EOP Retention Counselor and Coordinator, Student Affairs

CSU Careers•San Marcos, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Under the direction of the Director of EOP and Project Rebound, the EOP Counselor/Coordinator provides critical retention services including personal, academic, financial, and success counseling. This role develops and implements retention strategies and programming for EOP students at risk of academic and financial aid probation or disqualification, and for building foundational academic skills. The position also coordinates programming that fosters a sense of belonging, knowledge of campus resources, and meaningful campus-wide involvement, particularly for first-year and transfer students. The EOP Counselor/Coordinator supports the mission of EOP to assist students impacted by educational and economic disadvantage, aligns with the CSUSM Strategic Plan for academic excellence through a culture of care, and follows the tenets of the CSUSM Student Life Cycle. The role involves cross-training to support various departmental functions, including recruitment and outreach, supporting transfer student pathways, creating foundational programming for first-year students, assisting with advancement campaigns, maintaining campus partnerships, and coordinating community-facing events. Each Counselor/Coordinator implements best practices for student development across the student life cycle stages: Engagement, Orientation/Enrollment, Studentship, and Career Preparation. The position represents CSUSM to external partners and systemwide committees, and serves as a resource for equity, crisis, mental health, and individualized issues, particularly for students facing food and housing insecurity and other barriers. The role acts as a mentor and advisor to students and a resource to faculty/staff to promote holistic health, leadership development, equity, social equality, and access to basic needs, addressing the intersectionality of EOP student identities.

Requirements

Student Services Professional III classification.
Bachelor's degree.
Experience in providing personal, academic, financial, and success counseling.
Experience in developing and implementing retention strategies and programming for at-risk students.
Experience in coordinating programming that supports sense of belonging, campus resource knowledge, and campus involvement.
Experience working with first-year and transfer students.
Understanding of student development best practices and the student life cycle.
Experience representing an organization to external partners.
Experience responding to issues related to equity, crisis, mental health, and basic needs insecurity.
Experience serving as a mentor and advisor to students.
Experience acting as a resource to faculty and staff.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a related field.
Experience with Project Rebound.
Experience in higher education administration.
Knowledge of CSUSM's specific resources and programs.

Responsibilities

Provides critical retention services such as personal, academic, financial and success counseling.
Develops and implements retention strategies and programming for EOP students who might be “at risk” of academic and financial aid probation, academic and financial aid disqualification, and foundational academic skills building.
Coordinates critical programming that supports sense of belonging, knowledge of campus resources, and meaningful campuswide involvement for EOP students—especially first year and transfer students.
Works with Recruitment and Outreach to facilitate enrollment of EOP eligible students and educate students, families and school counselors about EOP resources and benefits.
Supports the unique pathway of EOP eligible transfer students.
Creates impactful foundational programming for first-year students, including summer onboarding, family orientation, and high-touch interventions during their first year.
Advocates with Advancement during annual campaigns to share the impact of EOP with donors and philanthropists.
Maintains a vital link with campus partners in Financial Aid and the Office of Undergraduate Studies to ensure ready access to resources that support retention and student success.
Coordinates community facing events such as conferences, information sessions, graduation recognition ceremonies, and other events that celebrate and elevate the EOP student experience.
Implements best practices for student development as detailed in the CSUSM Student Live Cycle and understands the specific needs of each stage of the cycle—specifically, Engagement, Orientation/Enrollment, Studentship, and Career Preparation.
Represents CSUSM to external community partners and systemwide committees.
Serves as a resource in responding to sensitive equity, crisis, mental health, and individualized issues as they relate to EOP students who may experience food and housing insecurity and other barriers to academic success.
Serves as a mentor and advisor to students.
Acts as a resource to other faculty/staff positions on campus to promote holistic health, leadership development, equity, social equality, and access to basic needs to address the intersectionality of identities of EOP students at CSUSM.