Director, Center for Academic Achievement

ETSU•Johnson City, TN

About The Position

The Director of the Center for Academic Achievement (CFAA) provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for a comprehensive portfolio of academic support programs and services designed to advance student success, retention, persistence, and graduation in alignment with the university's strategic priorities. The Center supports undergraduate and graduate students through services including on-site and online tutoring in writing, mathematics, science, general education, and select upper-level courses; Supplemental Instruction in high-impact and high-challenge courses; academic coaching; and proactive academic support for students identified through early-intervention processes, midterm grades, institutional data, and referrals from faculty and staff. The Director provides leadership and oversight for the Center's professional and student staff and is directly responsible for the supervision, development, and performance management of professional staff, including the Assistant Director and Office Coordinator. In collaboration with the Assistant Director, the Director ensures the effective development, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of CFAA programs and services. The Director oversees the recruitment, training, supervision, and development structures supporting more than 100 graduate and undergraduate student employees and ensures the responsible stewardship of the Center's fiscal, human, and operational resources. Using assessment data, institutional metrics, student performance indicators, and emerging student needs, the Director works collaboratively with the Assistant Director and other CFAA staff to evaluate program effectiveness, identify opportunities for improvement, and establish strategic priorities for academic support. The Director partners with academic departments, faculty, advisors, and student success units to identify courses and student populations that would benefit from targeted academic interventions, including tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, academic coaching, workshops, and other academic support strategies. The Director serves as a university leader and subject-matter expert in academic support and student success, fostering strong partnerships with administrators, faculty, and staff across the institution. The Director represents the Center and university through campus committees, professional associations, conferences, and collaborative initiatives and promotes innovative, evidence-informed practices that strengthen student learning and academic achievement.

Requirements

Master's degree or higher in education, student affairs, English, learning support, or a related field.
Three (3) years of leadership or supervisory experience in a higher education or comparable professional setting.
Experience supervising a large student employee workforce.
Knowledge of academic support, student success, retention, persistence, and academic intervention practices in higher education.
Knowledge of evidence-informed practices related to tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, academic coaching, and peer learning.
Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, including professional staff development, performance management, and team building.
Strong strategic planning, organizational management, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and initiatives.
Ability to use assessment data, institutional metrics, and student performance indicators to evaluate effectiveness and guide continuous improvement and KPIs for the center.
Knowledge of fiscal and resource management, including budget development, resource allocation, and responsible stewardship.
Ability to interpret institutional policies, exercise independent judgment, and effectively address complex or unique situations.
Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships with faculty, academic departments, administrators, and student support units.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse university and external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, academic coaching, learning centers, writing centers, or similar academic support programs.
Experience with program assessment, student success analytics, or other data-informed program improvement.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for a comprehensive portfolio of academic support programs and services.
Advances student success, retention, persistence, and graduation in alignment with university strategic priorities.
Supports undergraduate and graduate students through various services including tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, academic coaching, and proactive academic support.
Provides leadership and oversight for the Center's professional and student staff.
Supervises, develops, and manages the performance of professional staff, including the Assistant Director and Office Coordinator.
Ensures effective development, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of CFAA programs and services in collaboration with the Assistant Director.
Oversees recruitment, training, supervision, and development of over 100 graduate and undergraduate student employees.
Ensures responsible stewardship of the Center's fiscal, human, and operational resources.
Evaluates program effectiveness, identifies improvement opportunities, and establishes strategic priorities for academic support using assessment data and institutional metrics.
Partners with academic departments, faculty, advisors, and student success units to identify needs for targeted academic interventions.
Serves as a university leader and subject-matter expert in academic support and student success.
Fosters strong partnerships with administrators, faculty, and staff across the institution.
Represents the Center and university through campus committees, professional associations, conferences, and collaborative initiatives.
Promotes innovative, evidence-informed practices that strengthen student learning and academic achievement.