Peer Academic Advising Program Coordinator

Returning PAAs are invited to apply for the 2025-2026 Peer Academic Advising Program Coordinator.

Basic Eligibility

Applicants for the Peer Academic Advising Program Coordinator must:

• Be a current undergraduate student at UCI with PAA or related experience
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or better
• Be available to help plan and facilitate training which takes place 5-7 pm every Thursday of the Spring 2025 quarter
• Be available for working hours Summer 2024 (some hours may be completed remotely)
• Be available for working hours and all PAA meetings Fall 2025 through Spring 2026

Selection Criteria

The ideal PAA Coordinator candidate would possess the following:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail
• Strong command of UCI academic policies and procedures
• Understanding of non-academic departments and their relationship to academic advising
• Ability to lead and motivate others
• Ability to respond to students in a helpful manner, either one-on-one or in groups
• Ability to work and relate well with faculty and staff
• Previous experience addressing meetings and groups is preferred, but not required
• Previous experience with the program and/or event planning is preferred, but not required

Role and Responsibilities

The PAA Coordinator for the current application cycle will serve for the entire 2025-2026 academic year.  The incoming PAA Coordinator also is expected to facilitate the training offered during Spring Quarter 2025 and prior to Welcome Week in September 2025 in preparation for Welcome Week activities.  Please note that coordinating the Fall Refresher Training and Welcome Week programming will require work during Summer 2025.  The PAA Coordinator is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities:

• Attend regular check-in meetings with the Program Director.
• Coordinate projects and deadlines Program Assistants.
• Work with director and outgoing coordinator to plan and facilitate training for new PAAs, including coordinating with Training Assistants and Returning “Family Leads”.
• Act as a liaison between current PAAs and PAA Supervisors in each advising office.
• Maintain regular communication with the 2025-2026 PAA Team and the PAA Supervisors regarding important program information, activities, events, meetings, volunteer opportunities, and updates to academic policies and resources.
• Coordinate activity on social media accounts for the program (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok).
• Maintain a consistent and accurate record of students served by PAAs through online tally system.  Send periodic reports to PAA Supervisors.
• Chair and conduct All PAA meetings, including scheduling of guest speakers.  See Time Commitments below.
• Coordinate PAA outreach efforts throughout the year in partnership with other on-campus offices and organizations (Welcome Week Events, Residence Hall Advising, Academic Integrity Hearings, etc.).
• Promote PAA workshops and projects coordinated by individual advising offices.
• Coordinate recruitment efforts for PAA and Coordinator positions for the following year.
• Coordinate goal setting and performance evaluation of PAAs with PAA Supervisors.
• Track program data including attendance to training/meetings and performance tallies.
• Additional projects and initiatives based on University requirements and/or interests and goals of the Coordinator.

Competencies to be Acquired

As the PAA Coordinator, you have the opportunity to learn and develop competencies including:

• Professional communication and public speaking skills.
• Leadership and Human Resource experience in a large institution setting, including
  • interaction with colleagues across various levels of the University,
  • direct supervision of Program Assistants,
  • exposure to multiple office procedure approaches, and
  • access to information and insights to achieve a deeper understanding of the University’s structure, services, and academic operations.
• Program administration experience, including knowledge relating to budgets and overall project management.
• Cross- and Inter-cultural fluency working with the diverse University population.
• Increased familiarity and experience with data, reports, office technology, and professional use of social media.

Time Commitments

Spring 2025 (minimum 2-4 hours/week)

• New PAA Training: Every Thursday, 5-7 pm from April 3 to June 5, 2025. Please note, these weekly training hours are paid.
• Additional hours to prepare and review training materials as well as meet with the director and outgoing coordinator.

Summer 2025 (~40 hours total)

• Maintain contact with director and new PAAs regarding summer advising duties.
• Schedule meetings with each PAA Supervisor to occur before the start of Fall Quarter.
• Plan Fall Refresher Training, including invitation to lunch during the training for all PAA Supervisors.

Welcome Week 2025 (up to 20 hours)

• Fall Refresher Training: Friday, September 19, 2025
• Convocation Ushering: Monday, September 22, 2025
• Fall quarter planning and coordination

Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 (up to 10 hours/week)

• Attend weekly check-ins with program director.
• Plan and facilitate All PAA meetings: currently held Week 3 and Week 8 during each quarter.
• Provide direction and support to PAA Program Assistants to:
  • Coordinate PAA participation in volunteer and paid activities for Academic Integrity Hearings, Residence Hall Advising, and other services as needed.
  • Manage PAA social media accounts
• Organize efforts to recruitment new and returning PAAs for the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Recruit and hire PAA Coordinator for the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Assist incoming PAA Coordinator with Spring 2026 training of new PAAs.

Salary

The PAA Coordinator is expected to be paid $19/hour for the 2025-2026 academic year, pending budget approval.

Application Components

As part of your application, you will submit the following:

• Online Application Form
• Two References
• One-page Résumé

The online application will include several short essay questions.  Before beginning the application, please consider your responses to the following items:

• Why are you interested in the PAA Coordinator position?
• What is your proudest accomplishment as a Peer Advisor or Student Leader?
• How would the PAA Coordinator position fit with your long-term professional development?

Application Timeline

Application Deadline for 2025-2026: Sunday, January 26, 2025, by 11:59:59pm *

Review of applications and interviews for select candidates: January 27 through February 19, 2025

Final selection and notifications: February 20, 2025

Onboarding for new position: February 23 through March 20, 2025

Position begins: March 30, 2025

Training begins: Thursday, April 3, 2025

If you have any additional questions about the application process or the coordinator position, please contact the PAA Coordinator Sydney Thuy-Trang Nguyen or the PAA Director Heather Cartagena at peeradvising@uci.edu.