Director, Advising and Student Success
Job Summary: The Director of Advising and Student Success provides strategic leadership for the College’s advising and student persistence efforts across a multi-campus service area. This position oversees advising operations within a One-Stop student services environment and ensures that advising practices align with institutional retention, completion, and student success priorities.
The Director oversees advising operations, and student success interventions within a one-stop enrollment and student services environment. This role is accountable for measurable improvements in advising effectiveness, student persistence, and retention outcomes, and provides regular performance reporting to divisional leadership.
Duties
Advising Operations and Service Delivery 35%
• Provide operational leadership for advising and student success personnel across campuses.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate staff; establish clear performance expectations and accountability standards.
• Manage departmental budgets and resources with fiscal responsibility.
• Develop, implement, and maintain policies, procedures, and service standards that ensure consistency and quality.
• Monitor workload distribution and staffing effectiveness to optimize service delivery.
• Ensure departmental goals align with divisional and institutional priorities.
• Maintain collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Monitor service delivery standards, including appointment availability, response time, and workflow efficiency, ensuring consistent and equitable student access across campuses.
Retention and Persistence Initiatives 30%
• Analyze and interpret retention and enrollment data to inform decision-making, strategic planning, and targeted intervention efforts.
• Identify student success barriers and equity gaps through data analysis and emerging enrollment trends, recommending and implementing evidence-based interventions.
• Lead cross-functional retention initiatives in collaboration with faculty, academic affairs, enrollment services, and student support units.
• Work with retention committee to assess current campus retention efforts to improve student focused academic support services across all campuses.
• Oversee proactive outreach strategies utilizing early-alert systems and predictive indicators to support student persistence.
• Establish, monitor, and report on key retention and persistence metrics, including term-to-term retention rates, early-alert response timeliness, and intervention outcomes.
Advising and Student Success Strategy 30%
• Establish and promote an institutional advising philosophy grounded in developmental, proactive, and equity-minded practices aligned with best practices.
• Design and continuously refine the advising model to support persistence, completion, and career alignment.
• Develop and implement advisor training, professional development, and competency standards.
• Oversee advising technologies, case management systems, and early-alert platforms to ensure timely, data-informed outreach and intervention.
• Evaluate onboarding, advising, and student engagement processes to enhance effectiveness and student outcomes.
• Identify systemic barriers to student success and recommend strategic improvements.
• Define and assess key performance indicators for advising effectiveness, including caseload management, student engagement, service responsiveness, and student satisfaction measures.
• Ensure advising services and departmental practices support and implement initiatives associated with the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), as appropriate to the advising function.
• Serve as a member of the College’s QEP leadership team, contributing advising perspectives and supporting institution-wide student success initiatives.
Other duties as assigned 5%
Competencies
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Team building
• Familiarity with NACADA principles for advising and student success
• Technology and computer skills (CRM and Excel)
• Leadership and professional development
• Academic advising best practices and principles
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree *and*
• Three years’ experience in an advisement/retention support role.
Preferred Qualifications
• Supervisory experience
• Master’s degree
• 5 years advising/retention experience
• Experience working in a one-stop environment
Supervisory Responsibility
• Has oversight over all positions within the department.
Work Environment
This job operates in a professional office environment, routinely uses standard office equipment and technologies, and requires business attire and professionalism.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift or move office products and supplies, up to 25 pounds.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time position. This position occasionally requires longer hours and some weekend work.
Travel
Travel to other campus locations is required. Some overnight travel may be required.
Other Duties
Please note that this job description is not intended to cover or list in full the activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.