Student Advisor

Job Title: Student Advisor

Reporting To: Head of Learner Support and Experience

Location: Dublin

Job Type: Full Time/Permanent (Subject to 6 - month probation period)

Job Summary:

Student Support and Experience

Griffith College places the student at the centre of its activities, helping them solve problems early, succeed in their studies, and feel part of a welcoming community on every campus. The College aspires to develop enhanced supports and experiences to boost progression, completion, and employability, while reflecting the College's values and responsible, sustainable decision-making.

The Student Adviser is an integral part of the Griffith student support structure. The post holder is responsible for the provision of advice, guidance and support to individual students. Having broad institutional knowledge, they also facilitate students to navigate Griffith's policies, procedures, supports, services and other structures and provide students experiencing various challenges, the time and space to articulate, explore and address their concerns. From routine queries to more serious matters, the Student Adviser actively assists students in reaching informed decisions relating to their goals and individual needs. The Student Adviser works closely with academic, administrative and other support staff to respond to, refer and manage more challenging and complex student issues. The postholder will in particular work with and support our Faculties in the area of pastoral care for our students. Where appropriate, Faculties will liaise with and refer students facing challenges to the Student Adviser.

The postholder will advocate on behalf of students and they will from time to time represent the student perspective on College Committees and Working Groups.

The person appointed will be a key member of the Student Support and Experience Department.

With the support of the Head of Learner Support and Experience, the post-holder will professionally lead out on a pastoral / wellbeing model, including supporting our Cork and Limerick campuses.

This is a new position within the organisation, building on already good work in this area.

Role Summary:

Griffith College, Ireland's largest private higher education institution, is looking to appoint an experienced Student Adviser. They will work with key internal and external stakeholders to help deliver appropriate supports and services that meet student needs across our varied learner groups:

• Full-time Irish, EU and non-EU students
• Part-time Irish, EU and non-EU students (on residency visas)
• Blended Irish, EU and non-EU students (on residency visas)
• Fully online Irish, EU and non-EU students (on residency visas)
• An increasing number of overseas-based EU and non-EU students on articulation pathways leading to a qualification at Griffith College in Ireland
• An increasing number of overseas-based EU and non-EU students on transnational qualifications leading to a Griffith College/QQI award in their home country.

In addition, the Student Adviser will work closely with other Griffith College units as partners to ensure an integrated approach to student support across the College. These include:

• Faculty and Support offices
• Global Engagement Office
• Griffith Halls of Residence
• Learning Support (disability/neurological/learning differences)
• Student Activities and Sport
• Colleagues in our Cork and Limerick Campuses
• Students' Union collaboration and student voice mechanisms

Job Responsibilities:

Working with Individual students

• Provide time and space for individual students with personal, practical, social or other concerns to talk through their experiences, explore their options and reach informed decisions.
• Develop an awareness, cultural sensitivity and compassionate understanding of the broad range of student needs particularly within an increasingly diverse student population.
• Listen in a supportive, objective, non-judgmental and open way to students' concerns and use appropriate questioning techniques to identify and assess possible further underlying issues.
• Assist students with personal and academic challenges to navigate Griffith's processes and services most appropriate to their circumstances. In this regard work closely with Faculties so that academic staff feel supported and that students are signposted appropriately, particularly when it comes to their programme and studies.
• Provide ongoing support and appropriate challenge to students who encounter obstacles to academic progression, to advise them of the academic supports available in the College.
• Assist students in identifying and developing strategies to support / enhance their learning e.g. time and workload management, stress and anxiety management, pro-active self-care.
• Respond appropriately to students who present with mental health challenges. Refer on clinically as appropriate.
• Provide advice and guidance to students experiencing financial challenges.
• Develop an understanding and knowledge of all of the various relevant Griffith policies and procedures (e.g. Appeals, Deferrals, a Return from a break in studies) in order to advise, support and appropriately guide students through same. Working with relevant staff, local and College support.
• Build relationships with key members of academic, administrative and support staff to ensure that there is an efficient and responsive service provided to students.
• Provide a referral, liaison and linking function with internal (and where appropriate, external) support services which are aligned with the student's individual needs. In this regard, work closely with any external Counselling Services that the College uses.
• Collaborate with relevant staff, when required, to co-manage complex student cases. For many of these to actually case manage these so that there is an end-to-end, joined up plan in place to support the student. For example, the Student Adviser is a pivotal link between a Programme and the external Counselling Service. A student needing that service may have been referred by a Faculty and after having been met by the Student Adviser is supported by being referred on to a professional Counsellor.
• Implement robust referral and escalation pathways, including delivering staff guidance to reduce inappropriate case handling by non-specialists. In this regard this role will complement and be a real support to our Faculties / academic colleagues.
• Provide consultation and advice to members of Griffith staff on a wide range of student-related issues including when they have a query or concern about an individual student.
• Contribute to relevant College Committees and Working Groups including presenting student support themes and cases and providing advocacy as appropriate.
• Contribute to policy development and student engagement.
• Contribute to the development of Griffith policy in relation to all aspects of student support by representing the student perspective.
• Support the effective delivery of Induction / Orientation and peer mentoring activities to assist students with the transition to College.
• Participate, where appropriate, in Programme or Cohort specific events relating to student engagement and recognition.
• Disseminate information to students and staff about the Student Adviser Role and other student support services available in Griffith.
• Where relevant, support inclusive community building activities that foster a sense of student belonging.
• Provide advice, support and advocacy, where appropriate, to students who are subject to the College's disciplinary procedures.

