Executive Director Student Success Center

Bemidji State University (BSU) invites applicants to join our team as an Executive Director of Student Success Center. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Enrollment Management, the Executive Director Student Success Center provides strategic, equity-minded leadership and daily oversight of the Bemidji State University (BSU) Student Success Center (SSC) including the design, implementation, direction, and assessment of the university’s undergraduate advising model; implementation and operation of the university’s early-alert student success platform (EAB Navigate); career coaching, counseling, and readiness, proactive and personalized outreach intervention for holistic and equitable student success; accessibility and accommodation services; onboarding and career planning programs (including New Student Registration, Major and Grad School Expo, and various New Student Orientation programs); and providing resources and training support for BSU faculty, academic staff, and student affairs educators.
 
The Executive Director collaborates in close partnership with colleagues in other Enrollment Management departments such as Admissions, International Programs Center, Records and Registration, and Financial Aid. Additionally, close collaboration is expected with other departments in Student Life, Academic Affairs, and Athletics, such as Academic schools and colleges, Residence Life, American Indian Resource Center, Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and others to promote and support holistic student learning and success that is grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion and centered in student belonging and well-being.
 
The Executive Director has delegated authority to enact programs and services – as well as to help systematically revise policies, structures, and systems – to promote greater student retention, academic progress, and successful first-destination graduate outcomes. The Executive Director also performs various duties outside of the SSC that support the mission of the university and contribute to a culture of equity-centered, individualized approaches to student support services and college and career readiness.
 
Responsibilities of the Executive Director Student Success Center include: 

• Leadership and Oversight. (30%)
  • Leading, overseeing, implementing and evaluating all operations, services, programs, and activities of the SSC including but not limited to academic advising and coaching for undergraduate students, accessibility and accommodation services, career coaching/counseling/readiness, mentorship and coaching programs, new student registration, outreach and intervention for student success, proctored testing services, and supporting and training for faculty advisors and academic staff.
  • Overseeing and supporting PSEO student advising, registration, and policy development.
  • Being available to respond quickly, confidently, and effectively to issues that are escalated within the SSC. Providing as-needed guidance and time-sensitive support to ensure student issues are handled quickly and equitably.
  • Building a culture of collaboration and teamwork among SSC staff as well as between these individuals, faculty, and other student affairs educators throughout the university. Maintaining a bias toward making decisions that are informed by research, data, and theory and that leverage students’ unique cultures, experiences, and backgrounds as strengths.
  • Serving in a leadership capacity working with faculty advisors, student affairs educators, and enrollment management professionals specifically related to academic advising, accessibility services, career advancement, coaching, retention strategies, student learning, and the unique needs of adult and online learners.
  • Demonstrating self-awareness of one’s own cultural beliefs, perspectives, and privilege as a part of one’s orientation toward leadership. Exhibiting a philosophical approach grounded in the belief that all students can learn and succeed.
  • Acknowledging the specific and particular realities of Indigenous, Black, and other communities of color, 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, and other minoritized communities. Developing practices to respectfully invite and serve these communities in the SSC.
  • Along with SSC directors, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical employment standards, FERPA, ADA, Section 504, and other related state and federal laws and regulations.
• Core Advising and Success Coaching. (25%)
  • Managing an advising case load to ensure coverage as advising demands fluctuate.
  • Managing faculty and staff advisor case loads, assignment and maintenance, taking care to build an equitable and programmatically aligned assignment structure and procedure.
  • Developing and maintaining collaborative advising model materials and training for new staff/faculty.
  • Working directly with academic schools and colleges to ensure consistently high-quality advising across disciplines.
  • Providing expertise to the campus community on the advisement of all undergraduate students.
  • Working with the BSU Transfer Partnership Coordinator to build support for transfer advising in times of student transition.
  • Providing leadership and direction to student success programs such as RISE (Roberge Inspiring Student Excellence).
  • Leading and facilitating meetings of the Undergraduate Academic Advising Council.
  • Joining and actively participating in system-wide advising collaborations and development opportunities such as the Advising Community of Practice.
  • Creating and utilizing a network of relationships with faculty and student affairs educators to effectively deliver general advising and support services for on-campus, online, transfer, and returning students.
  • Providing strategic leadership and managing high-level execution in work designed for holistic and equitable student success, retention, and the student experience in the first year, including support for non-traditional learners and online course delivery.
  • Ensuring that students are supported through detailed degree planning using technology and interpretation of data to communicate accurate information about, and to, students.
  • Presenting information to and collecting feedback from faculty and administrators at semester starts and other opportunities.
  • Developing and administering all aspects of the university general advising system for undeclared majors, including providing innovative training and assistance to faculty advisors to ensure a consistent advising experience by all students, developing advising resources for faculty advisors, assigning undeclared students to advisors, and providing resources (e.g., major selection, job search assistance) and advice for undeclared students.
• Student Success Initiatives and Technologies. (20%)
  • Leading the implementation, operation, and oversight of the university’s early-alert student success platform which is used for student outreach and intervention including but not limited to alerts, holds, warnings, progress report campaigns, and other indicators, training and support for faculty and staff, and ensuring that data on general academic advising and student success are collected, maintained, and disseminated for data-informed decision making.
  • Developing, implementing, and assessing a comprehensive student retention and success plan to include strategies and interventions informed by theory, inclusive and equitable practices, and data-informed practices that enhance student retention, graduation, and graduate outcomes.
  • Working collaboratively across units and departments to promote and support holistic and equitable student learning and success.
  • Designing, implementing, assessing, and continuously improving a student success team that promotes student progress, retention, and graduate outcomes.
  • Collaborating with Records Office staff to identify and communicate to students enrolled in potentially unnecessary courses (e.g. TZ and Repeat queries).
  • Working with instructional faculty, overseeing the development and delivery of First-Year Experience (FYE) seminar courses, collecting and monitoring assessment data, and promoting continuous improvement efforts for the courses.
  • For a select number of FYE-related programs, providing leadership for the planning, implementing, and evaluating co-curricular programs that promote academic achievement, career exploration, and a sense of belonging for all students. 
  • Facilitating the development of a culture that recognizes, affirms, and helps students draw upon cultural, communal, and identity-based ways of knowing, being, and doing to achieve educational outcomes.
• Financial and Human Resource Management. (10%)  
  • Recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and directly and indirectly supervising personnel in the SSC.
  • Responding to the development of nine professional staff in the center by performing annual performance reviews, PD reviews and audits, supporting professional development opportunities and offering daily/weekly check-ins.
  • Managing a modest programming budget, supervising pre-professional staff (student employees), and supporting university efforts to pursue and secure external funding for programs.
  • Overseeing budget and fiscal management for the SSC, including establishing financial goals, monitoring and adjusting budget to ensure it is both met and sustainable in the short- and long-term.
  • Facilitating the development of a space that welcomes and informs all students, faculty, and student affairs educators who are interested in centering the voices and experiences of students from communities that have been historically excluded, underrepresented, or not well-served within higher education.
• Career Advancement. (5%)
  • Supporting and backing-up the work of the Director of Career Advancement in building a network of relationships with faculty, student affairs educators, alumni, and employers to effectively deliver career readiness, and career development services.
  • Providing support for, and participating in programs related to major selection, career readiness and exploration, and job/internship assistance.
  • Supporting the mandated Annual Graduate Follow-up Study for BSU and NTC and sharing data with administration, faculty, higher learning commission, and program review committees.
  • Supporting the development of reference guides by each academic major program that identifies projected employment demand by field, employment areas/career clusters, placement rates, and partial lists of employers and graduate schools who have hired or admitted BSU graduates.
  • Implementing fair and equitable hiring policies and procedures for students.
• Equitable Access for Students with Disabilities. (5%)
  • Supporting and backing up the work of the Director of Accessibility Services in building a network of relationships with faculty, student affairs educators, community agencies, and system office colleagues to effectively deliver equitable access for students with disabilities.
  • In partnership with the Director of Accessibility Services, helping interpret and apply state and federal legal mandates such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
  • Backing up and supporting the work of the Test Proctor Coordinator for the SSC’s proctored testing facilities and procedures.
  • Ensuring alignment between on-campus (local) and remote proctored testing procedures and management.
  • Facilitating the development of a culture that moves beyond compliance and commitment to creating and sustaining an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces universal design as a framework for inclusive teaching and learning, facilities, and technology.
• Other Duties. (5%)
  • Assisting with planning, facilitating, and assessing anti-racism, equity, and inclusion professional development experiences on campus.
  • Serving on the BSU Emotional and Physical Health (Care Team) committee, responding quickly to any urgent student needs identified by the group.
  • Serving on the BSU Athletics Compliance committee to provide transfer and advising perspective and input.
  • Contributing to assessment, accreditation, and other continuous improvement processes.
  • Systematically revising policies, structures, and systems to promote greater student retention, placement, and success.
  • Actively participating in department, division, and university programs (e.g., new student registration and orientation events, academic/career exploration and job/internship fairs).
  • Serving on various university, system, and community committees and work groups as appropriate.
  • Performing other duties as assigned. 

