Undergraduate Advisor; Assistant Director of College Policy & Evaluation (4576) Job# 82235 - College of Environmental Design

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

As a world-leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value.

We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.

CED is comprised of faculty, students, and staff with an impressive set of backgrounds and talents. We believe in the importance of supporting an inclusive environment that values community and builds its strength from a diversity of views and expertise. There are approximately 50 faculty, 90 adjunct, and 18 unit faculty, 1250 undergraduate and graduate majors, and approximately 5045 total staff. The college budget is approximately $33M.

The College of Environmental Design (CED) is a multifaceted academic unit, with three departments (architecture, city & regional planning, and landscape architecture & environmental planning) and an institute that holds degree programs (Institute of Urban and Regional Development); undergraduate, professional graduate and research doctoral degree programs; a suite of highly regarded summer design institutes; widely recognized environmental design archives; extensive computing and fabrication facilities; several administrative and student affairs departments; and a building with an auditorium, classrooms, studios, labs, research centers, library, archives and a cafe. The CED undergraduate program is home to some of the highest percentages of historically underrepresented minority students, Pell Grant recipients, and first-generation college students at UC Berkeley. The 600+ undergraduates major in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Studies, and Sustainable Environmental Design.

The CED Office of Undergraduate Advising is committed to helping students graduate in a timely way with an excellent education and experience at Berkeley. The unit works collaboratively with CED faculty, the CED Undergraduate Affairs Committee, and departments and student service units across campus toward the common objective of helping students achieve their educational and career goals. Berkeley Advising fosters the academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, personal discovery, and growth of students as they develop into well-rounded global citizens and leaders. http://advisingmatters.berkeley.edu

Our Mission: The College of Environmental Design (CED) Office of Undergraduate Advising:

* Supports students holistically as they earn their degree

* Advocates for just and equitable policies and practices

* Connects current and prospective students with resources and opportunities

* Fosters a sense of belonging and community

The First Review Date for this job is: November 17, 2025 - Open until filled

45% Academic Advising:

Provide expert-level, holistic advising and guidance for prospective, new, and continuing students. Apply advanced student development theories and academic advising concepts, along with knowledge and experience of advising, to support undergraduates in identifying, defining, and resolving intricate issues to help them meet their educational goals. Provide expert-level and complex advising and guidance for prospective, new, and continuing students via appointments, group advising, email, phone, and virtual advising. Advise students on University, College, major, and minor requirements; progress toward degree; health and wellness; course selection; complex transfer issues; internships; career and graduate school planning; study abroad; sensitive personal issues.

STUDENT TRANSITION: Guide students in effectively making the transition from high school or community college to CED in individual contacts, orientation programming, and transition courses.

PLANNING AND GOAL-SETTING: Engage students in assuming an active role in their academic planning and developing meaningful educational plans that correlate with their values, abilities, and life goals. Help students create and execute long-term academic plans that enable them to explore, discover, and become engaged learners, guiding students in taking full advantage of a wide range of academic and non-academic enrichment opportunities such as study abroad, internships, undergraduate research opportunities, scholarships, and extracurricular activities. Advise on special eligibility requirements such as honors programs/fellowships/ scholarships.

ADVISING ON POLICY: Interpret and apply campus and University-wide policies and regulations. Using professional judgment and expertise, advise regarding complex student or program-related issues that do not fall within clearly defined guidelines. Advise students on academic policies that govern their major in the context of college-level constraints, and assist them in developing petitions to request exceptions to curriculum policy.

ACADEMIC PROGRESS: Verify students' completion of degree requirements, including when there is no clear precedent or articulation, or when transfer work is involved. Assess and monitor students' academic progress to ensure timely declaration of major, adherence to overall unit limits, and advancement to degree.

ACADEMIC DIFFICULTY: Monitor and evaluate student progress and recommend appropriate action for students in academic difficulty. Help students determine barriers, distractions, and complications affecting their academic success; advise students accordingly, and make appropriate referrals for additional therapeutic counseling and/or assistance from other units.

30% College-Wide Policy, Analysis, Evaluation, Graduation, and Adjudication:

TRANSFER EVALUATION AND CERTIFICATION OF GRADUATION:

Oversee evaluation and certification of the Bachelor's degree for all undergraduates in CED,

Certify completion of CED minors for graduating seniors in all colleges;

Oversee evaluation of all transfer courses for prospective students and current students, including coordination of the faculty review process.

DEAN'S CONFERENCE: Serve on the College's Dean's Conference and participate in decision-making on dismissal review and exceptions to college policy. Advise on how such decisions may set a precedent and/or affect multiple departments.

