Faculty of Science
Position number: 30655
Date posted: June 1, 2026
Academic Advisor - AA2 (AESES)
Existing Regular Continuing Full-Time (Budget Funded)
Work schedule:
35 Hours/week (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm)
Salary:
$28.83 to $40.63 per hour ($52,470.60 to $73,946.60 per annum)
Expected Start Date
June 22, 2026
For more information please contact: Kathy Synkiw - [email protected]
MINIMUM FORMAL EDUCATION/TRAINING:
- Undergraduate degree in a related field of study is required.
- A BSc from the University of Manitoba is preferred.
- Enrollment in, or completion of, advising training programs, such as the CHERD Advising Certificate considered an asset.
EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum two years of directly related administrative and comprehensive advising experience, preferably at the UM, including careful assessments of people and procedures is required.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Faculty of Science degree programs is required.
- Knowledge and experience with student support services and advising students is required.
- A thorough knowledge of the UM and its regulations, programs and procedures is essential and the Faculty of Science in particular would be an asset.
- Very good working knowledge of the Aurora Student system which includes INB and Aurora Self Service is required.
- Experience with UM Achieve is preferred.
- An acceptable equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Excellent interpersonal skills are required.
- Advanced verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking skills, are required.
- Proficiency in using advanced features associated with Microsoft Office suite/365 (Word, Excel, Teams, Sharepoint), Internet, E-Mail, Zoom and Windows operating system with intermediate skills is required.
- Ability to display empathy with students and their problems and demonstrate active listening skills is required.
- Ability to multitask, show initiative, and meet deadlines is required.
- Objectivity, tact, patience, sympathetic and conscientious approach are required.
- Ability to cope effectively with stress is required.
- Ability to display cross-cultural sensitivity in working with students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds is required.
- Proven creativity and initiative in program design and task completion is required.
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy and a demonstrated ability to plan, organize, coordinate and establish work priorities within deadlines is required.
- Ability to maintain accurate records of student interactions and advising notes is required.
- Ability to work effectively under pressure is required.
- High degree of analytical thinking is required.
- Ability to exercise tact and good judgment is required.
- Strict adhesion to confidentiality and other ethical standards is required.
- Demonstrated ability to work alone as well as collaboratively in a team environment is required.
- A satisfactory work record, including punctuality and attendance is required.
Academic Advising
Help and provide advice to prospective and current students, parents, guidance counselors, faculty and other administrative staff who drop in, have appointments, e-mail, or phone on a daily basis about:
The Faculty of Science
- Admission, including direct entry to Science, transiting from U1 and transferring from other faculties and institutions.
- Degree programs requirements and planning, including transfer credits, second degree planning, and Letters of Permission.
- Career exploration and planning.
- Academic status (Dean’s Honour List, probation, suspensions, etc.).
- Course selection, registration, program approvals, and revisions.
Departments in the Faculty
- Liaise with Associate Heads/Undergraduate Chairs from each department.
- Discuss program requirements, proposed changes and transition plans, and goals.
- Develop a detailed understanding of the specific programs.
Other UM academic units
- Admission to professional faculties and colleges, such as Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Education, Rehabilitation Sciences, Asper School of Business, Engineering.
- Admission to Arts and all other faculties at the UM.
Other academic schools
- Admission requirements to Veterinary Medicine at U of Saskatchewan.
- Admission requirement to Optometry at Waterloo University and others.
- Admission requirements to Chiropractic schools.
- Admission to other provincial schools, such as USB, RRCP, U of Winnipeg, BU, CMU, etc.
Making appropriate academic choices
- Help students, on a daily basis, develop personal academic plans and goals, including parallel plans, and make appropriate academic decisions.
- Advise students of curricular and co-curricular opportunities that may exist for them, based on knowledge of abilities, interests, and values.
- Advise students of appeal processes.
- Review circumstances that affect individual students’ academic performance and suggest or recommend suitable course of action. Refer to appropriate offices for help and advice.
- Consider and approve requests for deferred exam privileges, most often during regular University exam periods; consulting with departments as required. If needed, may require working with stakeholders to schedule deferred exams.
- Advise students of options and next steps when their academic progress is in jeopardy, due to poor grades, suspension/returning from suspension, academic dishonesty or other inappropriate behaviours.
- Consider and advise either the Academic Undergraduate Advising Officer, Academic Program Coordinator, or the Associate Dean (Student Experience) on requests for certain deferrals, Authorized Withdrawals, and late Voluntary Withdrawals as necessary.
- Advise transferability of credits from outside institutions that have been assessed; provide information regarding the process of having courses evaluated for potential transfer credit.
- Develop, innovate, organize, and maintain online advising services including responses to e-mail inquiries and virtual appointments.
- Answer telephone and email inquiries.
- Organize notifications to students either by e-mail or social media.
Administrative Duties
Recruitment
- Organize advisor participation in recruitment activities such as: Open House, Career Fairs; and others, as they occur annually.
- Present Faculty of Science information to prospective students and parents/guardians.
- Organize and facilitate departmental participation and representation at events, when necessary.
- Liaise with departments, various student groups, Recruitment and other offices as needed for recruitment activities.
- Develop, organize and maintain services and programs to attract high achieving high school students to the Faculty of Science at the University of Manitoba; upon invitation, serve on selection committees for awards and scholarships.
- Liaise and collaborate with other Science advisors, and colleagues as appropriate, such as the Communications Lead in Science, the Recruitment Office, and departments in Science to provide best services to prospective and direct entry students.
- Organize and participate in activities and communications directed at current students, to raise awareness of opportunities within the Faculty of Science (USRA and other undergraduate research opportunities; Co-op, GSIP and other experiential learning opportunities, etc.).
- Track progress of Direct Entry and Advanced Entry students and cohorts to provide statistical information for future programming considerations.
Graduand checking
- Assess students formally, for eligibility to graduate, at least three times per year, including assessment for graduation with First Class Honours and Distinction.
- Check programs (perform a degree audit) of all students indicating potential graduation in February, May, and October.
- Assess initial eligibility status of each student and reassesses as courses progress.
- Advise unsuccessful students of outstanding requirements to meet graduation eligibility.
- Check lists of applicants of College of Medicine for the Admissions Office to confirm eligibility to graduate in May.
Advising Special Populations of Students
- International students: Liaise with ICM, the International Centre, and with other appropriate bodies, to develop programs to benefit international students in Science; work with the Admissions Office to facilitate international admissions/transfer credit; work with Student Affairs to support students impacted by geopolitical events
- Indigenous Students: Liaise with Wawatay, the Indigenous Students Centre, and with other appropriate bodies, to develop programs to support Indigenous students in Science.
- Bison Athletes: Liaise with the Bison+ advisor in the First Year Centre and participate in activities targeted at student athletes in Science.
Communications
- Work with Communications Lead to develop communication strategies/timelines to communicate important information and advertise events relevant to Science students.
- Liaise with other campus units to highlight their events as appropriate; contribute to publications upon request (e.g. Career Compasses, First Year Planning Guide).
- Contribute content for Advising Newsletter, Faculty of Science website, and social media posts.
- Ensure all publications adhere to accessibility standards.
Admissions
- Liaise with the Admissions Office on all aspects of admission to the Faculty of Science, including accepting late applications, procedures for each admissions cycle (ongoing throughout the year with peak activity between March and November).
- Check students' transcripts against Statement of Transfer Credit to ensure completeness.
- Approve and finalize transfer credit in the best interest of the individual student, and Faculty degree requirements, and apply courses on Aurora.
- Check all transfer credit evaluations made by Science departments for accuracy.
- Work with Second Degree students, Admissions, and departments to evaluate standing based on courses completed in first degree.
- Advise Home Schooled students on course prerequisite requirements and assist with having courses evaluated as appropriate; inform students of upgrading options where necessary; assist students with registration overrides as needed.
Other administrative tasks related to student advising include but are not limited to:
- Follow up from all advising appointments including communicating with departments and other offices on campus as necessary; prepare and update program plans for Second Degree students.
- Receive and approve all requests for Science students' Letter of Permission from the Registrar's Office (throughout the year).
- Review and annually update advising tools such as the First Year Planning Guide and UM Achieve; test UM Achieve thoroughly to ensure curriculum changes are implemented accurately and audits continue to run correctly for each Catalog term.
Committee membership
- Participate in UM committees including International Student Advisory Network (ISAN), UM Achieve Community of Practice, UM Advisors Exchange, etc.
- Participate in Faculty/department committees upon invitation.
- Other duties as assigned.
The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities).
If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected] or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.
Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provisions of "The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act" (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae will be provided to participating members of the search process.