• Master’s degree plus five (5) years of professional work experience in academic support and advising, accessibility services, career services, student affairs, or a closely related field, OR Bachelor’s degree plus six (6) years of professional work experience in academic support and advising, accessibility services, career services, student affairs, or a closely related field, OR equivalent combination of post-secondary training, education, and/or professional experience. 
• Experience leading and supporting the development of students, professional staff and-or teams.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural humility and fluency, and achievement in working with diverse student populations.
• Strong communication, administrative, presentation, and organizational skills.
• An ability to work collaboratively with faculty, student affairs educators, and students.
• An ability to navigate shared governance environments and productively work with bargaining units and student governance. 

• Doctoral degree in higher education/student affairs administration, counseling, or a closely related field with knowledge of student development and learning theories.
• Five (5) years of proven progressive management, supervision, and equity-minded leadership experience at director level in academic support and advising, accessibility services, career services, student affairs, or a closely related field within a higher education setting.
• Knowledge of and appreciation for the mission of regional public universities, and familiarity with public two-year technical and community colleges.
• Direct experience with providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive support, coaching, and advising.
• Proven track record of creating and sustaining programs that increase outcomes and close or eliminate educational equity gaps for historically marginalized and underserved students.
• Professional experience working in a one-stop or similar multi-functional student success center.
• In-depth knowledge of student success platforms and student information systems (i.e., Workday Student).
• Proficiency in data analysis related to retention, placement, and student success.
• Active involvement in national/international professional associations in student affairs, academic advising, accessibility/disability services, career development, or a closely related field; and
• Capacity to effectively interact and partner with various internal and external constituencies.

TO APPLY:

External Applicants: Apply for Vacancy Posting JR0000001692, on our career site:  https://minnstate.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Minnesota_State_Careers or at https://minnstate.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Minnesota_State_Careers/job/Bemidji/Executive-Director-Student-Success-Center_JR0000001692.
 
Internal Applicants: All current employees will need to log in to the career site in Workday to apply for the position. Employees will search for “Browse Jobs – Employees” in Workday via the search bar at the top to view open positions.