INDEPENDENT DECISION-MAKING ON BEHALF OF CED DEAN: Make decisions on behalf of the Dean regarding certain student petitions and other issues related to academic status, probation, and/or academic dismissal. Use independent decision-making authority to evaluate student petitions and make exceptions to college policy in consultation with the unit and approved polices. Impose academic blocks and/or require scholarship contracts for students who are out of compliance with college expectations.

POLICY ANALYSIS: Analyze the consequences of department and college academic policies and recommend new or changed policies. Advise chairs, deans, and directors on academic policy areas needing clarification and identifying solutions. Advise on the impact of the recommendations on other departments and campus offices (Registrar, Admissions, University Health Services, Disabled Students Program, etc.) Recommend solutions to the department's problems without precedent.

COLLEGE POLICY: Oversee and document CED College Policy, maintaining the undergraduate policy log. Assist in the creation, analysis, and implementation of college policies such as deadlines and procedures for change of major, readmission, petitions for requirement substitutions, late adds and drops, etc., and make recommendations to the Associate Dean, Advising Director, and Dean's Conference.

STUDENT DATA ANALYSIS: Provide data and analysis of strengths and needs of cohorts of students (i.e., new transfer students, new freshmen, students historically underrepresented) to help ensure success, and recommend programs/services to address needs. Promote student retention and progress by encouraging students to identify and pursue appropriate educational and professional goals.

15% Study Abroad Program Management:

PROGRAM OVERSIGHT: Serve as the subject matter expert and manager of multiple college-wide programs and efforts, for example, all CED Study Abroad initiatives, Education Abroad Reciprocity Program, Academic Progress Report oversight, supervision of reception team, etc.

GOALS AND EVALUATION: Establish program goals, determine priorities, and set deadlines. Monitor all programmatic goals and objectives for the academic year and evaluate program effectiveness. As needed, implement improvements and procedural changes. Benchmark with other colleges to identify best practices, trends, etc., to improve the management of assigned outreach and engagement initiatives. Identify emerging student needs based on assessment feedback and new research in the student development field.

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT: Direct work assignments, manage staff, and monitor workflow of related programs directly related to the mission and strategic goals of the college and/or project.

COMMUNICATION: Create written procedural guidelines for the project. Educate administrators, staff, and faculty regarding policy issues, rules, and regulations germane to the project.

5% Academic Curriculum Consultation:

Works closely with the department chair and faculty to monitor student issues, overall enrollment, curriculum, and course offerings. Anticipates challenges that may arise from curriculum changes, and contributes insight to the chair and faculty regarding campus, college, and major policies and student issues.

Advise chair/dean/faculty on curriculum planning to ensure students' progress through course sequences, avoiding conflicts, and ensuring compliance with campus-wide policies.

DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL/COLLEGE POLICIES: Advise chairs/deans on the formulation of department/school/college policy by advising them on areas needing clarification and identifying solutions; analyze the consequences of the organization's academic policies and recommend new or changed policies; recommend solutions to the organization's problems without precedent.

5% Events and Professional Development:

Assist the advising team and the college with the planning and implementation of high-visibility events. Plan, design, and provide workshops for students, such as information about the campus, or academic strategies, and enrichment programs

Maintain professional growth and development through attendance at training sessions, seminars, conferences, and by participating in campus-wide committees and professional organizations.

Assist with professional development and training of CED advising colleagues.

* Demonstrated advanced counseling and advising skills, with experience working in direct student service programs in a higher education setting.

* Demonstrated competencies and advanced knowledge in theories of multicultural counseling, learning, identity development, human and career development.

* Knowledge and experience in working with historically underrepresented ethnic minority communities, low-income students, and first-generation college students.

* Knowledge in the methodologies used to enhance student achievement, such as collaborative teaching/learning models, strategies for effective advising, mentoring, small group facilitation and training, coaching, and advocacy.

* Solid organizational skills, initiative, and ability to multi-task with competing timeframes. Demonstrated impeccable attention to detail.

* Ability to develop and maintain cooperative, effective working relationships with faculty, students, staff, and members of the general public from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds.

* Analytical skills to evaluate and interpret complex policies. Skills in judgment, decision-making, and problem-solving. Ability to evaluate international and domestic college courses.

* Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.

* Bachelor's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

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 salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $75,000 - $95,000.

This job is part of the Employee Referral Program. If a UC Berkeley employee is referring you, please ensure you select the Referral Source of "UCB Employee". Then enter the Employee's Name and Berkeley E-mail address in the Specific Referral Source field. Please enter only one name and email.

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

This position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter required to report the observed or suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elders to designated law enforcement or social service agencies. We reserve the right to make employment contingent upon completion of signed statements acknowledging the responsibilities of a Mandated Reporter.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.