Director of Veteran Student Services

The Director of Veteran Student Services reports to the Associate Dean and Director of Multicultural Affairs. The Director provides oversight and leadership for the day to day operations of the Veteran Student Services Office (VSS). The position will provide comprehensive services and programs to active duty service members, reservists, veterans, and their family members. The Director is responsible for administering critical operations of Veteran Student Services and ensuring the university, local, state and federal policies, procedures, and regulations related to Veteran Student Services are properly administered. The position directs internal operational standards, policies and procedures, and regulatory compliance as it relates to Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense educational benefits.

Duties include: managing funds by developing the annual departmental budget and controlling expenditures; seeking out community partners for growth opportunities connecting Veterans and their families with professional development prospects, services, and resources in the Chattanooga area and beyond; designing and delivering presentations to groups of prospective student veterans at college/career fairs, community colleges, military bases, veteran’s organizations and other events; developing and implementing effective recruitment and outreach strategies to increase veteran and active military enrollment; explores new initiatives that positively shape the UTC veterans’ experience; communicating and collaborating with student services staff, faculty, and administrators to envision, implement, and/or promote efforts aimed toward the retention and success of student veterans and military affiliated students; ensuring university compliance with federal, state, and other agencies by developing policies, procedures, and interoffice forms and processes, as appropriate, to comply with Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, State Tuition Assistance, and other entities governing veterans’ and military educational benefits; building, sustaining, and improving relationships with campus personnel relevant to student veterans and military affiliated students and/or the programs that support them; serving as the primary point of contact for Federal Military Tuition Assistance - portal course and program catalogs, processing grades, and graduation certification;

In addition, the Director serves as the primary point of contact for the Tennessee Army National Guard Education Services Team and TN Strong Act students; forecasts, leads, manages, and evaluates the unit while providing student veterans with a variety of resources within the campus community, student organizations, and across the local community; creates and/or modifies programs to ensure they are current, reflective of UTC student needs, and emerging best practices in higher education; oversees the planning and implementing of departmental assessment and effectiveness activities for accreditation, strategic planning, and other division assessment projects; initiates, sustains, and/or improves connections with local, regional, and national employers interested in hiring student veterans; facilitates a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures and backgrounds; conducts benchmarking studies with aspirational and peer institutions to identify emerging practices; maintains knowledge of proposed and enacted federal legislation which affects veterans’ and military educational benefits, programs, and services; researches and applies for additional funding sources including but not limited to grants to support and enhance program services; annually applies for recognition while assessing UTC's progress against accepted criteria: Best for Vets, Military Friendly, and other identified designations; serves as Advisor for the Student Veteran Organization; and contributes to the overall success of Veteran Student Services by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Knowledge of VA education benefits and military tuition assistance benefits
• Knowledge of federal and state legislation, rules, regulations, policies and procedures pertaining to veteran and military affiliated student educational benefits Knowledge of local, state, and federal veterans’ resources
• Interpersonal and listening skills to effectively communicate with individuals with diverse multicultural backgrounds
• Ability to manage detailed and complex administrative processes
• Ability to effectively manage staff
• Ability to work in collaborative environments as well as independently
• Ability to utilize computer technology to input/access data, maintain records, review and generate reports

Review of applications will begin May 10, 2021 and continue until the position is filled. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration.

Qualifications :

Minimum Qualifications: Master’s degree; 5-7 years of office experience; 3-5 years of managing professional staff experience; certifying official experience; knowledge of Banner or other computer student information systems; and experience and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred Qualifications: 8 years of managing professional staff experience in a higher education setting, preferably with veteran and military affiliated students; 4 years VA certifying official experience; and experience and proficiency in Banner or other computer student information systems.

The University of Tennessee Chattanooga is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.