Director, Academic Progress and Retention

University of Illinois Chicago•Chicago, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Academic Progress and Retention provides strategic leadership for the College's student success, retention, progression, and licensure readiness initiatives across all academic programs. This position develops and implements evidence-informed strategies that promote student achievement and academic excellence. The position provides leadership for early intervention efforts, student success programming, assessment, and continuous quality improvement while fostering collaboration among faculty, staff, and campus partners to improve student outcomes. The Director exercises broad independent judgment in developing policies, allocating resources, supervising staff, analyzing institutional data, and advancing strategic priorities that support student persistence, degree completion, and NCLEX success.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree
Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in student success, advising, academic support, or related higher education roles
Demonstrated experience using data to inform student success strategies and interventions
Experience training, mentoring, or supervising staff or peer teams

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Nursing Education, or related field
Experience working in nursing or health sciences education
Familiarity with ATI, NCLEX preparation strategies, or clinical education environments
Experience with early alert systems and student success platforms (e.g., iAdvise, LMS tools)
Strong understanding of retention frameworks, student development theory, and inclusive practices
Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion in complex student situations
Strong leadership and staff development skills
Data analysis and problem-solving skills
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Commitment to equity, inclusion, and student-centered support

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for student success, retention, progression, remediation, and licensure readiness initiatives across the College.
Develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed strategies that improve student achievement, persistence, degree completion, and licensure outcomes.
Lead the assessment, analysis, and reporting of student success data to support strategic decision-making, accreditation, and continuous quality improvement.
Provide leadership, supervision, and professional development for student success personnel while fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and accountability.
Provide strategic oversight of student success operations, systems, technologies, and resources to ensure effective and consistent service delivery across the College.
Collaborate with faculty, academic leadership, and campus partners to advance student success priorities and improve educational outcomes.
Ensure compliance with institutional policies, accreditation standards, and regulatory requirements.
Represent the College on committees and strategic initiatives and perform other duties as assigned.
Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.