Student Success Center Director

Northwest Technical College (NTC) invites applicants to join our team as the Student Success Center Director.  To accomplish our mission of “preparing students for rewarding careers”, we prioritize creating a culture in which diversity is embraced and all people are safe, welcome, and validated.  NTC has prepared students for fulfilling careers in high-demand fields for more than 50 years. The college’s accessible, affordable, hands-on programs also help the region’s employers meet their ever-growing need for a highly skilled workforce. NTC serves more than 1,000 students with an excellent education, an open-enrollment policy and affordable tuition. Students may pursue nearly 40 degree, diploma and certificate programs in six distinct career paths. Classes are offered on campus, online, or as a combination of both.  NTC is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities. 

The Student Success Center Director leads all support services provided to current students enrolled at NTC in order to identify and implement resources for student success. The Director supervises and directs support services regarding retention efforts including proctoring, tutoring, library services, advising, and early alert system management in the context of career and academic advising. They develop and oversee student programming to support student learning and celebrate academic milestones. The Director serves as the campus leader for student life and events, initiatives, and learning opportunities to promote student engagement and well-being.

Responsibilities of the Student Success Center Director include:

• Student Support – Career and Academic Support. (60%)
  • Supervising, leading, and directing the Student Success Center and the academic support functions of the Center, including testing services (TEAS, Accuplacer, Pearson, and others as identified), proctoring, tutoring, and library services.  Staff supervising includes part-time mentors, part-time tutors, part-time test proctor, and student employees.
  • Serving as the Project Lead for NTC’s student success management system (currently EAB’s Navigate), helping to facilitate the implementation, goals, and day-to-day use of Navigate on the NTC campus while creating clear and attainable project objectives, communicating progress updates, and evaluating effectiveness.
  • Leading and directing staff and activities, identifying objectives, action steps, and resource needs to ensure the Student Success Center effectively serves students. This includes assigning, directing, instructing, and remediating work of staff to meet deadlines and stay within budget.
  • Functioning as the primary resource and liaison to current students experiencing challenges affecting their enrollment that may include grade appeals, academic misconduct, attendance, health related issues, financial issues, and complaints in order to identify the best option for resolution and support.
  • Managing the Early Alert system including coordinating appropriate intervention strategies, referral for services, reporting to faculty/staff, and hosting professional development sessions for faculty.
  • Collaborating with staff from the American Indian Resource Center and Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on programming and support services. 
  • Developing and overseeing student life and student senate as well as other programming to support student learning and celebrate academic milestones.                          
• Student Support – Advising and Student Life (30%)
  • Developing, marketing, and coordinating student initiatives and programming that will promote high-quality student life experiences, holistic well-being, and personal empowerment.
  • Creating, implementing, and facilitating opportunities for co-curricular learning and student leadership development through educational and developmental workshops.
  • Promoting proactive retention activities and student engagement opportunities to create a welcoming, inclusive, and encouraging atmosphere for both online and on-campus students.
  • Managing and coordinating the resources and materials needed for the campus food shelf.
  • Advising students in the areas of career, financial aid, course selection and other student services including referrals as needed to other college service providers.
  • Co-advising NTC’s Student Senate, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and overseeing the annual Student Senate budget.
  • Developing education plans for students with limited English proficiency.
  • Advising the Health Sciences Broad Field students.
  • Providing appreciative/supplemental coaching/advising to enrolled students as it relates to registration and progress towards degrees.       
• Library Operations (5%)
  • Performing Circulation duties in the charging and discharging of NTC library materials and equipment, including the issuance of overdue and fine notices, shelving materials and participating in the compilation of statistics for inventory purposes.
  • Co-managing library budget in collaboration with part-time librarian.
  • Answering ready reference questions; providing library instruction on the use of the online catalog and databases.
  • Maintaining and caring of library inventory including books, videos, newspapers, magazines, and other library inventory including Inter-Library Loan requests.
  • Assisting librarian with software upgrades, purchasing, and adherence to library policy and procedures.
• Campus community (5%)
  • Building and strengthening relationships with academic affairs, enrollment management, program managers, faculty and staff.
  • Collaborating with key stakeholders to move forward common goals regarding strategic enrollment management and guided learning pathways.
  • Participating in regular staff meetings, work group discussions, and decision-making as needed.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications for this position include:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Excellent administrative, communication, and public relations skills. 
• Experience assisting students overcome barriers to program completion.
• Experience in career and/or academic development or advising.
• Two (2) or more years of experience providing work direction for multiple employees. Ability to set priorities, use analytical reasoning, and integrate results into meaningful program activities.
• Experience in college student development to include, but not limited to student life, student senate and student club activities.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and develop strategic support for university-wide retention goals.
• A demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Master’s degree.
• Experience with test proctoring, including virtual proctoring software and organizations (Proctorio, ATI, Accuplacer), as well as proctored exam scheduling and management.
• Experience managing and supervising tutors, collecting tutoring performance data, and utilizing data to make informed decisions to improve student support and tutoring services.
• Experience with supervisory functions including performance management, goal setting, and assessment with continual progress outcomes.
• Ability to manage projects from inception through execution and evaluation sufficient to create clear and attainable project objectives, build project requirements, oversee cost, time and scope of projects, manage project constraints, and communicate progress and end results.
• Experience with federal, state and Minnesota State policies, procedures, and regulations.

