Executive Director of the Student Academic Success Center - Office of the Provost

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director of the Student Academic Success Center (Success Center) provides strategic vision and operational leadership for comprehensive programs that advance undergraduate and graduate student learning, equitable access to education, persistence, and academic success. Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Success, the Executive Director leads a multidisciplinary team, aligns resources and services with institutional priorities, and uses evidence-based practices and assessment to drive continuous improvement. The role fosters a performance-oriented, empowering environment through shared goals, clear accountability, trust, collaboration, and support for staff development. The Success Center serves a campus of 16,000 students and provides learning support, communication and language support, disability resources, and individualized persistence and success support. Its services include tutoring, supplemental instruction, success coaching, communication and English language support, academic and housing accommodations, and outreach to students on leave or academic action. The Executive Director oversees these programs and the Center’s operations, resources, staffing, budget, assessment, and partnerships. The position also advances evidence-based approaches to education and learning, including consideration of AI, and oversees workshops, presentations, and orientations for internal and external audiences.

Requirements

Master’s degree in higher education administration, counseling, or a related field, with deep knowledge of student development and learning theory; comparable knowledge demonstrated through a combination of education and meaningful experience may be considered.
Seven years of progressive professional staff supervisory experience in academic support, advising, or student support services.
Experience creating a student-centered vision and aligning a higher education department around it to deliver academic support and services.
Experience researching, benchmarking, and strategically implementing best practices in academic support.
Current knowledge of and adherence to legislation and policies related to student support, including ADA/504-mandated postsecondary academic services for students with disabilities.
Demonstrated advocacy for and delivery of academic and retention outcomes for diverse undergraduate and graduate populations, including international, low-income, first-generation, and students with diverse learning needs and abilities.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally with students, parents, campus partners, and senior-level audiences.
Experience with teaching and/or instructional design for university-level students.
Demonstrated experience designing and assessing support programs.
Experience creating and managing an operational budget of $2.5 million.
Must be currently legally authorized to work for Carnegie Mellon University in the United States; applicants may use only the 12-month OPT, as CMU is not a qualifying employer for the STEM OPT benefit.
Must complete a background check and Act 153 CPC's.

Responsibilities

Cultivate, oversee, and monitor comprehensive academic support programs for undergraduate and graduate students, including learning support, communication and language support, disability resources, and persistence and success programs.
Lead and foster collaboration across four director-level direct reports, one associate director, 15 additional staff indirectly, and approximately 200 student workers.
Provide strategic direction for the Success Center’s operations, including administrative support, human resources processes, budget execution, and daily team functions.
Set priorities with the Senior Associate Vice Provost, establish effective procedures, and guide infrastructure improvements to strengthen student support.
Provide data-informed direction and advocacy for resource allocation, including creating and managing the Center’s budget.
Review student retention data and other learning outcomes, revise academic support programs as needed, and implement strategies to optimize student learning success.
Collaborate with the Senior Associate Vice Provost and campus partners on evidence-based education and learning techniques and strategies, including AI.
Oversee workshops, presentations, and orientations on student academic support for current and prospective students, colleagues, professional organizations, and other stakeholders.
Support staff growth and development while cultivating shared goals, accountability, trust, and collaboration.