Assistant Director

About the role

The Assistant Director provides leadership, coordination, and assessment of initiatives designed to support the successful transition, engagement, and retention of first-year students. This includes developing and implementing programs such as orientation, first-year experience curriculum, and student success initiatives; delivering proactive advising and intervention for at-risk students; and utilizing data-informed practices to improve outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Program Leadership & First-Year Experience Initiatives - 25%

• Provides leadership for the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of first-year experience programs, including New Student Orientation, Gorilla Gateway, transition programs, and extended orientation initiatives (e.g., Gorillas Pursuing Success/GPS)
• Develops curriculum, learning outcomes, and program materials that support student transition, engagement, and academic success
• Oversees the selection, training, scheduling, and supervision of student leaders, including development of training programs and/or credit-bearing coursework
• Collaborates with campus partners to advance institutional retention goals and enhance the overall first-year student experience

• Student Success, Advising & Intervention - 20%

• Advises a caseload of exploratory/undeclared students, assisting with goal setting, academic planning, and timely progression toward degree completion
• Provides proactive outreach, support, and intervention for students experiencing academic or personal barriers, including referrals to campus resources
• Supports and/or coordinates early alert and student success initiatives, including outreach, follow-up, and case management for at-risk students
• Maintains accurate advising and student interaction records and utilizes advising data to inform student support strategies

• Assessment, Data Analysis & Strategic Initiatives - 15%

• Leads assessment efforts for First Year Programs, including development of student learning outcomes, data collection, analysis, and reporting of program effectiveness
• Utilizes institutional data (retention, persistence, engagement metrics) and student feedback to inform program improvements and decision-making
• Collaborates with campus partners to align first-year initiatives with institutional strategic goals related to retention and student success
• Aids in preparing reports and presentations that communicate program outcomes and impact to stakeholders

• Outreach, Communication & Enrollment Engagement - 10%

• Develops and implements strategic communication plans to engage prospective, incoming, and current first-year students using CRM systems, texting platforms, email campaigns, and other communication tools
• Coordinates targeted outreach initiatives to increase student participation in programs and services
• Supports communication and engagement efforts with families of first-year students during orientation and transition periods
• Leads or supports student outreach teams, including hiring, training, and supervision of student staff involved in communication initiatives

• Collaboration & Campus Partnerships - 10%

• Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with academic departments, student services offices, and campus stakeholders to enhance student support and streamline referrals
• Presents First Year Programs on campus committees and initiatives related to student success and retention
• Represents First Year Programs on campus committees and initiatives related to student success and retention

• Supervision & Staff Development - 10%

• Supervises, trains, schedules, and evaluates student employees and orientation leaders
• Provides ongoing coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities to student staff
• Affords assistance with onboarding and development of new staff within First Year Programs as needed

• Administrative & Operational Responsibilities - 5%

• Assists with management of program budgets, including planning and tracking of expenditures
• Coordinates academic success programming such as workshops, seminars, and skill-building sessions
• Maintains knowledge of university policies, resources, and best practices in student success and first-year experience
• Participates in professional development opportunities to remain current in the field

Qualifications

• Master’s degree
• Minimum of 1 year of full-time experience in a related field (2 years as a graduate assistant in a similar university program may be substituted for experience)
• Preferred: Master’s degree in college student personnel, educational leadership, higher education or related field

Benefits

Not specified

Pay

$44,000.00 - $50,000.00 annually

Schedule

Full Time, Monday – Friday, weekends as needed, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, evenings as needed