Student Success Coach (Student Support Specialist), Scholars Program

Indiana University Northwest, Gary, Indiana

About the role

The Student Success Coach for Scholars Programs coordinates and delivers comprehensive support services for Indiana University Northwest scholar populations, including 21st Century Scholars, Groups Scholars, RedHawk Scholars, and related initiatives.

Responsibilities

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Provides holistic, proactive coaching focused on academic success, financial literacy, engagement, and persistence for first-generation students.
• Ensures compliance with scholarship requirements, monitors student progress, and develops programming that promotes retention and degree completion.
• Collaborates with campus partners to deliver coordinated, student-centered support aligned with institutional student success and enrollment goals.
• Manages and coordinates scholar programs including 21st Century Scholars, Groups Scholars, and RedHawk Scholars.
• Plans and implements orientations, summer bridge/kickoff programs, and induction ceremonies.
• Determines eligibility for scholarships, stipends, and program participation.
• Provides individualized coaching addressing academic, financial, and personal success barriers.
• Monitors student academic progress, retention, and persistence using data-informed practices; conducts regular check-ins and develops individualized success plans.
• Intervenes proactively with students for non-compliance or attrition.
• Ensures student compliance with 21st Century Scholars program requirements.
• Educates students on FAFSA, ScholarTrack, and scholarship renewal criteria.
• Develops workshops, enrichment programs, and engagement initiatives to promote belonging and success.
• Coordinates peer mentoring program, including recruitment, training, and supervision.
• Leads the recruitment efforts of 21st Century Scholars high school students by developing workshops and events for scholars.
• Collects and analyzes program data to assess outcomes and inform improvements.
• Collaborates with faculty, staff, and campus partners on shared student success goals.
• Prepares reports and presentations on program effectiveness and student outcomes.

General Responsibilities

• Develops and implements programs and initiatives that offer support for students in crisis, facing adversity or challenges, or specific student populations.
• Interfaces directly with students by attending student programming events, advising student organization leaders, meeting 1-on-1 to discuss support needs, and gathering satisfaction feedback from student participants to implement into future student services initiatives and objectives.
• Emphasizes confidentiality of student concerns, university policy compliance, and a culture of care within all direct student interactions.
• Collaborates with staff in own department and other departments, as well as academic and campus leaders, on shared student support goals, often coordinating funding to sponsor student programs and initiatives.
• Projects outcomes for support services offered at the program, department/division, or campus level; measures and evaluates effectiveness of student support initiatives against projected outcomes.
• Regularly prepares reports on impact to students and budget and may present to stakeholders on effectiveness and to secure funding for initiatives moving forward.
• Serves on committees and performs student support research across the field of higher education and at peer institutions to identify and recommend best practices.
• Plans and coordinates communications for student support initiatives to ensure student participation and engagement.
• May provide guidance to other student support staff; makes process recommendations to manager for improved delivery of service.

Requirements

Education

• Required: Bachelor's degree in education, public affairs, public health, counseling, social work, business, or related field.
• Preferred: Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, or related field.

Work Experience

• Required: 2 years in student services, higher education, social work, counseling, law, or related field.
• Preferred:
  • Experience working with first-generation student populations.
  • Experience working with scholarship compliance programs (e.g., 21st Century Scholars, financial aid programs).
  • Experience with student success coaching, retention initiatives, or case management models.

Skills

• Required:
  • Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
  • Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
  • Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
  • Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
  • Possesses flexibility to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
  • Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
  • Highly thorough and dependable.
  • Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.
  • Demonstrates ability to maintain confidential information.
  • Ability to simultaneously handle multiple priorities.
  • Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision-making skills.
  • Demonstrates customer service skills.
  • Knowledge of student development, counseling, or career development theories and practices.
  • Knowledge of current needs and trends of students from multiple backgrounds.
  • Ability to advise students individually and in groups on student-related matters.
  • Commitment to working with people from multiple backgrounds.
  • Ability to build strong partnerships with students and other university departments.
• Preferred:
  • Knowledge of student development theory and retention strategies.
  • Strong communication, organization, and time management skills.
  • Ability to work with students from multiple backgrounds.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Pay

$50,000 - $55,000 annually

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance.
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions.
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU.
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance.
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting.
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options.
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses.
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year.
• Generous paid time off plans.
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events.
• Employee assistance program (EAP).