Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Advising (0324U) #85361

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.

The College of Letters & Science is the largest of the university's 15 colleges and schools and the most prestigious teaching and research unit in the UC system. L&S encompasses more than half of the campus' faculty, nearly three-quarters of its undergraduate students, and half of its Ph.D. candidates. Organized into six divisions: Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, L&S Core, and the Undergraduate Division. L&S offers more than 70 departmental majors, including joint majors, majors administered on behalf of other Berkeley schools and colleges, and simultaneous degree programs, and over 80 minors. These programs collectively afford vast opportunities to study and conduct research both within and outside of the traditional disciplines.

The L&S Office of Undergraduate Advising (OUA) serves as the dean's delegate for all L&S undergraduate students and provides centralized academic advising and student services to newly admitted, currently enrolled and readmitted undergraduate students-a population that currently exceeds 23,000. OUA guides students on academic programs, policies and procedures both in the College of Letters & Science and across the campus. OUA enforces and adjudicates the academic regulations of the College to ensure the integrity of the degree and the continuing quality of the institution. In addition to student advising and degree progress, OUA's functional areas included communications, outreach and recruitment, orientation, campus navigation and wayfinding, career development, operations and training for college and campus staff. Decisions made by OUA impact all academic units within the College of Letters & Science, set precedents for other Colleges on campus and impact business practices and priorities in other campus administrative units including Student Affairs, Berkeley IT and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. OUA works collaboratively with academic and central administrative departments across campus. To enhance the student experience, OUA utilizes an Advising Neighborhood model by division and academic discipline, resulting in College Advisers and Undergraduate Major Advisers working more closely and collaboratively with each other.

The Assistant Dean of Advising will report to the Interim Dean of the Undergraduate Division in the College of Letters and Science. The Assistant Dean of Advising will supervise the Director of Advising and a subset of the OUA leadership team which is currently comprised of Assistant Directors and an administrative officer.

The First Review Date for this job is 04/16/2026. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis with priority given to those received by the first review date.

Strategic Planning & Vision Setting (40%)

• Advise the Dean and other members of the College's leadership team on programmatic and policy development for undergraduate education at Berkeley. Provide input to university leadership on institutional academic and administrative policies and guidelines.
• Collaborate with other high-level managers to establish organization strategic plans and objectives affecting major portions of the advising and student services programs in the Office of Undergraduate Advising and across the College.
• Represent the needs and perspectives of advising and the undergraduate experience to College and campus leadership; make recommendations, identify and resolve strategic issues of substantial significance that affect the College and advise its senior leaders.
• Set the vision for undergraduate student advising and services in the College and partner closely with L&S divisional deans and departments, campus administrative units and other college and school advising units to ensure continuity and coordination of equity-oriented advising and student services support for all undergraduates throughout their undergraduate careers.
• Set a vision and direction for greater engagement and coordination between OUA, the College's departmental advising units and partner units under vice chancellors and other decanal units; evaluate the current division of labor and introduce efficiencies that serve students, staff and faculty.
• Stay current with national trends in academic and co-curricular advising and student support. Connect with peer institutions for best practices and collect and disseminate best practices within L&S.
• Collaborate with the College's Academic Enrichment group to strengthen the first-year and transfer student experience in the College with a focus on belonging, wayfinding and scholarly engagement.
• Plan, design, influence and implement organization-wide processes.

Office of Undergraduate Advising Management & Resource Management (40%)

• Oversee the management of operations and provide leadership and coaching to the director of advising and subordinate managers and/or supervisors. Provide leadership for integration and collaboration as appropriate for distinct advising and student services activities.
• Determine and establish organizational structures, supervisory relationships and equity-minded succession planning. Make decisions on performance, salary actions, hiring and other human resources-related issues of more than 55 managed staff including more than 45 union-represented staff.
• Set fair and equitable standards for all students and address relevant policy issues, including working with appropriate faculty senate committees as needed.
• Guide priorities and strategies for donor conversations and campaigns that support the undergraduate experience.
• Provide oversight, direction and approval of budgets for advising and student service programs. Ensure that fiscal resources are properly allocated to support the implementation of college and campus strategic priorities.

Collaboration and Relationship Building (20%)

• Collaborate and consult extensively with colleges, schools, departments, offices and individuals across campus and the UC system to understand and enhance the experience of all undergraduates and to advocate for and support process and technology improvements.
• Participate with high-level management in strategic thinking and planning in the domain of advising policy and practice that takes into account the needs of all stakeholders, including but not limited to undergraduate students, student government, advisors, faculty and deans. Develop proposals and recommendations to guide and support a broader strategic direction for the role of advising in priorities embraced by the College and campus.
• Interface with campus partners in Students Affairs, Undergraduate Education, Equity and Inclusion, Berkeley Extension and People & Culture and other stakeholders to ensure collaborative and coordinated approaches to comprehensive coverage of advising and undergraduate student needs.
• Liaise with and/or serve on committees, such as the L&S Executive Committee, Council of Undergraduate Deans, Council on Advising and Student Services, Student Systems Policy Committee, Colleges & Schools Committee, Undergraduate Enrollment Working Group, Academic Senate's COCI, etc.

• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to lead student-centered, equity-oriented programs and services, initiatives and policy implementation.
• Demonstrated success as a leader driving vision, purpose and change.
• Excellent planning, implementation and organizational skills. Ability to prioritize and manage competing initiatives and deadlines while meeting goals.
• Excellent communication skills. Ability to effectively present complex information, influence people, solve problems, troubleshoot, think creatively and resolve conflicts.
• Demonstrated experience in exercising the highest level of political acumen, sound judgment, stewardship of resources (including budgets), collaboration and partnership development, preferably as a director or high-level manager.
• Sound strategic-thinking, consulting and networking skills for guiding the organization toward workable strategies and solutions.
• Demonstrated experience in working with diverse communities, situations and ideas.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, coach, advise and influence people at all levels, with respect, tact and diplomacy. Experience with equity-minded succession planning and success implementing accountability structures related to vision, strategic priorities and objectives.
• Demonstrated experience supervising staff in a represented environment and interpreting or applying collective bargaining agreements.
• Comprehensive understanding of academic programs, processes and operations in a large public research university.
• Advanced knowledge of or demonstrated ability to learn Academic Senate regulations, College policies, processes and procedures, and process and procedures related to student registration, course enrollments, classroom use, recording of grades and maintenance of student records.
• Advanced knowledge or demonstrated ability to learn Federal and California laws pertaining to the privacy rights of students and access to student information.
• Advanced knowledge or demonstrated ability to learn about information systems technology that supports the student experience.
• Advanced degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.

• Understanding of the complex structure of administration in an academic environment and knowledge of university policies in relevant operational areas.
• Deep familiarity with the philosophy and objectives of a liberal arts education and with a broad range of issues facing higher education in general and Berkeley in particular (or comparable institutional knowledge).
  

This is a full-time, career position.

This position is eligible for full UC benefits. 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 annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $175,000-$204,000.

This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

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.

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

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.