Director of First-Year Experience

About the role

The Director of First-Year Experience provides visionary leadership and strategic direction for Berea College’s comprehensive first-year student success ecosystem, including new student orientation; summer transition programming, including Summer Bridge; the First-Year Summit; and first-year academic success initiatives.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Student Success, this position serves as a key architect of the College’s approach to supporting students from enrollment through their successful transition into the academic, social, and campus life experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive first-year experience that connects orientation, transition programming, academic advising, student engagement, career exploration, and retention initiatives with institutional priorities and student needs.
• Provide vision and leadership for new student orientation and direct the Summer Bridge Program, including program design, campus coordination, student-staff supervision, curriculum support, assessment, and continued engagement with participants throughout their first year.
• Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of the First-Year Summit curriculum and learning outcomes. Recruit, train, and develop Summit Guides and instructors, provide ongoing professional development, and serve as a Summit Guide or instructor for designated sections.
• Provide proactive academic advising and student-success coaching to an assigned caseload of first-year students. Use student information and assessment findings to identify barriers, coordinate referrals, support academic planning, and contribute to advising models that promote persistence and equitable student achievement.
• Teach assigned first-year experience courses and collaborate with faculty and staff to develop engaging curriculum and learning experiences focused on college transition, academic success, belonging, and student development.
• Develop and implement assessment plans, analyze student retention, engagement, participation, and academic outcomes, and prepare reports and recommendations that guide program improvement and innovation.
• Build partnerships across the College to coordinate first-year student support, strengthen connections among academic and student-success initiatives, and represent First-Year Experience on committees, working groups, and institutional projects.
• Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate student employees supporting First-Year Experience programs, including teaching assistants and resident assistants. Schedule and assign work, approve time, assess performance, provide feedback, and support students’ workplace development.

Requirements

Education required to ensure success in this position: Master’s degree required.

Experience required to ensure success in this position: Demonstrated success in teaching and training. At least three years of relevant experience in student success, first-year programming, advising, retention, or related program administration. A record of outstanding student success programming direction and a commitment to access. Experience working with students and diverse populations. Classroom experience in postsecondary or K-12 education preferred.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of best practices for supporting the unique needs of first-year students.
• Essential qualities include initiative, flexibility, creativity, and commitment to collaboration.
• Evidence of strong leadership as well as organization and communication skills.
• Excellent oral/written communication and superior interpersonal skills with the ability to work constructively and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Strong organizational skills and capacity to set priorities and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated aptitude for analyzing data and applying findings to direct student success programming, track student success, and implement continuous improvement efforts.
• Computer skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Special Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Knowledge of best practices for supporting the unique needs of first-year students.

Benefits

Berea College offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees and their families including health care, dental, vision, retirement, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability and an Employee Assistance Program.

To learn more details, visit our benefits page at https://www.berea.edu/human-resources/employee-benefits.