Regional Dean of Student Services

About the Role

Excelon Associates is conducting a search on behalf of a private university client for a Director of Student Support Services. This role provides leadership, administrative oversight, coordination, and programming to serve students across the institution's U.S. operations. The Director develops, articulates, and implements policies and procedures for providing supportive services to students throughout the student lifecycle.

The individual supervises Student Support Services (SSS) coordinators and Educational Resource and Assessment Center (ERAC) staff who advise students in academic, co-curricular, and personal areas, encouraging engagement, persistence, and resilience to improve retention, certification, and graduation outcomes. The Director also develops and implements programming that enhances the quality of the student experience and ensures compliance with applicable regulations.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and management for all programming under student services, including co-curricular activities, support services and referrals, disability services, and student regulations processes and procedures.
• Provide leadership and creativity for the SSS and ERAC teams to create guides, videos, and workshops for students and faculty for informational and technological purposes.
• Coordinate the use of available technology, manage the Student Services Ticket System and ERAC, and interpret Student Services protocols and college policies. Provide monthly reporting on access to SSS and ERAC demonstrating effectiveness against established college goals.
• Oversee the staffing and management of Student Services, ERAC, and work study staff in accordance with college policies and procedures.
• Build departmental relationships internally and externally to ensure SSS and ERAC staff can advocate for students, working with internal and external providers to facilitate or accommodate student needs.
• Collaborate with the Dean of Academic Affairs, Academic Leadership, the Regional Office of Academic Affairs, the Online Management Team, Marketing, and Admissions to connect students to services, resources, and programs provided by the Student Support Services Office.
• Support the team in meeting or exceeding monthly and annual retention goals (70% or more) for the college and its programs, including driving improvement in student academic progress by reducing the percentage of students who do not return, lowering failure rates, and increasing persistence and student satisfaction through support services, while contributing to student population goals.
• Develop a system to maintain accurate and up-to-date records (oral and written) and provide an assessment of data tracking student appointments, internal and external referrals, and tickets processed, aligned with the college's performance indicators.
• In collaboration with the VP of Academics, lead the planning of the annual graduation ceremony and other college-wide activities.

Requirements

• Master's degree in education administration, higher education, public administration, counseling, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of experience in student services within an academic setting and three years of management experience, preferably in a proprietary postsecondary school setting.
• Ability to work a varied schedule with flexible hours, including evenings and coordinated weekend hours, and to act effectively in emergency and crisis situations.
• Familiarity with current trends in higher education and technology, with the ability to enhance the use of technology and other resources to meet student needs.

Why Join?

The client fosters a community devoted to academic excellence, innovation, and human development. Every employee plays a key role in advancing student growth while enhancing their own professional journey, supported by a culture of teamwork, respect, and ongoing learning. Employees enjoy professional growth opportunities, career stability, and the satisfaction of contributing to an organization that changes lives through education.