Program Advisor - University Honors Program (3012)

Position Information

Posting Detail Information

Working Position Title Program Advisor - University Honors Program (3012) Classification Program/Student Advisor - CUSTOM CLASSIFICATION Position Number 00003012 Open Date 08/20/2026 Close Date 09/10/2026 Priority Review Date Employee Class Staff Full-Time/Part Time Full-Time FTE 1.00 Position Status Regular FLSA Exempt Job code 0055 Union Representation Non-Union Union Code N/A Unit/Department University Honors Program College/Unit Undergraduate Affairs Division Academic Division Location CL 110 Link to Department Website or Custom Search Page https://www.niu.edu/honors/

Position Summary, Requirements, and Qualifications

Position Summary, Requirements, and Qualifications

Overview

The University Honors Program transcends disciplinary boundaries to help students broaden their horizons while reaching their goals. Students from every college at NIU are part of our program. Our role is to mentor them and connect them with impactful experiences, so they graduate with the ability to adapt to life's ever-changing conditions. Participants are intellectually curious and committed to finding and pursuing their passions.

Position Summary

The Program Advisor (Engagement) is a student-centered support position that mentors and guides students in the University Honors Program through all aspects of program requirements, with a particular focus on co-curricular engagement, recruitment, and event-based outreach. This position plays a central role in daily contact with students through the implementation of advising and retention strategies, and serves as a primary presence at recruitment and engagement events representing the Honors Program across NIU's undergraduate colleges. This position reports to the Associate Director of Honors Engagement within the University Honors Program and will work to implement program-specific and campus-wide advising and engagement initiatives that support the Honors Program's co-curricular mission and student experience goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Advising

• Advise current University Honors Program students related to the fulfillment of curricular and co-curricular requirements, with particular emphasis on Honors Engaged participation, engagement pathways, and student development toward program completion.

Event Promotion, Tabling, & Presentations

• Maintain a presence at events to promote Honors to students, parents, community colleges, and other NIU offices, including Orientation events, open houses, transfer days, and community college visits.
• Develop and deliver presentations for prospective and incoming student audiences.

Development of Recruitment, Engagement, & Communication Materials

• Work with Honors staff and campus partners to develop and maintain recruitment, engagement, and communication materials that support student outreach, co-curricular promotion, and program visibility.

Event Planning Support

• Assist in the planning and execution of Honors program events, including after-hours and weekend programming for student engagement and belonging, first-year retreat logistics, and other signature engagement events as directed by the Associate Director of Honors Engagement.

Honors Engaged Program Support

• Support the Honors Engaged co-curricular program under the direction of the Associate Director of Honors Engagement, including participating in the evaluation of student submissions, entering and promoting experiences in Suitable, and assisting with Honors Engaged milestone tracking and related coordination.

Other Related Duties

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service)

• Bachelor's Degree
• Additional education or other formal training in an area of specialization inherent to the position may be required.
• Demonstrated work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position may be required.

See Required Specialty Factors Below:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) (Civil Service)

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing quality educational guidance. This includes student needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of student satisfaction.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in the presentation and delivery of academic programs, strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership techniques, recruitment methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Knowledge of educational, evaluation, and measurement principles, practices, methods, and techniques, university policies and procedures.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively; ability to develop a rapport with students.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with students, faculty, and staff.

Specialty Factors (Civil Service)

• One of the following:

• Bachelor's degree with two (2) years of higher education experience or related experience to the hiring unit.

• Master's degree with one (1) year of professional experience in higher education, including leadership development, student personnel, academic or program advising, and event planning

• Ability to be self-motivated and adapt to situational demands in completing assigned duties

• Ability to apply student development theory to functional advising concepts, practices and methods

Preferred Qualifications (Civil Service)

• At least one (1) year of successful academic/co-curricular advising/mentoring experience.
• Demonstrated experience with and understanding of curriculum facilitation and/or program matriculation for students.
• Demonstrated commitment to student-centered inclusive excellence through the valuing of all forms of diversity.
• Demonstrated experience with and understanding of Honors education at the university level.

Minimum Required Qualifications (SPS)

N/A

Additional Requirements (SPS)

N/A

Preferred Qualifications (SPS)

N/A

Physical demands/requirements

• Regular office related duties.
• Sitting for extended periods of time.
• Using computer/electronic equipment for extended periods of time.
• Occasional lifting and moving items weighing up to 25 lbs.
• Ability to work some evenings, weekends, and off-campus assignments based on critical advising cycles.

