Senior Success Coach

George Mason University•Fairfax, VA

41d•$70,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Assistant Director, the Senior Success Coach provides holistic support for their assigned caseload of incoming students in their first year and available for the duration of students’ time at Mason as needed by using the university’s chosen methodology in the nine focus areas of development (academics and major fit, school community, managing commitments, effectiveness, commitment to graduation, career exploration, finances, civic engagement, and well-being). Senior Success Coaches provide an element of support for student career goals beyond the academic component. The Senior Success Coach provides success strategies for students, manages outreach and support efforts, and intervenes on student concerns to increase retention. The Senior Success Coach provides mentorship and training to Success Coaches I and II and serves as a subject matter expert in coaching and student success. Senior Success Coaches contribute to Mason’s strategic goals of preparing career-ready graduates, while increasing graduation and retention rates.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
Success Coaching certification
Professional experience typically obtained within 2+ years, in one or more of the following areas: academic advising, success coaching, orientation, disability services, veteran’s services, career services, student involvement, and student rights and responsibilities
Experience using educational database management systems and customer relationship management systems (CRM)
Demonstrated working knowledge of student transitional issues
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer service
Effective interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
Skill in situational conflict resolution
Ability to communicate with a variety of constituents and departmental stakeholders
Ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines with accuracy and attention to detail
Ability to work with students, faculty, and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds
Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours, particularly in the summer.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in related field
Prior experience in academic advising or working with student coaching programs
Demonstrated experience in student leadership and/or program development.

Responsibilities

Supports daily operations and student support, reporting and troubleshooting with stakeholders to ensure holistic coaching is provided by using the university’s chosen methodology in the nine focus areas of development (academics and major fit, school community, managing commitments, effectiveness, commitment to graduation, career exploration, finances, civic engagement, and well-being)
Guides students’ career exploration and major fit processes to achieve academic and career goals and identify barriers to success to help students implement strategies to overcome them
Maintains university-wide and college-specific knowledge of relevant policies, procedures, and resources for first year students
Handles complex student issues brought from Success Coach I and II, including substantial mental health challenges and complex emotional and academic advising needs, and supports the interdepartmental CARE team, which coordinates care and interventions for high-risk students.
Monitors student progress and performance, analyzes problem areas, determines solutions, and conducts intervention activities and processes for students
Meets with and provides success strategies to students
Manages outreach and support efforts for students with a variety of academic and personal development skills necessary to achieve student success
Assists and supports all success and retention efforts within the school/college, while implementing interventions such as creating academic intervention plans with at-risk students in coordination with their academic advisors and coordinating check-in meetings to ensure progress on stated goals, all to improve student retention
Collaborates with academic advisors and other university stakeholders to support student success
Provides appropriate, accurate, and timely academic advising, mental health, social, career, tutoring, and threat assessment referrals for students
Follow-ups with at-risk/interventions for students identified in the Patriot Success Survey and other relevant student surveys to ensure students have access to food, housing, safety, and academic support.
Mentors new Success Coaches from onboarding through certification, providing guidance on best practices, role expectations, and performance standards
Supports Success Coaches facing challenges with certification, offering targeted coaching and actionable feedback to ensure successful completion
Coordinates and oversees shadowing opportunities for assigned coaches, ensuring exposure to real-world scenarios and effective learning experiences
Leads training efforts to foster growth in coaching techniques, client engagement, and problem-solving for Success Coach I and II
Leads structured shadowing programs for incoming Success Coaches, aligning activities with competency goals and organizational standards.
Participates in university-wide foundational coaching training and ongoing professional development
Utilizes the chosen university platform for tracking and reporting student interactions and making referrals
Successfully participates in and completes the Student Success Coaching post-certification quality assurance program with an average of “meeting expectations” or above, designed to ensure all Success Coaches maintain their inside track methodology skills and framework when working with students and ensures all students are receiving consistent care and support in their meetings with a Success Coach
Actively participates in outside professional organizations such as NASPA, ACPA, NACADA, etc., with Student Success Coaching paying the membership dues for one organization per success coach.
Attends regular meetings with key stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of the coaching program
Serves on committees and assists with other projects as assigned by the Assistant Director
Takes on additional administrative responsibilities or project management as directed
Supports divisional planning initiatives and other special projects as assigned, acting as a technical resource and SME as required
Actively participates in University Life divisional meetings, initiatives, and in-person events to stay connected with divisional and institutional priorities, and to foster a cross-unit collaboration
Participates in professional development workshops and training sessions for staff across the division to promote continuous learning and skill enhancement
Stays informed about best practices, research, and emerging trends in higher education and student support services to ensure Student Success Coaching remains innovative and responsive to the evolving needs of the student body
Performs other related duties as assigned.