Academic Success Coach

PACIFIC UNIVERSITY • Forest Grove, OR

1d • $48,000 - $55,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Pacific University achieves excellence and distinction by investing in exceptional people to think, care, create, and pursue justice in our world. We embrace discovery in a close and nurturing environment that leads to genuine transformation. Our community is diverse, sustainable, and dedicated to discovery and excellence in teaching, scholarship, and practice. At Pacific University, we thrive in an extraordinary environment, surrounded by the beauty of the great Pacific Northwest, with campus locations in Forest Grove and Hillsboro. We humbly acknowledge and thank the original caretakers of the lands on which we live, work, teach, and acquire and share knowledge. Salary Range: $48,000-55,000 Position Reports to: Director of Office of Student Support Application Deadline: Candidates are encouraged to apply by Sunday, May 3 for priority consideration. The position will remain open until filled. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2026. Enrollment Management & Student Affairs at Pacific University is dedicated to fostering student development in support of a more just, sustainable, and caring world. Guided by our core values—equity and inclusion, care, community, and learning—we center holistic student wellbeing, cultivate a sense of belonging, and champion equitable practices. As part of this area, the Office of Student Support (OSS) is committed to continuous growth, collaboration, and innovation in service of students experiencing barriers to academic success, wellbeing, or belonging. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION The OSS partners with students to address challenges that impact academic progress, wellbeing, and continued enrollment. Grounded in equity and access, OSS provides coordinated, student-centered support to promote persistence and success.The Academic Success Coach delivers centralized, strengths-based academic coaching to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Through individualized coaching and skill development, this role supports academic momentum, resilience, and persistence across key transition points, academic recovery, and advanced milestones such as licensure preparation, thesis or dissertation completion, and experiential learning readiness. Reporting to the Director of OSS, the Academic Success Coach collaborates with campus partners to ensure coordinated, developmentally informed academic support.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Higher Education, Education, Psychology, Counseling, Student Affairs, or a closely related field completed prior to start date
• Minimum of one to three years of experience in academic coaching, advising, tutoring, student success, or related student support roles in higher education.
• Demonstrated experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences
• Demonstrated attention to detail and accuracy in work involving student records, documentation, or academic support systems.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive practice.
• Strong interpersonal, coaching, and relational communication skills.
• Ability to build rapport and trust with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
• Knowledge of academic skill development, learning strategies, and student success frameworks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated adherence to FERPA and ethical standards.
• Strong organizational, time-management, and follow-through skills.
• Ability to manage multiple students and priorities in a dynamic academic environment.
• Proficiency with office technology and student information or case management systems.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, Educational Psychology, or a related field.
• Experience supporting graduate or professional students, including dissertation or licensure exam preparation.
• Familiarity with student development theory, retention theory, and equity-minded academic support practices.
• Experience collaborating with faculty and academic units.
• Experience using Maxient or similar student support platforms.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills, particularly Spanish.
• Experience contributing to assessment or continuous improvement efforts.

