Student Success Specialist

About Augustana College:

About Augustana College: Established in 1860, we are located in the culturally diverse metropolitan area of the Quad Cities on the Mississippi River (~165 miles west of Chicago, IL). With a combined population of nearly 400,000, the Quad Cities offers the opportunities of a big city with the hospitality of a smaller town. Augustana College is a selective, private college that serves approximately 2,500 undergraduate students, offering 90 majors and related areas of undergraduate study, and enjoys a ranking in the top tier of U.S. News, National Liberal Arts Colleges.

As a consecutive two-time INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence Diversity (HEED) award-winning campus, our intentional community and commitment to diversity and inclusion mean we are a place where all students from all backgrounds flourish. In addition, we provide all undergraduate students an Augie Choice award for $2,000 to be used for an internship, research, or study abroad.

Our campus life experience, offers students a robust co-curricular experience that includes the performing arts, broadcasting and publications, student government, fraternity and sorority life, and more. As a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, the Augustana Vikings participate in 28 varsity athletic teams under NCAA Division III and offers all gender competitive E-Sports.

Job Description:

Job Title: Student Success Specialist - Incoming Students Focus

Status: Exempt Full-time, 12-month schedule 

Reports to: Coordinator of Retention Initiatives

Wage grade: 735

Augustana College is seeking a dynamic Student Success Specialist - Incoming Students Focus. This is a 12-month staff position designed to facilitate a smooth transition for incoming first-year and transfer students into their first semester at Augustana and set them on a path to long-term success.

Housed within the Learning Commons and reporting to the Coordinator of Retention Initiatives, the Student Success Specialist is an integral part of a dedicated team focused on improving student enrollment, persistence, and completion. This is accomplished through a comprehensive and coordinated advising and academic success program across the College, which includes the effective use of Augustana's Starfish case management platform, data analytics, and other student success resources.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide personalized, comprehensive support to assigned students to foster academic and personal growth in alignment with student success and retention goals. 
• Implement best practices for advising, onboarding and pre-enrollment into first semester courses to set incoming students on a trajectory toward student success.
• Facilitate gathering information from incoming students to understand their course needs and ensure appropriate support.
• Oversee the pre-enrollment process, including coordinating the availability of required courses and registering students for their first semester at Augustana.
• Ensure each incoming student is assigned a first-year or transfer advisor, as well as an Augie Mentor.
• Support professional development for all first-year and transfer advisors, equipping them to provide holistic support and anticipate the needs of new students.
• Work collaboratively with campus partners to design and implement compelling orientation programming and integrated support for incoming students.
• Support team-based efforts to enhance retention, persistence, and graduation by creating a welcoming environment where students feel cared for, supported, and connected. 

This position is critical in enhancing the student experience, ensuring incoming students are well-supported as they embark on their academic journey at Augustana College.

Requirements:

Education:

Master's Degree in a related field (i.e. Student Personnel, Counseling, Communication, Higher Education Administration, etc)

Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to develop strong rapport with students, particularly struggling students.
• Demonstrated ability to apply theory to practice and incorporate best practices in holistic student advising and support into one-on-one interactions with students.
• Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communication across varied audiences including students, parents and families, faculty, staff, and administrators.
• Strong organizational skills to simultaneously plan and manage multiple projects while demonstrating attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage projects through completion, including data analysis and report out.
• Demonstrated ability to operationalize innovative solutions to problems, including use of technology.
• Demonstrated efficiency working independently and collaboratively.

Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in a related field (i.e. Student Personnel, Counseling, Communication, Higher Education Administration, etc), or equivalent experience.
• 1-2 years of academic advising and student support experience in a higher ed or equivalent setting..
• Experience providing holistic support to a diverse student population.
• Demonstrated knowledge of student development theories, post-pandemic best practices supporting student persistence and success, and holistic advising.
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite, including using Excel to monitor large data sets. Experience using Google suite is preferred.
• Experience using SIS, CRM, and Early alert platforms. Colleague, Slate, and Starfish experience is preferred.

Physical Requirements: 

This position is located on campus and works in a traditional office environment. Must be able to lift 15 pounds on a frequent basis. Also required is the ability to listen, hear, speak, read, write, climb stairs, bend, stoop, and stand for intermittently long periods of time. Must be able to use a computer to accomplish a variety of job tasks.

Additional Information:

Note:  This job description is subject to change and is not designed to be a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by the employee. 

Additional Information:  Augustana is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Augustana College provides equal opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, and any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

Pay and Benefits:

This position is budgeted to pay $46,000 annually.  As a full time position, this position is eligible for our complete benefits package including medical, dental, vision, retirement plan with a generous company contribution, excellent paid time off/holiday benefits, tuition benefits for employees and their family members, and much more! You can learn more about our benefit programs at our Benefits website. 

Application Instructions:

Application Instructions: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume for consideration along with contact information for three professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.