Student Success Navigator

Iowa Western Community College•Council Bluffs, IA

13d

About The Position

The Student Success Navigator is a grant-funded position that supports student persistence, retention, and completion through proactive outreach, individualized case management, and coordinated interventions, with particular emphasis on online learners. Using the College’s Early Alert System and other student success technologies, the Navigator identifies students who may be at risk academically, personally, financially, or through disengagement. Working closely with the Coordinator of Academic Support, the Navigator serves as a central point of contact, connects students with campus and community resources, and provides ongoing support from initial identification through resolution of barriers. The role collaborates with faculty, advisors, and student services staff to enhance student success, improve retention, and advance institutional completion goals. The Navigator also facilitates the online orientation course each fall, spring, and summer semester; creates and maintains course content in Canvas; manages student enrollment; and coordinates with staff on content, timelines, communication, and best practices. The position supports grant-related initiatives, data collection and reporting, assessment, and continuous improvement, and performs other duties that support grant objectives and institutional student success goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Administrative and/or supervisory experience.
Demonstrated experience in grant administration, including managing federal awards, programs, and reporting.
Effective project management skills.
Sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and disabled backgrounds of community college students.
Excellent customer service skills.
Strong organizational skills, including the ability to multitask, meet deadlines, maintain student records, produce error-free final products, and manage time and output.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate in small and large groups and with diverse people at varying organizational levels.
History of successfully collaborating with coworkers to achieve common goals.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Enthusiasm and dedication to helping students succeed.
Professional communication, appearance, relationships, and responsiveness.
Positive attitude.
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
Self-starter able to perform with little or no direct supervision.
Ability to pass a background check.
Ability to lift 10 pounds.
Ability to sit for extended periods and use hands to operate a computer keyboard, telephone, and basic office equipment.
Ability to talk and hear regularly.
Ability to drive a company-owned or personal vehicle.
Cognitive abilities include reading, writing, calculating, social interaction, and reasoning/analysis.
Ability to work with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate the College’s core mission, vision, and values.
Monitor and respond to student referrals generated through the Early Alert System and other student success technologies.
Identify students exhibiting academic, attendance, engagement, behavioral, or other risk indicators.
Conduct proactive student outreach by phone, email, text messaging, virtual meetings, and in-person appointments.
Develop timely intervention plans to address barriers to student success.
Provide individualized case management from student identification through resolution of concerns.
Maintain an active caseload of students requiring varying levels of support and intervention.
Conduct regular follow-up meetings with assigned students to assess progress and adjust support strategies.
Document interactions, outcomes, and intervention activities in designated student success systems.
Serve as a central point of contact for students seeking assistance with academic and non-academic challenges.
Connect students with academic advising, tutoring, accessibility services, financial aid, counseling and mental health resources, career services, basic needs programs, and community support programs.
Follow up on referrals to ensure students access needed services.
Assist students in developing realistic academic, career, and personal goals.
Support retention and student success initiatives identified through the grant project.
Collaborate with faculty and staff to identify trends affecting student success and recommend intervention strategies.
Participate in efforts to improve retention, course success, persistence, and completion rates.
Facilitate the online orientation course every fall, spring, and summer semester.
Create and maintain online orientation content in Canvas and manage student enrollment in the course.
Coordinate with other staff regarding orientation content, timelines, and communication, and follow recommendations and best practices for online orientation.
Collaborate with the Coordinator of Academic Support to identify students requiring academic support services and connect them with appropriate resources.
Work with faculty, advisors, counselors, coaches, and other student support personnel to coordinate care for students.
Participate in case management meetings and student success teams as appropriate.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships across campus departments.
Assist with training, communication, and awareness efforts related to student intervention processes.
Maintain accurate student records and case notes.
Collect, track, and report grant-related outcome data.
Contribute to assessment activities evaluating program effectiveness and student outcomes.
Support continuous improvement through data-informed decision making.
Participate in professional development related to student success, retention, advising, and case management.
Perform other duties as assigned that support grant objectives and institutional student success goals.