Director, Humanities and the Arts Student Success Center

Job Summary

The Student Success Center in the College of Humanities and the Arts is a student support, advising, academic assistance, retention, and service-oriented unit in the Division of Academic Affairs. Assisting students from admission through graduation, our mission is to be the single point of entry to provide resources and non-major related advising for new and continuing students to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve academic success and graduate in a timely manner.

Reporting to the Associate Dean in the College of Humanities and the Arts, the Director of the Student Success Center (SSC) directs and supervises the employees and activities of the SSC in addition to serving in the role as lead advisor. Working independently, under limited supervision, the Director leads, develops, coordinates, implements, and assesses unit activities and advising services and programs to ensure academic success for all students in the College. The Director also provides direct advising while coordinating College advising services with all departments and schools in the College of Humanities and the Arts. In particular, the Director has responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Center as well as oversight of other full time and part-time advisors, a full-time administrative support coordinator, and a number of peer and graduate advisors.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the service-delivery function of the College by promoting and ensuring excellent customer service that supports student success at all levels. Implement business processes for academic year, and relay appropriate feedback to meet demands and specified timelines.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the SSC including program services, administrative functions, and the supervision and evaluation of professional and administrative staff.
• Provide work-lead direction and prioritize tasks, coordinate with the staff and College leadership to hire, train, and supervise student services professional and the undergraduate and graduate student assistants.
• Promote the visibility of the SSC through interaction with campus faculty, administration, and students as well as other colleges, departments, and student services units.
• Develop, implement and assess academic support programs and services for Humanities and the Arts students. Prepare and submit regular reports on progress and status of the Center’s programming.
• Direct planning, development and implementation of retention-related programs and initiatives, such as Sparta Camp (Freshman Orientation and registration), Spartan Experience for Transfer Students (Transfer Orientation) and Advisement, Newly Admitted Spartan Day and other College recruitment events and initiatives relevant to servicing targeted populations for the College.
• Oversee daily student advising and services to assure prompt, pleasant, and accurate interaction and advising of students. Meet regularly with Associate Dean to update progress and identify needs of the Center.
• Manage Center budget.
• Provide, oversee, and assure, retention and advising (success) services consistent with CSU, SJSU, UE, and Academic Advising and Retention Services policies and procedures to ensure student success. Advising services include general education, academic and educational planning, undeclared student advising, remedial, and probation/disqualification, and student development seminars and workshops. Advise students on general university policy referring students to other campus resources, when applicable.
• Resolve student issues or recommend appropriate courses of action related to difficult academic situations. Assist students in the resolution of curricular, or general University related problems. Working with the Center staff, assist students in improving educational strategies (e.g., study skills, time management, creating educational environments conductive for success.) This includes the actual direct advising of a significant portion of students seeking services in the Student Success Center.
• Working with the Center staff, develop written and online materials to assist Humanities and the Arts students in navigating the University and their road to graduation. Develop, implement, utilize and maintain advising tracking systems for Humanities and the Arts yielding periodic reports from these systems.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• General Knowledge of principles of individual and group behavior, techniques used in counseling, interviewing, and investigation and college student development theory.
• Ability to determine proper techniques and actions to utilize while engaged with individuals behaving in argumentative or sensitive manner.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee projects and provide guidance and direction for the work of others.
• Ability to work cooperatively in a group with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, styles and goals.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriately handle sensitive communications with employees and external agencies.
• Ability to interpret and define problems, evaluate and analyze situations, draw valid conclusions, project various consequences, and adopt effective courses of action. Must be solution-oriented.
• Ability to maximize unit productivity through training colleagues in use of appropriate tools. Ability to provide work lead direction.
• Knowledge of CSU academic policies and procedures as expressed in Title V and CSU Chancellor’s Office Executive Orders as well as those of the SJSU, and ability to apply that knowledge to individual situations.
• Ability to interpret and explain policies to various staff, students and other individuals.
• Ability to review and verify complex records and detailed information for compliance with CSU requirements, and interpret information from a variety of institutions, including foreign institutions, with differing record systems.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, practices, and trends of the Student Services field, and working knowledge of student services programs outside Humanities and the Arts. Knowledge of and sensitivity to issues related to student sub-populations, especially those which might be considered academically at-risk.
• Ability to understand the academic year and processing cycles that affect workflow of the departments, schools, and various advising centers.
• Must possess excellent customer service and public relations skills and must be comfortable working and leading a team both in-person and virtually.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including thorough knowledge of English grammar, business writing, punctuation and spelling. Ability to compose and appropriately format various types of correspondence, reports and communications.
• Working knowledge of software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, database management, and the internet. Ability to use PeopleSoft and working knowledge of student success related applications such as GradesFirst.
• Ability to work irregular schedules, including evenings, weekends and until the job is completed.

Required Qualifications

• Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in a related field plus upper division or graduate coursework in counseling techniques, interviewing and conflict resolution where such are job related
• Four years’ experience in progressively responsible professional student services work, including experience advising students individually and in groups and in analyzing and resolving complex student services problems.
• A Master’s degree in Counseling, Education, Clinical Psychology, Social Work, or a directly related filed may be substituted for one year of experience
• A Doctorate degree with appropriate internship or clinical training in counseling may be substituted for two years’ experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Educational Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work or directly related discipline
• Minimum of five years of experience working directly in student success centers
• Demonstrated advising experience in the humanities and/or the arts
• Demonstrated working knowledge of academic/general education requirements, admissions and registration processes, and resources available to students
• Experience supervising students and professional staff
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment

Compensation

Classification: Student Services Professional IV
Hiring Range: $5,351/month - $7,633/month

San José State University offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary. For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary .

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• Resume
• Letter of Interest

All applicants must apply within the specified application period: March 15, 2021 through March 29, 2021 . This position is open until filled; however, applications received after screening has begun will be considered at the discretion of the university.

Contact Information

University Personnel
jobs@sjsu.edu
408-924-2166

Additional Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will issue a contingent offer of employment to the selected candidate, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was offered the position on a contingent basis.

The standard background check includes: criminal check, employment and education verification. Depending on the position, a motor vehicle and/or credit check may be required. All background checks are conducted through the university's third-party vendor, Accurate Background. Some positions may also require fingerprinting. SJSU will pay all costs associated with this procedure. Evidence of required degree(s) or certification(s) will be required at time of hire.

SJSU IS NOT A SPONSORING AGENCY FOR STAFF OR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. (e.g. H1-B VISAS)

All San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University (SJSU) is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, race, religion or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, transgender, or protected veteran status consistent with applicable federal and state laws. This policy applies to all SJSU students, faculty and staff programs and activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities operated by the university (both on and off campus).

Advertised: March 15, 2021 (9:00 AM) Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: