Director of Undergraduate Retention and Completion Initiatives

The Director of Undergraduate Retention and Completion Initiatives provides campus leadership for coordinating the implementation of Tech’s new undergraduate enrollment strategic plan as well as a wide range of ongoing initiatives and special projects that impact retention, persistence, and timely degree completion. Reporting jointly to the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) and the Division of Enrollment Management (EM), the position collaborates with units in OUE and EM; students; faculty; CEISMC (Tech’s K-12 unit); and other administrative units on campus to coordinate communication to students in targeted populations; partners with Enterprise Data Management and Institutional Research and Planning to collect, analyze, and communicate about data and metrics related to student retention and completion; prepares reports and presentations on behalf of leadership; and manages Tech's involvement in USG undergraduate student success initiatives such as Complete College Georgia (CCG) and Momentum Approach. 

Responsibilities

Enrollment Strategic Plan Implementation & Coordination

• Working in close coordination with the Vice Provosts for Undergraduate Education and Enrollment Management, take the lead on managing the implementation of Tech’s new undergraduate enrollment strategic plan; this will include coordinating committees; tracking outcomes, metrics, and preparing status reports
• Support the work of Enrollment Management to ensure effective enrollment practices for targeted populations of students
• Project and coordinate aspects of campus planning for enrollment/registration for incoming first-year and transfer students; helps coordinate among OUE, academic advising, academic units, colleges, Registrar’s Office, New Student and Sophomore Programs, iGniTe, space management, etc.

Retention and Completion Initiatives

• Collect, analyze, and report data on the academic status of targeted populations of undergraduate students
• Develop regular/recurring systems for the analysis and reporting of these data and information to appropriate units
• Support a coordinated campus communication, monitoring, and program for targeted populations (including communication to students at various stages of academic warning/probation/dismissal)
• Serve as a resource on retention and completion initiatives; serve as a point of referral for certain students and help navigate them to appropriate campus offices/resources to facilitate return
• Identify ways that financial aid impacts retention and graduation rates and identify new initiatives, processes, and procedures to partner with financial aid to address recommendations

At-Risk/Off-Course Student Interventions

• Develop and implement data-informed initiatives regarding identifying and intervening with academically “at-risk” or “off course” students (Warning, Probation)
• Explore implementation of and propose new policies and practices around academic standing, academic contracts and students returning from academic dismissal
• Maintain a database and clearinghouse of campus retention programs, services, and related initiative
• Oversee coordination of recurring non-returning, non-registered surveys, completely withdrawing students, first-year students in academic difficulty, and other populations assigned with related outreach processes. May also develop other systems and processes to identify possible non-returning students (e.g, transcript monitoring or exit interview processes) or barriers to timely degree completion

USG Undergraduate/Student Success Initiatives and Other Duties

• Take the lead on implementing and ongoing updating for the USG Academic Map expectations; Coordinate Georgia Tech's Complete College Georgia (CCG-GT) and related efforts (e.g., Momentum Year/Approach, HIP Initiatives, or other new USG initiatives), including serving as a a permanent ex officio member of CCG-GT Steering Committee, including coordinating the activities and documentation; compiling data and taking the lead on scheduling meetings; preparing committee agendas, summaries, and other reports; attending USG meetings and other conference related to CCG as requested
• Serve as co-lead on Tech’s engagement in the Gardner Equity in Retention initiative
• Initiate ad-hoc studies and projects related to aspects of retention and completion
• Complete special projects related to enrollment, retention, completion as assigned
• May supervise assigned staff (position currently does not supervise)
• Other duties as requested in support of OUE and EM

Required Qualifications

Required Education

• An earned doctorate (PhD or EdD) or equivalent terminal degree from a research-intensive university. Candidates near the end (within 1-2 years) of such a terminal degree program may be considered; hiring would be contingent on completion of the degree.

Required Experience, Skills, Abilities

• Five to seven years of job-related experience in a higher education setting appropriate to this position (e.g, enrollment management, student success/transition, retention, undergraduate education)
• Excellent project management skillset, including the ability to track details and manage timelines, a working knowledge of higher education, student services, enrollment management and/or academic advising, and a demonstrated ability to collaborate across departments and administrative units
• Self-starter: ability to work independently
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and meet competing deadlines
• Experience with research and report writing, including the ability to summarize analyses of data to varied audiences and to constituents in a clear and concise manner
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong organizational skills, flexibility, attention to detail, emotional intelligence, intercultural competence, and problem-solving skills
• Experience supervising professional and/or graduate student staff (preferred)

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous leadership experience (assistant director or above) in academic support, advising, enrollment management, or field related to student success/transition
• Knowledge of "early alert" and academic intervention systems and processes’
• Knowledge of factors that affect undergraduate student retention and persistence.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with academic advisors, faculty, and other administrative units.
• Familiarity with BANNER or a similar student information system.
• Knowledge of Crystal reports, Argos, or of similar report writing tools to generate data and reports.
• Demonstrated written, verbal, and interpersonal ability to provide service and support to students, faculty, supervisors, peer, and other colleagues to do the job and resolve difficult situations.