Academic Advisor, Pharmacy

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Posting Information:This posting is for an existing vacancy.

The internal posting deadline for this position is October 29, 2026 at 11:59PM.

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

This position is responsible for providing comprehensive academic advising and student support services to students in the School of Pharmacy's undergraduate programs, including the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) professional degree program and Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP). The position promotes student success, academic progression, retention, and wellbeing through individualized advising, the interpretation and application of academic and professional regulations, and collaboration with faculty, staff, and university support services. This position serves as a key resource on academic policies, procedures, and program requirements, supporting students throughout their academic journey and contributing to the School's educational, student success, and engagement initiatives.

Key Accountabilities

Student Advising

• Maintains in-depth and current knowledge of areas relevant to the position, including but not limited to:

• • Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum, academic requirements, progression standards, and experiential education requirements;

• • Administers the CAP status program, by serving as the primary liaison with CAP students and monitoring their success in retaining their CAP status in the first two years of Science at Waterloo

• • School of Pharmacy admissions regulations and practices;

• • University academic policies, procedures, and regulations relevant to student success and progression;

• • Professional and regulatory requirements governing pharmacy education;

• • Student support resources available within the School of Pharmacy, the University, and the broader community.

• Provides in person and virtual academic advising to PharmD and CAP students regarding:

• • Course selection and sequencing;

• • Academic progression requirements;

• • Program regulations and policies;

• • Professionalism expectations, learner conduct, and support for professional development

• • Academic standing and performance concerns;

• • Leaves of absence, program interruptions, and return-to-study planning;

• • Wellness, accessibility, and student support services, including referrals for academic, personal, and mental health concerns;

• • Financial aid, awards, bursaries, and referral to Student Awards and Financial Aid (SAFA) and other funding resources;

• • Career exploration and professional development opportunities.

• Is flexible in providing office hours that meet the needs of all students; for example, virtual evening hours for students on clinical placements.

• Provides specialized academic advising and and accommodation-related support to students registered with AccessAbility Services, including the review and coordination of accommodation plans within the context of Pharmacy academic, experiential, and accreditation requirements, and collaborates with instructors and campus partners to facilitate their effective implementation.

• Advises and supports students on policies and procedures related to academic considerations, student absences, and extenuating circumstances, including management of the Verification of Condition Form (VOC) process and related documentation/record keeping practices.

• Monitors student academic performance and progression throughout the term through the use of reports, grade reviews, and other available data to identify students who may be experiencing academic difficulty;
• Collaborates with the Undergraduate Program Manager to develop and implement appropriate interventions and escalation strategies. For students both on campus and on clinical placements, initiates proactive outreach and advising appointments with students who may be at academic risk and supports the development, implementation, and monitoring of remediation plans, including academic and professionalism remediation initiatives; liaises with Experiential staff to support students on placement

• Coordinates academic progression reviews and advisement processes, including:

• • Assessment of academic standing and progression requirements;

• • Review of course completion and graduation eligibility;

• • Preparation of recommendations and supporting documentation for progression decisions in coordination with the Registrar’s Office Academic Progression procedure and timelines;

• • Communication with academic leadership including the Director of Admissions and Undergraduate Affairs, Undergraduate Program Manager, Associate Deans, or other designated leaders regarding complex student cases;

• • Schedules, coordinates, and actively contributes to academic progression meetings at the conclusion of each academic term.

• Exercises delegated signing authority for student progression-related decisions, including academic plan changes, course changes, petitions, and applications for graduation. Assists students with:

• • Academic petitions and appeals;

• • Requests related to absences;

• • Requests related to accommodation and extenuating circumstances.

• Maintains effective working relationships with faculty members, experiential education staff, student services professionals, and external stakeholders to support student success.

• Maintains accurate, timely, and professional records of all student advising interactions, recommendations, and decisions within the Advising Student Information System (ASIS) and other appropriate university systems.

• Communicates student withdrawals, academic progression decisions, program status changes, and other relevant academic matters to instructors, experiential education personnel, and administrative staff, as appropriate and in accordance with privacy requirements.

• Applies professional judgment while maintaining appropriate confidentiality and exercising authority within established policies and procedures.

Support to Director of Admissions and Undergraduate Affairs

• Keeps the Director of Admissions and Undergraduate Affairs and/or designated academic leadership informed of activities, emerging issues, and developments related to student advising and academic progression.

• Consults regularly with academic leadership regarding student concerns, policy interpretation, progression matters, retention initiatives, and complex academic cases.

• Leads regular School of Pharmacy student services and academic affairs meetings to promote consistent application of regulations and seamless support to students.

• Prepares reports, statistical summaries, briefing materials, and recommendations related to student progression, retention, enrollment, and advising activities.

• Supports School of Pharmacy initiatives related to academic success, student engagement, and accreditation requirements.

• Responds to inquiries from prospective students, applicants, current students, and faculty regarding academic programs, policies, and procedures.

• Provides backup support to the Undergraduate Program Manager by assisting with student progression reviews, interpretation and application of academic regulations, student communications, program-related inquiries, reporting activities, and other undergraduate program administration functions, as required.

Meetings

• Participates in School of Pharmacy faculty, staff, and committee meetings as required.

• Supports committees related to admissions, academic standing, student progression, curriculum, student awards, and student success initiatives.

• Attends university-wide meetings, working groups, and professional development activities relevant to academic advising and student affairs.

• Serves as a key contributor to accreditation and operational activities relating to academic advising and student affairs.

• Liaises with Advisors in Science to ensure support of CAP students and awareness of any curriculum impact.

Recruitment, Engagement, and Student Life

• Contributes to recruitment and admission activities, including:

• Open houses and Ontario Universities Fair;

• Information sessions;

• Applicant events;

• Community outreach initiatives.

• Develops, implements, and evaluates student retention and engagement initiatives that support academic success, student wellness, professional development, and connection to the School of Pharmacy community.

• Leads and coordinates CAP student engagement programming, including CAP student communications, newsletters, mentorship initiatives, reception activities, and student events.

• Collaborates with faculty, staff, and student organizations to support student engagement, wellness, leadership development, and professional identity formation.

• Assists with the planning, delivery, and assessment of workshops and educational programming related to academic success, study skills, career planning, professionalism, leadership development, and student well-being.

• Serves as a resource to student groups and supports student-led initiatives that foster community building, leadership development, and engagement within the School.

• Participate in PharmD orientation, transition, and student life initiatives, working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and student leaders to enhance the student experience and support student success throughout the program.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Undergraduate degree required

• Degree in a health sciences discipline, education, counselling, student affairs, or related field preferred.

• Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in academic advising, student affairs, higher education administration, or a related student support environment.

• Interpreting and applying academic regulations and policies;

• Providing advising and support to post-secondary students;

• Managing sensitive student situations while maintaining confidentiality;

• Working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and student support professionals.

• Experience supporting students in a professional or health sciences program is considered an asset.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Knowledge of pharmacy education, academic policies, student progression requirements, and university procedures.

• Strong understanding of student development, wellbeing, and success strategies.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, counseling, and relationship-building skills.

• Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and report-writing abilities.

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, competing deadlines, and high-volume workloads.

• Demonstrated discretion, sound judgment, diplomacy, and professionalism when interacting with students, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders.

• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and student-centered service.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and student information systems, databases, and university administrative systems.

Equity Statement
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.
The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at [email protected] or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.