Administrator of Student Success Initiatives, 4S Programs

Location: Big Rapids, MI (Main Campus)

Temporary, full-time grant-funded position through September 30, 2029. Continued employment contingent upon successful performance and availability of grant funding. Anticipated start date: September 2026. Must be authorized to work in the United States at time of hire without employer sponsorship.

About the Role

The Administrator of Student Success Initiatives serves as the primary lead for the Determined Dawgs Scholar Academy (DDSA), a comprehensive summer bridge and transition program designed to promote the successful transition, persistence, and academic achievement of students with elevated support needs. As a member of the Office of Student Success Initiatives, the administrator provides leadership for the planning, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of DDSA and related student success initiatives. This role supports grant implementation, compliance, assessment, reporting, and grant solicitation while advancing institutional priorities related to student success, retention, belonging, and degree completion.

Responsibilities

• Student Success Program Leadership:
  • Provide leadership for the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Determined Dawgs Scholar Academy (DDSA), including the four-week summer bridge experience and the associated three-semester student success seminar sequence.
  • Develop, facilitate, and assess educational experiences that promote academic success, college readiness, belonging, resource utilization, leadership development, and successful transition to Ferris State University.
  • Coordinate student engagement activities, workshops, campus experiences, and educational programming that reinforce program learning outcomes and contribute to student persistence and degree completion.
  • Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate student leaders, peer mentors, or Pack Leaders who support DDSA programming and student success initiatives.
  • Monitor student participation, academic progress, and engagement while connecting students with appropriate campus resources through proactive outreach and coordinated intervention strategies.
• Strategic Partnerships and Student Support:
  • Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with faculty, academic advisors, student affairs professionals, enrollment services, and campus partners to ensure coordinated support for participating students.
  • Work collaboratively with offices including Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Disability and Accessibility Resources, Career and Professional Success, Housing and Residence Life, Counseling, and other campus partners to promote holistic student success.
  • Represent Student Success Initiatives and DDSA through campus committees, outreach activities, recruitment events, presentations, and professional conferences.
• Assessment, Data, and Continuous Improvement:
  • Develop and implement assessment plans that evaluate student learning, program participation, and program effectiveness.
  • Collect, analyze, interpret, and communicate student success data to support evidence-informed decision making and continuous improvement.
  • Prepare reports, presentations, and recommendations for university leadership and funding agencies regarding program outcomes and effectiveness.
  • Collaborate with Institutional Research and other campus partners to ensure accurate collection, analysis, and reporting of student success data while maintaining compliance with institutional privacy requirements.
• Grant Administration and Fiscal Stewardship:
  • Support implementation of all activities associated with the KCP Select Student Support Services (4S) Grant.
  • Assist with grant reporting, documentation, compliance monitoring, budget management, and evaluation activities to ensure adherence to grant requirements and university policies.
  • Collaborate with university leadership in identifying opportunities for external funding and sustainability of student success initiatives.
• Institutional Student Success Initiatives:
  • Support university-wide retention, persistence, enrollment, and student success initiatives that advance the mission of the Office of Student Success Initiatives.
  • Participate in strategic planning, program development, and continuous improvement efforts that strengthen institutional support for students with elevated academic, financial, social, or transitional support needs.
  • Utilize institutional technologies, including Navigate360 and other student success platforms, to document services, monitor student engagement, coordinate interventions, and evaluate program outcomes.
• Carry out responsibilities in accordance with university policies and applicable laws.
• Cultivate an environment of belonging that values, respects, supports, and celebrates individual similarities and differences.
• Support, promote, and develop university student enrollment and retention initiatives.
• Perform any other duties assigned within the position classification area.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Education, Counseling, Social Work, Psychology, or a closely related field.
• Experience coordinating student success, transition, retention, advising, academic support, educational programming, or related initiatives within higher education.
• Experience developing collaborative partnerships and working with students from a variety of educational, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, Education, Leadership, or a related field preferred.
• Experience with grant administration, program assessment, and project management.
• Experience teaching college success, first-year seminar, student development, orientation, or transition courses.
• Experience utilizing student success technologies, early alert systems, and data to inform student support strategies.

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge of student development theory, student success strategies, transition programming, retention initiatives, and holistic student support practices.
• Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to develop collaborative partnerships across academic and student affairs.
• Experience interpreting and utilizing quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate program effectiveness and guide decision making.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage projects while contributing effectively as a collaborative team member.
• Knowledge of assessment methodologies, continuous improvement practices, and evidence-informed program development.
• Demonstrated successful experience working directly with people from diverse backgrounds, including cultural, educational, socioeconomic, and life experiences.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefit package including health care and vacation. View benefits offered with this position.

Pay

Advertised salary: $41,272–$44,129.

Schedule

• Full-time, 12-month position.
• Exempt (not eligible for overtime).
• Office environment with physical demands including carrying, reaching, sitting, twisting, repetitive movement, and standing.