Associate Dean, Director First Year Student Success

Art Institute of Chicago•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is seeking an Associate Dean, Director of First Year Student Success to provide strategic leadership for first-year student success initiatives. This role will oversee staff, programs, and policies aimed at strengthening the first-year experience, fostering academic confidence and belonging, and addressing barriers to student success. The position will work closely with Academic and Career Coaching and Employer Partnerships and Internships to create a cohesive first-year strategy and ensure pathways to continued academic progress and persistence. SAIC is reimagining student support through the restructuring of Academic Advising, Career and Professional Experience, and Student Success, creating interconnected functional areas to support students throughout their academic and professional journey.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Minimum of 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in student success, advising, or student affairs within higher education
Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff and managing programs or departments
Experience working with first-year students and/or historically underserved student populations preferred
Strong knowledge of student development theory, retention strategies, and best practices in first-year student success
Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives and manage complex programs in a higher education environment
Experience with academic advising models, coaching frameworks, and student support interventions
Strong leadership and supervisory skills, including staff development and performance management
Ability to analyze and interpret data to drive decision-making and program improvement
Knowledge of academic policies, curriculum requirements, and student information systems
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills across diverse stakeholders
Ability to manage multiple priorities and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with experience supporting first-generation and underrepresented students
Strong problem-solving skills and sound judgment in addressing student concerns and academic challenges

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads the vision, strategy, and execution of comprehensive first-year student success initiatives, including advising, coaching, and transition programming
Oversees first-year advising and coaching models, including 1:1 student support, integrated advising approaches, and required pre-registration appointments
Leads the development and execution of strategies to improve first-year retention, persistence, and course enrollment outcomes, including first-year enrollment correction processes
Collaborates with the Director, Associate Dean of Academic and Career Coaching to ensure alignment across the student lifecycle
Supervises the hiring, training, development, and evaluation of staff within the first-year student success and related program areas
Partners with the Dean, Academic Advising and CAPX to ensure alignment between first-year initiatives and institutional advising frameworks, academic policies, and student success systems
Provides leadership for academic support and recovery initiatives, including oversight of academic standing processes, outreach, and targeted interventions for students in need of academic support
Oversees and manages First Generation and Chicago Fellows programs, including program development, implementation, cohort tracking, restricted fund management, reporting, and cross-campus coordination to ensure program success
Oversees program budgets and resource allocation to support first year student success initiatives as well as the FG and Chicago fellows programs
Uses data analytics and assessment tools to evaluate program effectiveness, inform decision-making, and drive continuous improvement
Provides leadership in responding to complex student situations, including academic difficulty and crisis-related concerns, and coordinate appropriate interventions and support services
Interprets and applies academic policies and curriculum requirements in support of student progression and success initiatives
Represents the department on committees and initiatives related to student success, retention, and academic policy; stays current on trends and best practices
Participates in the dean on-call rotation