Student Success Counselor

Holyoke Community College•Holyoke, MA

11d

About The Position

Holyoke Community College (HCC) serves more than 9,000 students annually from a 135-acre campus equipped with specialized learning facilities and technology. Its mission is to Educate, Inspire, and Connect, guided by the values of kindness, inclusion, trust, innovation, and collaboration. Under the supervision of the Director of ALANA Men in Motion, the Student Success Counselor provides comprehensive, relationship-based support to students in HCC’s SUCCESS Initiative. ALANA Men in Motion fosters academic achievement, leadership development, cultural identity exploration, and belonging through mentorship, cultural pride, and community. It centers the experiences and success of African American/Black, Latino/x, Asian, and Native American men while remaining accessible to all eligible students. Using a holistic, culturally responsive, student-centered approach, the Counselor supports an assigned caseload with student engagement, academic progress, persistence, retention, completion, transfer, and post-completion success. The position includes proactive outreach, academic advising and educational planning, success coaching and mentoring, barrier navigation, referral to campus and community resources, transfer and career planning, recruitment and onboarding support, and culturally responsive programming and community-building. The Counselor uses student data to guide outreach and interventions, documents support in institutional systems, collaborates with campus and community partners, and provides guidance to student peer leaders. Occasional evening and weekend work is required for programs, student events, and other College activities. This is a full-time MCCC-Unit Professional position, classified as Academic Counselor, with a salary range of $72,265 to $85,916 (Grade 5). Actual salary is commensurate with education and experience under the MCCC/MTA Collective Bargaining Agreement. The position provides full State benefits and is funded by the State. A skills assessment or presentation may be required during the interview process. Employment is contingent on a background check, including CORI and SORI. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States; HCC does not sponsor H1B visas.

Requirements

Master's degree in Education, Counseling, Psychology, Student Affairs, Higher Education, Human Services, or a closely related field.
Three years of professional experience in academic advising, student success, counseling, coaching, student development, academic support, or a related student-facing support area, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Demonstrated experience working with students from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds and supporting student engagement, persistence, and success.
Demonstrated experience communicating and collaborating with students, staff, and/or other partners in a student support environment.
Demonstrated experience managing a student caseload or providing ongoing support to an assigned group of students, including outreach, follow-up, coordination of services, and documentation.
Demonstrated experience using culturally responsive and equity-minded practices to support belonging and success.
Legal authorization to work in the United States.
Successful completion and review of a background check, including CORI and SORI.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a community college or similar higher education environment.
Experience providing academic advising and educational planning, including course selection, degree requirements, registration, and academic progress.
Experience supporting the success, persistence, and engagement of men of color and/or students from historically underserved populations.
Experience providing transfer and career planning support, including connecting students' academic plans with educational and career goals.
Experience using student success management platforms such as EAB Navigate or similar systems.
Experience developing culturally responsive student programming, mentoring, leadership development, or community-building activities.
Bilingual or multilingual proficiency, particularly in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Provide academic advising and educational planning to assigned students, including guidance on program requirements, course selection and sequencing, registration, academic progress, and educational plans aligned with academic, transfer, and career goals.
Provide individualized success coaching, mentoring, and student navigation through proactive outreach, relationship building, goal setting, accountability, and regular check-ins.
Monitor student engagement and academic progress, identify barriers, develop interventions, and connect students with campus and community resources to support persistence, retention, completion, and transfer.
Review and respond to Navigate Progress Reports and other student success referrals; conduct outreach, coordinate follow-up, and maintain accurate documentation in EAB Navigate and other institutional systems.
Support transfer and career planning, including exploration of transfer pathways, four-year institutions, career interests, and the connection between academic choices and longer-term goals.
Collaborate with ALANA and SAMP staff, faculty, academic departments, transfer and career services, enrollment services, financial aid, academic support programs, and other campus partners to coordinate student support within HCC’s SUCCESS Initiative.
Support recruitment, onboarding, orientation, and ongoing engagement for ALANA Men in Motion.
Design, coordinate, and lead culturally responsive programming, leadership development, workshops, community-building activities, and experiential learning opportunities.
Use student engagement, academic progress, and outcome data to inform outreach strategies, programming, interventions, and student support practices.
Collaborate with and provide guidance to Student Ambassadors and other student peer leaders in peer mentoring, leadership development, engagement, and community-building.
Build and maintain positive relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners.
Participate in professional development related to academic advising, mentoring, coaching, culturally responsive practices, and student success.
Occasionally work evenings and weekends to support ALANA programs, student events, and other College activities.
Perform other related duties as assigned.