Assistant Director, Student Success, TRIO

Xavier University • Cincinnati, OH

21h • Onsite

About The Position

Xavier University’s Office of Student Success seeks an Assistant Director, Student Success, TRIO. The position promotes positive and successful learning experiences to increase student retention, success, and completion. It provides comprehensive academic, personal, and career coaching and advising; monitors academic progress; supports students in setting goals; teaches seminars; maintains relationships with academic offices; coordinates tutoring and workshops; and supervises students during cultural activities and trips. The role also supports university-wide persistence efforts and the mission and administration of the TRiO Student Support Services Department and the Division of Enrollment Management and Student Success.

The Assistant Director serves as a primary academic advisor and success coach for an assigned caseload, maintains confidential advising records, supports students’ academic and personal development, makes referrals to campus resources, and advocates for students. The role includes coordinating programs and activities, assessing program effectiveness, tracking outreach and activity data, identifying institutional barriers, and collaborating with faculty, staff, deans, and campus offices. Evening and weekend hours may be required as needed.

Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume through Xavier University’s website. Application review begins October 26, 2026, and applications will be accepted until the position closes at the University’s discretion. Final-stage candidates will be asked to provide three professional references.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Counseling, Higher Education, Student Affairs, Social Work, or a related field.
• 1–3 years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive academic, professional, and personal counseling and success coaching to students, including serving as primary advisor or success coach for an assigned caseload.
• Assist students with academic, personal, and professional development, including goal setting, time management, organization, career planning, study strategies, and motivation.
• Monitor student assessment scores, program requirements, progress, contact hours, advising issues, outcomes, and student portfolios; maintain appropriate advising documentation and logs.
• Share accurate information about curriculum, policies, procedures, campus resources, and community resources.
• Build proactive working relationships with faculty, staff, campus stakeholders, and academic and administrative offices; assist students and faculty in resolving issues affecting academic progress, persistence, and attendance.
• Refer students to appropriate campus support offices and help them navigate university life; encourage their connection to campus.
• Protect student confidentiality, follow FERPA requirements, and obtain written permission before speaking with third parties as appropriate.
• Orient students to their rights and responsibilities and to the academic advising process.
• Coordinate and implement academic, writing, library, professional, personal, and cultural workshops and activities.
• Coordinate and implement professional tutoring programs, including a writing seminar, and a group for students on academic probation.
• Train professional and faculty academic advisors on TRiO, SSS, and ways to meet students’ needs.
• Participate in TRiO and Division orientation activities; create and implement student-success programs and seminars; serve as a student advocate.
• Assess program effectiveness using workshops, evaluations, academic performance, and academic standing.
• Provide targeted outreach and support to students at risk of leaving the University; collaborate with academic support and advising offices, deans, and faculty.
• Implement retention and persistence strategies for the TRiO, SSS program and assigned advisees; track and report outreach efforts using software and Excel.
• Identify institutional barriers to student success and recommend changes as appropriate.
• Serve as liaison to specified academic and administrative offices, meet regularly, and share information with the TRiO Department and EMSS Division.
• Track activity and prepare reports using Excel and other technologies; stay current with research and industry knowledge and apply new methods and interventions.
• Support office operations, potentially including directing or supervising student employees, ensuring office openings and closures, answering phones and emails, maintaining the website, developing policies and procedures, and marketing publications or social media.
• Work evening and weekend hours as needed; participate in professional development, benchmarking, and TRiO, division, and university-wide events.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription insurance coverage.
• Health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, and dependent care accounts.
• Life and long-term disability insurance, accident and illness insurance, and retirement savings plans.
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Tuition remission for employees and eligible dependents.

What This Job Offers

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