Executive Director for New Student, Transitions and Family Programs

The University of Texas at Arlington Portal•Arlington, TX

11h•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director for New Student, Transition, and Family Programs serves on the Division of Student Affairs Leadership Team and reports to the Assistant Vice President for Student Success and Transition. The Executive Director is responsible for the development, planning, and implementation of a high-profile, dynamic, and student-centered New Maverick Orientation for all new students and their families, as well as other programs that serve special populations in the UTA community. The Executive Director collaborates with Student Affairs departments and a broad array of Academic Affairs administrative units, including Admissions, Student Success, and academic college leadership, to develop programs and services that provide students a seamless transition to the University and promote student engagement, success, and retention.

Requirements

Master’s degree in higher education administration, counseling, college student personnel, or a related field.
Five (5) years of student affairs or related professional work experience.
Prior experience in new student orientation and first-year experience programs is required.

Nice To Haves

Seven (7) or more years of professional experience, with significant experience in orientation/first-year programs, as well as familiarity with programs and services for family members, first-generation students, former transfer students, and other student communities who receive support from the departments overseen by the role.

Responsibilities

Develop, plan, and implement a high-profile, dynamic, and student-centered orientation program (including 1-day, 2-day, and virtual options) for all new first-year, transfer, and international undergraduate students and their families, serving more than 14,000 incoming students and their 2,000 family members annually. This position will also further develop our graduate orientation programs.
Oversee the daily management of the New Student, Transition, and Family Programs within Student Affairs, directly supervising multiple professional staff members and paraprofessionals, including the Director of Transition Programs and Services, the Director of Parent and Family Engagement, the Program Assistant Director of Orientation Programs, the Program Assistant Director of Leadership and Development Programs, and an Administrative Assistant.
Leads the implementation and facilitation of new student programming, including, but not limited to New Maverick Orientation, Blaze Camp, Early Arrival Move-In Orientation, Maverick Kickoff, Convocation, and other related Student Affairs initiatives.
Create and advance a strategic vision and priorities for New Student, Transition, and Family Programs that support the successful transition and retention of new students, with particular attention to populations served by the department.
Lead the development and implementation of short- and long-term goals, initiatives, and assessment plans to evaluate program effectiveness, learning outcomes, and overall impact of orientation and transition services.
Manage and serve as the primary campus administrator for orientation and transition technology platforms, including Visual Zen, Advantage Design Group Online Orientation, and Canvas orientation modules, ensuring functionality, compliance, and effective user experience.
Support the development and implementation of family programming and communication, including Friends and Family Weekend, guest orientation and welcome events, and First Generation, Transfer, and Off-campus initiatives to cultivate strong partnerships with families of all UTA students.
Direct the development and management of orientation registration processes in Visual Zen in coordination with Admissions.
Serve on and coordinate with the university-wide Yield, Onboarding, and Retention ( YORC ) Committee and other campus stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition for new, transfer, international, and graduate students into the university.
Serve as a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team to develop an orientation schedule and capacities, as well as address registration issues.
Oversee the recruitment, selection, and training of a large and diverse undergraduate student orientation leader team.
Oversee the communication planning process as well as the management of departmental website, publications, and electronic messaging, in collaboration with Student Affairs. Marketing and Communications and Enrollment Management as appropriate.
Oversee and manage a variety of annual revenue budget of approximately $1.3 million. Manage fiscal strategy and conduct regular budget analysis, including expenditure projections and year-end balance management.
Serve on a variety of university committees as requested and directed.
Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.