Assistant Director of TRIO Student Support Services

Appalachian State University • Boone, NC

5d

About The Position

The Assistant Director supports the federally funded TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) Program, which provides comprehensive services to 200 low-income and/or first-generation college students. The program promotes academic development, helps students meet college requirements, and motivates them toward completing postsecondary education. Services include academic and personal advising, priority tutoring, a freshman mentoring program, first-year seminar and composition courses, college-success courses, cultural programming, financial aid and financial management support, career development, and a scholarship program for qualifying Pell Grant recipients.

The Assistant Director assists the Director with program operations, student programming, mentor and academic coaching initiatives, evaluation and reporting, recruitment, outreach, grant aid, and other program activities. The position also advises SSS students throughout their college careers, monitoring their academic progress, helping them access university resources, and making referrals as appropriate. The role may include teaching a college-success skills course as needed.

Requirements

• Master's degree in counseling, education, or a related human relations field.
• Three years of experience.

Nice To Haves

• Advising experience.
• Teaching experience.
• Personal experience overcoming obstacles to success or supporting others in overcoming obstacles.
• Grant-writing experience or training.
• Career counseling experience.
• Academic coaching experience.
• Program and event planning experience.
• Supervision experience.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Director with day-to-day SSS Program operations, academic-year programming, and administrative tasks.
• Co-oversee Graduate Student Mentor Training, including hiring, Graduate Assistant training, bi-weekly training meetings, and CRLA certification requirements and renewal.
• Oversee the SSS Academic Coaching program, including supervising Academic Coaches, conducting bi-weekly meetings, and creating and tracking coaching referrals and attendance.
• Coordinate or support at least one regional graduate school trip each academic year.
• Coordinate a yearly educational service-learning experience in collaboration with campus and community partners.
• Coordinate fall and spring mentor-program evaluations and the spring SSS Program evaluation, and provide data to the Director and other areas as appropriate.
• Provide professional development workshops for SSS students in collaboration with other staff and campus partners, and advertise the offerings.
• Communicate weekly with SSS students about deadlines, program activities, and university announcements, including through a weekly email newsletter.
• Coordinate Banner grade processes at semester end and distribute reports to appropriate advisors.
• Create semesterly SSS student rosters using Banner and WebFocus.
• Coordinate and compile data for the University's annual report and use the Blumen platform to prepare the federal performance report.
• Assist the Director with new-student recruitment, applications, and selection.
• Coordinate outreach and campus visits with SSS partners and prospective students.
• Coordinate out-of-class enrichment events and annual workshops with the Director and SSS Instructor for freshmen and continuing students.
• Coordinate the SSS Alumni database project.
• Coordinate the SSS Grant Aid Scholarship Program with the SSS Director.
• Represent TRIO SSS at campus events as needed.
• Attend professional meetings, seminars, and conferences to enhance skills and contribute to program effectiveness.
• Assist with research and writing for the SSS grant every five years.
• Teach a college-success skills-focused course as needed.
• Meet with new students in the caseload during the first three to five weeks of each semester to build advising relationships, assess adjustment and potential concerns, support major exploration, and explain campus resources.
• Meet with continuing students to assess graduation progress and discuss resources, including tutoring and career development.
• Help students explore, select, and declare majors suited to their goals and connect with academic departments.
• Provide students with timely and accurate academic information.
• Monitor and track grades throughout the semester, including midterm grade reports.
• Monitor academic progress, including requirements for students on Academic Probation.
• Maintain accurate records of student contacts for accountability.
• Use retention tools such as Degree Works and Midterm Grade Reports to help students evaluate academic behaviors, improve academic success, and receive appropriate referrals.
• Refer students to appropriate resources and serve as an advocate for SSS students.
• Build mentor-student relationships during students' first year and serve as a connection to the University.
• Welcome and support students from New Student Advising through graduation.
• Identify academic problem areas and high-risk characteristics, monitor student progress, and intervene appropriately.
• Serve as a referral source for counseling, career planning, financial aid, student activities, and other student support services.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level