Appointment and Compensation Details

Appointment and Compensation Details

Anticipated Appointment Start Date 10/16/2026 Anticipated Appointment End Date Percent of Staff Year 1.00 Standard Hours Per Week 37.50 Working Hours Mon - Fri, 8:00am - 4:30pm; Some evenings and weekends may be required. Salary $46,356.24/annually; NIU offers a robust benefits package. Hourly or Semi-monthly Pay Rate/Range $1,931.51/semi-monthly Earn Type Salary

Application Procedure

Application Procedure

Application Procedure

Application Procedures:

• Fully complete the Education and Work History sections of the application. Be specific on your entire work history, including employment dates and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position; however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience. Important: Please upload any unofficial transcript(s) and/or documentation that verifies any education, experience, and/or training you have received.

• If eligible for Veteran's Preference Points, DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256 paperwork reflecting an Honorable Discharge MUST be uploaded to this application to receive the maximum eligible points on the Civil Service examination.

• After the posting has closed, your submission will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the classification, including any specialty factors associated with this position. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, you will receive a score based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register.

• Please monitor your e-mail for further information regarding your application. Emails will be generated from jobs@niu.edu and CivilServiceTesting@niu.edu. Please add these emails to your address book to ensure timely delivery of any future communication.

• Illinois residency required within 180 days of the hire date.

Credentials Assessment Examination:

• The examination for this position is a Credentials Assessment and is based on your application materials as submitted for this posting. A Credential Assessment is a rating by the Human Resources Office of an applicant's/employee's education, experience, and special credentials/qualifications (licenses, etc.). Applicants are required to upload documentation to verify the minimum qualifications for this position has been met.
• Required documentation noted in the posting, such as a driver's license, licensures, or certifications MUST be uploaded with your application materials.
• After assessment of all qualified applicants has been completed for this position, the names with the top three (3) scores will be referred to the hiring department for interview.

Additional Details:

• Click on Program/Student Advisor for more information including salary ranges, typical duties, minimum acceptable qualifications, and testing requirements.

• Applicants who may assume they do not meet the exact minimum qualifications are still invited to apply. Within the application documents, applicants should be sure to explain how their credentials and related qualifications address the requested minimum requirements.

• Please click on Human Resource Services - Benefits for detailed information about Northern Illinois University's benefits package.

• Employment is contingent upon your passing a criminal background investigation. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Special Instructions Quick Link to Applicant https://employment.niu.edu/postings/96021 Is Background Check Required? Yes EEO Statement Summary

In accordance with applicable statutes and regulations, NIU is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, age, disability (physical and mental), marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (identity and expression), political affiliation, or any other factor unrelated to professional qualifications, and will comply with all applicable federal and state statutes, regulations and orders pertaining to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Ethics and Compliance Officer, Title IX Coordinator

Health Services Building Room 230

TitleIXCoordinator@niu.edu

815-753-5560

Visa Policy

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

ADA Accommodation

NIU remains committed to ensuring that its recruitment and application procedures include full opportunities for applicants with disabilities. Employment opportunities will not be denied to anyone because of the need to make accommodations for a person's disability during either the application or interview process. An applicant who believes they require an accommodation to participate in the employment process due to a disability may request that accommodation through the Accommodation Request Form. For further assistance, please contact the office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (AAEO) at ada@niu.edu.

Safety Information

NIU provides annual reports on campus security and fire safety.

Read the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

Contact the Ethics and Compliance Office at 815-753-9364 for a hard copy.

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Resume/Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• Transcripts (unofficial with official required at hire)
• List of at least 3 Professional References

Optional Documents

• Military Discharge Documents ONLY (DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256)
• Other

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• • Are you currently a citizen or resident of the State of Illinois?

• Yes

• No

• • What is the highest level of education attained?

• GED

• High School Diploma

• Associates Degree

• Bachelors Degree

• Masters Degree

• PHD

• • Have you attached all transcripts to support the degrees you are submitting for consideration?

• Yes

• No

• • How many years of experience do you have in this type of position?

• 0-1

• 1-3

• 3-5

• 5-7

• 7+

• • Please provide the name of the employer and the dates of employment where you gained this experience. Please note that this information must be verified on an NIU application and/or résumé. ("See Résumé" is not an acceptable response.)

(Open Ended Question)

• • If applicable, have you attached a copy of your DD214, DD215, NGB22, or DD256 for consideration of Veterans Preference Points? The copy submitted should reflect the status of discharge in order to be considered.
• Yes
• No
• Not Applicable