Assistant Director, First Year Programs

Rice University•Houston, TX

11h•$58,000 - $61,500•Onsite

About The Position

Boasting a 300-acre, tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. Rice is also a wonderful place to work, with faculty, staff, and students sharing values of Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence (RICE). The Assistant Director of First Year Programs supports First Year Programs (FYP) under the Office of Student Success Initiatives. This role involves participating in the planning, implementation, and assessment of Rice’s undergraduate orientation programming, and providing support in the form of advising and training to 33 O-Week Coordinators and two Student Directors.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
2+ years of experience in a four-year college or university setting, with some previous experience working in orientation or event planning specific to undergraduate students in a postsecondary academic setting
In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis
Knowledge of theories including student development, learning, and identity development, and experience applying those frameworks professionally
Ability to problem-solve and support/advise students in personal and/or academic crisis
Strong communication and rapport-building skills, and experience collaborating with faculty, staff, students, families, and administration
Ability to multitask and manage multiple projects with competing deadlines
Demonstrated understanding of the experiences of students in transition and the strategies necessary to facilitate their success
Experience and comfort working with diverse student populations, including but not limited to first-generation college students, low-income students, and underrepresented student populations
Coaching and instructional skills, organizational abilities, attention to detail, and the ability to quickly assess the effectiveness of an intervention

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (preferably in college student personnel, counseling, student affairs, or a related field)
Experience working in orientation or event planning specific to undergraduate students
Experience employing holistic proactive/intrusive advising strategies
Experience providing academic support, leadership development, and program development
Experience supporting student success/undergraduate retention initiatives
Experience working with faculty
Experience working at a highly selective college or university
Familiarity with working in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment
Ability to work in a collaborative, team-oriented environment
Ability to create interventions to support diverse learners

Responsibilities

Responsible for planning, executing, and assessing all components of a comprehensive mid-year orientation and Orientation Week (O-Week) for all incoming first-year and transfer students in collaboration with student and academic partners
Coordinates the campus-wide elements of Orientation Week, leading college- or university-wide collaborative initiatives for first-year students, including tradition-based programs, new student move-in, and New Families Orientation
Participates in the planning, organization, and implementation of undergraduate orientation programs and activities, coordinating with Facilities and Planning, campus departments, external vendors, and academic offices
Communicates and collaborates with residential college Magisters, college coordinators, Wellbeing, academic departments, Campus Life entities, and other campus resources as necessary to ensure students receive comprehensive support, including creating strong communication between First Year Programs and the residential colleges
Provides advice, support, and mentorship to the Student Directors of O-Week (2) and O-Week Coordinators (33 student leaders) to prepare them to plan and lead O-Week and support the transition of new students
Develops and facilitates training sessions for student leaders, including comprehensive, ongoing trainings and ad hoc trainings
Provides support with FYP web, social media, and marketing efforts, and updates materials, forms, etc.
Assists in creating reports examining student data for trends in performance, academic courses, or other factors that may affect student transition and success
Participates in department and division assessment efforts
Completes other duties as assigned
Individualized, holistic, developmentally appropriate coaching to assist students in their academic, social, leadership, and interpersonal development
Assists first- and second-year students in developing roadmaps for their success at the university, using varied strategies to facilitate the identification and implementation of their goals
Assists in monitoring student academic performance and persistence toward graduation, preparing reports, and maintaining student files as necessary
Maintains awareness of best practices in proactive/holistic advising, student success coaching, and the higher education/student affairs landscape, integrating these ideas into advising practices
Assists in developing student success interventions, workshops, and other programs aimed at facilitating the transition to college