Managing the role

• Undertake relevant mandatory training (such as ASIST training, Sexual Assault Disclosure training and Solution Focused Brief Therapy training) and other relevant continuing professional development opportunities.
• Maintain confidentiality and treat sensitive issues with appropriate respect and diplomacy, and ensure compliance with data protection legislation.
• Work within professional and personal boundaries.
• Keep accurate records of student contact as cases are managed (tracked).
• Participate in Departmental meetings.
• Communicate as appropriate to parents, family or other third parties in accordance with Data Protection Legislation.
• Link with and collaborate with other Student Advisers in the sector.
• Attend and present at relevant Conferences.
• Any other duties assigned by the Head of Student Support and Experience which are consistent with the role.

Minimum Education / Experience Requirements:

Applications are invited from suitable candidates who fulfil the following criteria:

Educational Qualifications and Experience

• Post-graduate qualification in a related field
• Relevant qualifications and or experience in working with students, or young adults, within an educational or similar setting
• 3-4 years' professional experience working in either a large organisation or a third level institution
• Experience of identifying student needs and undertaking new initiatives to address same
• Experience with CRM and Student Information Systems

Competencies

• Support, Guidance and Advice. Considerable experience in provided support, guidance and advice to stakeholders. This will include the welfare and well-being of students in both formal and informal situations and often at times of high stress for students. Evaluates the effectiveness of interventions and develops practice based on reflection and review and international best practice.
• Communicating Effectively: Ability to engage in written and oral communication that is clear, unambiguous, transparent, and consistent with Griffith's Values, to convey and share information and ideas with others, listen carefully, clarify understanding and consider different viewpoints.
• Organisational Awareness: Ability to demonstrate an understanding of Griffith College in its entirety, including governance structures and regulations.
• Building Relationships: Ability to build effective working relationships within own area and more broadly, to encourage cooperation and collaboration in others and foster partnerships to achieve results.
• Taking Initiative: Ability to make suggestions for improvements in own work area and acts early to address and resolve problems and find solutions.
• Candidates must demonstrate an awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion agenda.

About Griffith College

Griffith College is a welcoming, ambitious and people-focused institution where the quality of the working environment is shaped as much by the people as by the purpose. Across our campuses in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, colleagues work in supportive teams where professionalism, mutual respect and collaboration are part of everyday life.

Founded in 1974, Griffith College is Ireland's largest independent third-level institution, with a community of over 8,000 students across its campuses. The College delivers a broad range of undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes across disciplines including business, law, computing, journalism, design and pharmaceutical science.

What sets Griffith apart is not only its commitment to high-quality education, but the culture that underpins it. Staff regularly speak about the strength of the relationships they build here, the trust between colleagues, the willingness to support one another, and the opportunity to contribute to an organisation that has meaningful impact on students from Ireland and internationally, working alongside people who genuinely care about what they do and who they work with.

Our Vision

'To be recognised among the leading, innovative and socially enterprising of Ireland's universities"

Why work for Griffith College?

• Competitive salary package
• Access to the College's pension scheme
• Access to healthcare plans for employees and their families
• Enhanced maternity leave pay

• Flexible working arrangements in line with the College's remote working policy
• Access to ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes, up to Doctorate level
• Subsidised College programmes to support career development and upskilling.
• Opportunities for staff mobility through Erasmus+ and other international mobility programmes

• Mental Health and Wellbeing supports available
• Free weekly yoga classes
• Access to onsite fitness equipment
• Availability of green space on campus, accessible to staff for sports and recreational activities
• Cycle to Work scheme

• Vibrant, multidisciplinary and multicultural learning environment
• Inclusive and diverse community
• Innovative and agile place to work
• Welcoming environment committed to both learner and staff development
• Staff discounts and offers from a wide range of retailers and service providers
• Preferential accommodation rates during the summer period for staff, and for friends and family of staff at Griffith Rooms
• Year-round staff social and wellbeing events, including BBQs, coffee mornings, wellness talks, EDI events, and more

• Onsite subsidised restaurant
• Free parking facilities
• Staff Social Club with regular events

This job description is not to be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. It is intended as an outline of proposed areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing environment within the Faculty and the College.

Griffith College is an equal opportunities employer. Candidates must be eligible to work full-time for any employer in Ireland.