Director of Student Support

Job Description

PRIMARY PURPOSE: The Director of Student Support Services plays a critical role in improving student outcomes through the promotion of student success, well-being, and engagement with Ave Maria University. Reporting directly to the Dean of Faculty, the Director of Student Support collaborates closely with key support stakeholders, including the Vice President of Student Affairs, Athletic Director, and members of the Behavioral Intervention Team, to develop strategies that enhance student learning, engagement, and retention.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Staff Supervision: Oversee the operations of the Student Support and Adaptive Services Offices and provide leadership, mentorship, and supervision to the Student Support advisors. Foster professional development opportunities and promote a positive and collaborative work environment for all department staff.
• Collaboration and Networking: Build strong relationships and collaborate with internal stakeholders, including faculty, administrators, student affairs staff, and other members of the collegiate community. Stay informed about best practices and trends in student support services through active participation in professional organizations and conferences.
• Student Engagement: Foster a culture of student engagement by developing and overseeing programs, activities, and services that promote student involvement, leadership, and community building in collaboration with the Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Faculty. Participate in new student orientation and its planning. Collaboratively work with the Registrar and Admissions on outreach and anti-melt campaigns directed at incoming students.
• Student Well-Being: Collaborate with campus resources, such as counseling services, health services, and disability support, to develop and implement programs and initiatives that promote student well-being, mental health, and overall wellness.
• Academic Advising: Work closely with the Dean of Faculty to ensure faculty and students receive effective support during academic advising. Develop and implement strategies to enhance the academic advising process, including the utilization of technology and resources.
• Student Support Strategy: Collaborate with the Provost, Dean of Faculty, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Vice President of Athletics to develop and implement a comprehensive student support strategy that aligns with Ave Maria University's mission to form "men and women in the intellectual and moral virtues of the faith" and create and maintain "an environment in which faith informs the life of the community and takes expression in all its programs." This includes identifying areas of improvement and creating initiatives to enhance student success and retention.
• Data Keeping and Analysis: Developing a culture of accountability and responsiveness through the collection and analysis of institutional and departmental data. This includes the keeping of departmental records relating to outreach, meetings, and the impact of departmental initiatives on student outcomes to inform decision-making processes, assess program effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement.
• Student Tutoring: Management of tutoring services, to include the interviewing, selection, hiring and monitoring of student tutors, crafting the tutoring schedule, and coordinating tutoring needs with faculty;
• Identify risks and obstacles to student progress and develop solutions to promote student success. Partner with University departments to create programming that supports student development, retention efforts, and degree completion.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree with 3+ years of Higher Ed experience, master's degree in education preferred.
EXPERIENCE: Program management, academic support programming, prior experience working in Student Support Services, and tutoring experience are highly preferred. Report writing, database management, and compiling data for reporting purposes are essential.
CERTIFICATION: N/A
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Specific Job Abilities:
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with students, faculty, and staff.
• Ability to coordinate work with other employees, providing direct instruction or supervision as assigned.
• Ability to organize work effectively, conceptualize and prioritize objectives and exercise independent judgment based on an understanding of organizational policies and activities.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally, by phone, in person, and in writing.
• Ability to represent the department and University in a friendly, courteous, and professional manner.

Work Skills:
the ability to pay close attention to details, interact effectively, appropriately, and professionally with the students utilizing the services, the student worker tutors, and the faculty and athletic coaches who refer students for tutoring services.

Exceptional time management and organization skills
Strong oral and written communication skills
Ability to work independently, collaboratively, and under supervision.
Willingness to serve, and build relationships with the troupe
Must possess strong initiative, leadership skills, organizational and project management skills, with the ability to multitask to manage a variety of projects and priorities, coordinating the actions of others, follow through on projects to timely completion, and demonstrate excellent judgment with attention to detail.
Microsoft Office experience with Word, Outlook, Publisher, Excel, Power Point software experience.
Must support the University's Catholic mission
PHYSICAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Requires ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations; the ability to stand, walk and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10 - 20 pounds. Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, type and perform data entry, visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read technical information, ability to hear in order to answer telephones and to communicate verbally, and the ability to sit for extended periods of time.
WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is performed indoors with minimal safety hazards, and requires seated, standing, and movement work.

About the Employer

Founded in fidelity to Christ and His Church in response to the call of Vatican II for greater lay witness in contemporary society, Ave Maria University exists to further teaching, research, and learning at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the abiding tradition of Catholic thought in both national and international settings. The University takes as its mission the sponsorship of a liberal arts education curriculum dedicated, as articulated in the apostolic constitution Ex corde Ecclesiae, to the advancement of human culture, the promotion of dialogue between faith and reason, the formation of men and women in the intellectual and moral virtues of the Catholic faith, and to the development of professional and pre-professional programs in response to local and societal needs.