Location: Fall River, MA Category: Professional Posted On: Wed Jun 18 2025 Job Description:

POSITION TITLE: Academic Counselor - Advising (SUCCESS)
DEPARTMENT: Advising & Success
REPORTS TO: Director, Advising & Success
PRIMARY LOCATION: Fall River, Remote, & Travel to other campus locations
POSITION STATUS: This is an MCCC/MTA, full-time, grant-funded, unit position with benefits. Some nights and weekends will be required during peak registration periods. This position is subject to grant appropriations.
SALARY: $70,929 - $83,011 - Labor Grade 5 - actual salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience and in accordance with the MCCC/MTA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

The Advising and Success department is comprised of Academic Advising, Student Readiness, 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.

The Academic Counselor (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. This position offers the opportunity to make life- changing differences for students through comprehensive personal, academic, career, and transfer advising & coaching to a caseload of students in the Success Initiative cohort. Students will rely on the Academic Advisor & Coach for support, guidance, and encouragement. In alignment with the College's goals to increase the success and retention of all students, the Academic Advisor & Coach will identify student needs/goals, assist students in academic and career planning, address student challenges, an provide referrals to our network of student support resources The Academic Coordinator will work collaboratively with campus partners across the college, including but not limited to Admissions, Financial Aid, the Office of Disability Services, and the Library Learning Commons.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS:

Academic Advising & Case Management:

• Provide Academic and non-academic Advising for an assigned caseload of up to 125 active registered students as determined at the end of each add/drop period.
• Provide advising and registration support to and assigned caseload of students throughout their enrollment at Bristol.
• 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 Degreeworks, Banner, and other Bristol software systems
  • Maintain academic plans and degree audits for assigned students
• Participate in advising and registration activities during extended registration periods and recruitment/enrollment events including, but not limited to, Admitted Students Day, registration events, and more.
• During peak periods of work, may participate in the on call advising, serving students assigned to an advising center or another advisor who may be unavailable including at other Bristol locations

Academic Coaching:

• Provide coaching and support services to identified students from all academic programs, with a particular focus on the special populations associated with the SUCCESS Fund.
• 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 SUCCESS, Advising & Success, division, and all-college meetings, as well as related meetings assigned by the Director or Associate Director.
• Perform assigned responsibilities at all Bristol locations, including some nights and weekends, during peak periods, to reflect student and family needs
• 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.

Job Requirements:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 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:

• Sensitivity and commitment to the goals of Affirmative Action and workforce diversity;
• Experience working at a community college
• Experience working as an academic coach
• Experience working in a diverse environment;
• Demonstrated commitment to working with underserved students;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with English language learners, adult learners, and students who need support to enroll in college-level coursework.
• Bi-lingual in Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Haitian-Creole;

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, Title VII 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 and Affirmative Action Officer, Johanna Bielawski at diversitytitleix@bristolcc.edu or 774.357.2681; the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination; the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Right.