UW-Madison is highly desirable
• Technical skills in software that include record databases, presentation, appointment scheduling,spreadsheets and word processing, web forms and related digital media tools
• Commitment to fostering student development by prioritizing meaningful relationships amongstscholars, campus partners, and alumni to facilitate an ecosystem of support for PEOPLE Scholars
Education:
Bachelor's Degree required
Master’s Degree in higher education, administration, student personnel, counseling, psychology, sociology, social work, or relevant areas of study preferred
How to Apply:
Click the "Apply" button to start the application process. You will be prompted to upload the following documents:
-Resume AND cover letter
Cover Letter Required Prompts: In your application materials, please include a cover letter (max. 2 pages) that specifically includes responses to the two required prompts/questions listed below, reflecting upon the required and preferred qualifications listed for the position.
- How have your educational/professional/leadership experiences prepared you to support students with their educational goals (particularly students that PEOPLE serve)?
- How have your professional/leadership experiences prepared to create/lead/organize programming initiatives that support student retention/persistence?
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.
This position has been identified as a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations. The selected candidate will be required to pass an initial caregiver check to be eligible for employment under the Wisconsin Caregiver Law and then every two years.
The deadline for assuring full consideration is Sunday, December 14th, 2025, at 11:59 PM (CST).
Contact Information:
Emma Voight, emma.sippel@wisc.edu, 608-262-8152
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information
Institutional Statement on Diversity:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.
To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.
Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.