To facilitate the review, assessment, and evaluation process, please ensure that your application and/or resume clearly demonstrate fulfillment of these required and preferred qualifications.

Other considerations:

• All applicants must be able to lawfully accept employment in the United States at the time of an offer of employment.
• Official transcript(s) must be provided to Human Resources upon hire.
• Employment for this position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement for the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), which can be found at https://mn.gov/mmb/employee-relations/labor-relations/labor/mape.jsp.
• In accordance with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MinnState) Vehicle Fleet Safety Program, faculty and staff driving on college/university business, who use a rental or state vehicle, shall be required to complete a vehicle Use Agreement form and conform to MinnState's vehicle use criteria and consent to a motor vehicle records check annually.
• BSU and NTC are tobacco free workplaces (see policy).

To apply:  

Apply online:   https://ntcmn.peopleadmin.com/

A complete application will include the following attachments:

• Cover letter, which addresses the required qualifications and your specific interest in working at Northwest Technical College.
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae.

Inquiries about the position:

Ketmani Kouanchao, Executive Vice President and Senior Academic Officer - Northwest Technical College

Email: ketmani.kouanchao@ntcmn.edu

If you have general questions about this posting or submitting an application, contact Mary Miller at mary.miller@bemidjistate.edu.

COLLEGE / COMMUNITY:

Northwest Technical College is in Bemidji, Minnesota, in Northern Minnesota. The greater Bemidji community has a population of 25,000 and serves as a regional center for education, commerce, recreation, health care, and the arts. Bemidji State University, a partner institution, and Northwest Technical College welcome 6,000 students annually. Northwest Tech offers hands-on learning in Business, Health Care, Manufacturing, Transportation, and General Education. As a partner in Distance Minnesota, the College is engaged in innovative distance education with most of its programs offered online in addition to on campus. Northwest Technical College is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (Minnesota State) https://www.minnstate.edu.  To learn more about the student-centered environment at Northwest Technical College, visit www.ntcmn.edu.

WHY BEMIDJI:

In this Northwoods setting, students, staff, and faculty have a variety of activities at their fingertips. Possessing all the charm and character of a college town, Bemidji remains a tight-knit community of good neighbors and engaged citizens. While the city of Bemidji — named after the Ojibwe Chief Shaynowishkung (nicknamed Bemidji) — is home to a diverse population of more than 15,000 people, it serves a regional population of more than 100,000.

Located between three American Indian reservations – Leech Lake, Red Lake, and White Earth, students have an opportunity to experience a dynamic local culture and history. Bemidji also sits at the center of the legends of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. The famous statues of Paul and Babe greet students as they drive along Lake Bemidji.

Though quaint and historic, the city offers the urban conveniences upon which college students rely. Northwest Technical College is conveniently located minutes away from affordable restaurants, cozy coffee shops, grocery stores, city parks, and more. Small, locally-owned shops and art sculptures line the streets of downtown Bemidji, while national chains can be found in and around the Bemidji area, including an uptown selection of department stores and restaurants.

The thriving downtown community presents ample opportunities for engagement off-campus. Among other things, there are fine-dining restaurants, cafes, and a natural foods co-op in downtown Bemidji. The historic Paul Bunyan Playhouse has a calendar of classic shows; restaurants and lounges offer weekly live music performances; the First Friday Art Walk provides a tour of new monthly art exhibits; and annual events such as the Loop the Lake Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Blue Ox Marathon, Bemidji Winterfest, and The Minnesota Finlandia bring the community together.

For those who love the outdoors, there are wooded, multi-use trail systems within minutes of campus and community parks with walking trails, playgrounds and a skate park. Lake Bemidji State Park and its miles of navigable trails is located directly across the lake from BSU, and the Buena Vista Ski Area — just 12 miles north of town — offers downhill skiing and BSU-sponsored student transportation in the winter months. Further, the Mississippi River Headwaters is a mere 45 minutes from Bemidji.

For further information, visit our website at:  https://www.ntcmn.edu

Review a "special report on how this former lumber town has rebuilt itself as a high-speed, regional center of enterprise" at Bemidji 2.0

Other Resources:

• Visit Bemidji – https://www.visitbemidji.com/
• 218 Relocate / Greater Bemidji – https://www.218relocate.com/
• Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce – https://www.bemidji.org/ 
• Explore Minnesota – https://www.exploreminnesota.com/article/top-things-to-do-bemidji

Statement of Notice

Northwest Technical College prohibits discrimination and sexual violence of any kind. Contact the Title IX Coordinator if you have concerns regarding discrimination and/or sexual violence.

Per Minnesota State System Procedure 1B.3.1, all universities and colleges must provide contact information of their Title IX Coordinator.

Megan Zothman, Campus Human Resources Officer & Title IX Coordinator

Email: TitleIX@bemidjistate.edu or Megan.Zothman@BemidjiState.edu

Phone: (218) 755-2502

1500 Birchmont Drive NE, Deputy Hall, Room 335, Bemidji, MN 56601