Responsibilities

• Assess students’ academic needs and barriers using a holistic, strengths-based framework, and support students in identifying appropriate academic, institutional, and community-based resources.
• Provide one-on-one academic success coaching to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students focused on skill development, goal setting, accountability, and academic self-efficacy.
• Support students in strengthening core academic skills, including: Study behaviors and learning inventories Learning and study skill development Time, workload, and energy management Organization, planning, and long-term project management Test preparation and test anxiety management Goal setting, motivation, accountability, and persistence Classroom engagement and effective learning strategies Use of technology to support learning Managing burnout and procrastination Campus resource navigation
• Provide advanced academic coaching for graduate and professional students related to thesis or dissertation planning, long-term project management, licensure or comprehensive exam preparation, and balancing academic, professional, and personal responsibilities
• Support students preparing for experiential, clinical, internship, or practicum placements by assisting with planning, professional skill development, and navigation of academic expectations
• Promote growth mindset, resilience, and self-awareness to help students respond adaptively to academic challenges and setbacks.
• Develop and deliver academic success workshops for: Classroom settings Student organizations and athletic teams Graduate and professional student cohorts Faculty and staff audiences, as appropriate
• Design workshops or presentations to extend the reach of academic support and promote metacognitive skill development at scale.
• Contribute to or may serve as an instructor for undergraduate PACU 280: Unlocking Academic Success, as assigned.
• Promotes academic coaching through classroom visits, campus events, orientations, communication channels.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Academic Persistence and OSS colleagues to engage students identified through early alert systems, referrals, or academic standing concerns, providing structured intervention plans designed to promote recovery and continued enrollment.
• Provide timely, targeted coaching interventions during key academic transitions or periods of disruption.
• Proactively support students from historically marginalized backgrounds, including first-generation, underserved, graduate, and returning students, through intentional outreach and culturally responsive coaching practices.
• Normalize academic coaching as a developmental, non-punitive support resource.
• Deliver academic coaching using culturally responsive, equity-minded approaches that recognize diverse identities, lived experiences, and systemic barriers.
• Adapt coaching strategies to meet the needs of undergraduate, graduate, and professional learners across varied academic contexts.
• Promote access to academic support by reducing stigma and increasing awareness of coaching and support services.
• Collaborate with CLASS, OAA, Trio Programs, and other campus partners to support a centralized academic success model that promotes consistency, coordinated referrals, and equitable access to academic support services.
• Serves as a collaborative partner to faculty and academic support staff by providing consultation on academic skill development and referral pathways, assessing student needs across programs, and co-developing responsive initiatives that strengthen program-based student success.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a centralized online academic support resource hub.
• Participate in cross-campus initiatives that strengthen student persistence, engagement, and academic wellbeing.
• Collaborate with OSS leadership to design, pilot, and scale a sustainable peer academic coaching model serving undergraduate and graduate/professional students.
• Contribute to the development of structures, roles, training expectations, and assessment practices for peer-based academic coaching, recognizing that this model is emerging and will be scaled based on capacity, student need, and available resources.
• Support the exploration and coordination of multiple engagement pathways for peer coaches, which may include credit-bearing practicum experiences, work-study positions, and/or student wage opportunities, contingent on institutional approval and funding availability.
• Assist with the creation of training, supervision, and quality assurance processes for peer academic coaches in alignment with existing peer education frameworks.
• Provide mentoring, guidance, and functional supervision to peer academic coaches or student staff as the program is developed and implemented.
• Maintain accurate, timely documentation of coaching sessions, outreach, and outcomes in approved systems in accordance with FERPA and OSS guidelines recognizing the impact of accurate records on student success and institutional decision-making.
• Designs and implements assessment protocols to evaluate student learning outcomes and tracks utilization, trends, and student success metrics to inform continuous improvement of academic coaching services.
• Engage in ongoing professional development to remain current with evidence-based academic coaching practices, student development theory, and equity-informed approaches.
• Participate as a contributing member of OSS initiatives related to student success, retention, and academic persistence.
• Engage in professional development opportunities to enhance coaching effectiveness and understanding of diverse student needs. Annual professional development stipend provided when budget permits.
• Participate in the Student Affairs on-call rotation with other professional staff, offering consultative or, when necessary, in-person after-hours response to urgent student situations.
• Participate in university-wide, Divisional, or departmental committees, task forces, and hiring processes, offering expertise to strengthen institutional systems and effective centralized operations that promote student success, equity, and engagement.
• Contribute to strategic planning, goal setting, evaluation, and assessment within the Division of Student Affairs, supporting data-informed decision making and continuous improvement.
• Support key University and Student Affairs events and traditions that build community and belonging.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to support the mission and operations of the Office of Student Support and the Division of Student Affairs

Benefits

• Generous paid time off (for vacation, holidays—including winter break—and sick leave)
• Medical coverage with alternative care options (with in-network services covered at 100% after payroll deduction)
• Comprehensive dental and vision plans
• Generous retirement contribution after one year of service with no match required
• Free mental health appointments
• Tuition remission for employees and their dependent child(ren) who meet eligibility requirements
• On-campus benefits, including free access to our sports facility and library
• Discounts on campus food, bookstore purchases, clinic services, and outdoor program gear rentals (including kayaks, snowshoes, and bikes)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees