Assistant Director for Student Transitions

Augusta University is Georgia's innovation center for education and health care, training the next generation of innovators, leaders, and healthcare providers in classrooms and clinics on four campuses in Augusta and locations across the state. More than 12,000 students choose Augusta for educational opportunities at the center of Georgia's cybersecurity hub and experiential learning that blends arts and application, humanities, and the health sciences. Augusta is home to Georgia's only public academic health center, where groundbreaking research is creating a healthier, more prosperous Georgia, and world-class clinicians are bringing the medicine of tomorrow to patient care today.

About the role

The Assistant Director (AD) for Student Transitions is part of the Academic Advisement Center's leadership team and is responsible for developing, coordinating, and facilitating training and professional development initiatives for academic advising staff. This position serves as a key resource for onboarding new advisors, maintaining training documentation, assessing training needs, and promoting continuous improvement within advising operations. The AD will also oversee a population of students in transition while supervising an Advisor for Student Transitions, providing leadership and direction for specialized support services aimed at students navigating complex academic circumstances. The position collaborates with campus partners to develop coordinated intervention strategies and improve student persistence and retention.

Responsibilities

• Training and Development:
  • Develop, coordinate, and facilitate onboarding and ongoing training programs for Academic Advisement Center staff to ensure consistency in advising practices, institutional policy interpretation, customer service expectations, and utilization of university systems and technologies.
  • Create and maintain comprehensive training materials, procedural manuals, advising guides, and reference documentation related to academic policies, registration procedures, student success initiatives, and advising technologies.
  • Assess training and professional development needs of advising staff and recommend strategies to improve knowledge, effectiveness, and service delivery.
  • Coordinate training related to university systems such as Jag360/Slate, JagTrax, Banner, Degree Works, College Scheduler, Presence, and other advising technologies.
  • Support the implementation of advising best practices and contribute to the development of standardized advising processes and service expectations across the unit.
  • Monitor advising trends, policy updates, and institutional changes to ensure training content remains current and aligned with university initiatives.
  • Assist with evaluating training effectiveness through assessment, feedback collection, and performance outcomes.
• Student Transition Coordination:
  • Coordinate support services and intervention strategies for students in transition populations, including dual enrolled students, transfer students, returning students, students changing majors, students on academic probation or suspension, and students redirecting from competitive or selective academic programs.
  • Maintain an assigned caseload of transition students requiring specialized advising and individualized academic support.
  • Supervise and provide leadership, guidance, and support to the Advisor for Student Transitions, including workload management, coaching, performance feedback, and professional development support.
  • Develop transition programming, workshops, and communication campaigns designed to improve student persistence, engagement, and successful progression toward degree completion.
  • Collaborate with students to develop individualized academic recovery plans, degree completion strategies, and pathways toward academic and career goals.
  • Utilize institutional data and early alert systems to identify students at risk and coordinate proactive outreach and intervention efforts.
  • Monitor and assess transition student outcomes, retention, and engagement metrics to inform strategic planning and continuous improvement efforts.
• Cross-Unit Collaborations:
  • Collaborate with campus partners across Enrollment and Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, Career Services, Health Professions Outreach, the Academic Success Center, Housing, and other support units to ensure coordinated student support services.
  • Serve as a liaison between the Academic Advisement Center and academic colleges/departments regarding transition student support, advisor training needs, and policy implementation.
  • Participate in university committees, working groups, and strategic initiatives related to advising, retention, enrollment, student success, and student engagement.
  • Support university-wide student success initiatives and contribute to the development of holistic, student-centered programming aligned with Augusta University's strategic priorities.
  • Assist with the development and implementation of communication strategies designed to improve student awareness of resources, policies, deadlines, and engagement opportunities.
• Relationship Management:
  • Build and maintain positive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and external partners to support student success and institutional collaboration.
  • Foster a welcoming and student-centered environment that promotes belonging, engagement, and trust among various student populations.
  • Provide exceptional customer service while managing sensitive student concerns with professionalism, discretion, and empathy.
  • Support family engagement efforts and assist students and families in navigating university processes and resources.
  • Represent the Academic Advisement Center at campus events, orientations, open houses, outreach initiatives, and student engagement activities.
• Professional Development:
  • Maintain knowledge of current trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in academic advising, student success, retention, and higher education administration.
  • Participate in professional development opportunities including conferences, workshops, webinars, trainings, and professional associations such as NACADA and NASPA.
  • Pursue opportunities for leadership development and continuous improvement to enhance effectiveness within the role.
  • Stay informed of institutional policies, strategic priorities, and regulatory requirements impacting advising and student support services.
  • Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and innovation within the Academic Advisement Center and Enrollment and Student Affairs division.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum of two (2) years of academic advising experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Student Affairs, Higher Education, or other closely related field.
• Five (5) years of full-time advising experience at the college/university level, exhibiting moderate growth in role; may include supervision or mentoring of others.

Skills

• Strong verbal/written communication and presentation skills.
• High level of professionalism and self-motivation.
• Experience in customer service.
• Ability to work independently without extensive supervision.
• Detail-oriented, with the ability to multitask in a dynamic, fast-paced environment using multiple databases and software.
• Strong emotional intelligence with the ability to interact and develop relationships with a broad range of individuals.
• Proficiency in all Microsoft applications.
• Resourcefulness in conducting effective and efficient office operations to facilitate and support the mission of the department.
• High ethical standards and a commitment to confidentiality.

Schedule

Days; Monday-Friday (Work outside of normal business hours may be required).

Benefits

• Health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance.
• Teachers Retirement System (or Optional Retirement Plan).
• Earned vacation time, sick leave, and 13 paid holidays.
• Tuition Assistance Program for full-time employees employed successfully for more than 6 months.