Student Success Advisor-Student Experience

Role: Student Success Advisor

Grade and Salary: Grade 5 (£26,707-£31,236)

FTE and working pattern: 1FTE (full-time): 35 hours per week for 3 years

Holiday Entitlement: 28 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday).. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

Purpose of Role

The Student Success Advisor will join an existing team, on a fixed term contract for a period of 36 months. The Student Success Advisors form part of a Global Student Success Advisor team and are a key part of the University’s strategy to improve student retention, focusing on student engagement, identity and belonging. The role spans pre-arrival, induction and transition activities as well as those related to student success, engagement and retention. Advice and support spans the whole student lifecycle: thus the role of the postholders is not simply to support students at risk of leaving their University studies.

The post-holders will report to the Student Experience Manager, and will collaborate routinely with colleagues within Student Wellbeing, across the Student Life Division, with other student support services, and with relevant academic staff.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

With specific reference to supporting student success, the key duties and responsibilities for the role as are follows:

• Supporting a wide range of pre-arrival, induction and transition activities
• Supporting a wide range of activities related to student success, engagement and retention e.g. workshops and information sessions, and peer support initiatives
• Early identification of, and initial contact with, students showing signs of being at risk of non-continuation, and providing advice and support to such students
• Monitoring, highlighting and acting on “at risk” and non-engagement indicators
• Liaising with key colleagues in Schools (e.g. Personal Tutors, Programme Directors) and Professional Services (Student Counsellors, Advice Hub, Student Union, Student Service Centre, Thinking of Leaving Service, Disability Service) to ensure a proactive, integrated and coherent approach to supporting students
• Providing advice and support which spans the whole student lifecycle, for example Temporary Suspension of Studies; Mitigating Circumstances; availability of financial and academic support.
• Providing “drop-in sessions” and appointments for all students
• Provide targeted support and interventions to designated characteristic student groups, particularly at pre-arrival and transition stages
• Supporting Schools/disciplines in the development and delivery of School/discipline specific retention and support initiatives
• Developing and delivering content for student communications, both targeted at specific student groups and for the general student population, for all stages from pre-entry to graduation.  These are to be delivered across a range of media platforms including email, the myHWU Student Portal, social media and print media;
• Progressing any other tasks associated with supporting student success and the work of the Student Wellbeing Services at the Scottish Campuses and equivalent services in Dubai and Malaysia.
• The job description is not exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post.  Activities may be subject to amendment over time as priorities and requirements evolve.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential

• An Honours degree from Heriot-Watt University (preferably within the last two years).

Desirable

• Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to present effectively to large groups (both students and HWU colleagues).
• Excellent IT skills (particularly MS Office products) and ability to use effectively institutional student systems. 
• A confident, friendly manner.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to 11:55pm (UK time) on Sunday 17th May.

Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.

Interviews are expected to take place during the week of the 25th May.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About the Team

Student Wellbeing Services are located within the Division of Student Life in the Registry & Academic Services Directorate. 

Student Wellbeing Services are primarily focussed on supporting students at the University’s Scottish Campuses (Edinburgh, Galashiels and in Orkney) and as part of a globally integrated service also work closely with colleagues based at our campuses in Dubai and Malaysia.

Student Wellbeing Services aim to provide a range of support, guidance, activities, and advice to help students to be their best, and get the most from their university experience.  We engage with students throughout the student lifecycle, from pre-enrolment to graduation and the Service is made up of four main service areas:

• Counselling and Support Service
• Disability Service
• Student Experience Team
• University Chaplaincy

The Student Experience Team is responsible for a range of support initiatives and activities designed to support student retention and enhance the wider student experience.  The team’s work includes one to one student support, organising and delivering workshops and activities, communications using a range of media, staff guidance and the creation of resources.  Our areas of responsibility include the following:

• Student induction and transition including pre-entry initiatives such as messages to offer holders and the Get Ready for Success programme
• Personal tutor guidance and training
• Supporting student retention by helping students overcome obstacles to study and alternatives to leaving the University early.
• Supporting students from Widening Participation groups from the offer holder stage to graduation.
• The Student Success Advisors are part of the Student Experience Team.  They are all recent Heriot-Watt graduates and provide support, organise activities and provide key messages to students based on their student experience.   

This post has been created in response to the increased student demand for our services and the increasing complexity of students’ needs.  The postholder will be one of two Student Wellbeing and Transition Advisors.  The team also comprises three Student Success Advisors and is line managed by the Student Experience Manager.  The postholder will work to share and enhance current areas of joint responsibility with the other Student Wellbeing and Transition Advisor and will also have their own dedicated areas of responsibility.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.