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Retention Specialist - REVISED REVIEW DATE

Employer
University of Wisconsin La Crosse
Location
Wisconsin, United States
Salary
Salary Not Specified
Date posted
Sep 29, 2021


Posting Details

Recruitment Number

1115

Working Title

Retention Specialist - REVISED REVIEW DATE

Position Type

Staff/Administrative

Appointment Percentage

100

Division/College

Student Affairs Division

Position Summary

UW-La Crosse is actively seeking an energetic, organized, and dedicated individual to help with our retention efforts and ensuring student success. This pro-active individual should have a strong commitment to Diversity and Inclusion efforts and have experience working with stakeholders in an education setting.

Under the leadership of the Assistant Director for Retention in the Office of Multicultural Student Services, the Retention Specialist will provide on-going support to multicultural students. This position responds to students’ academic and financial needs through coaching and referral to appropriate campus resources. The Retention Specialist supports students struggling to navigate the university system and challenges adjusting to academic and social life. The Retention Specialist works to ensure students receive accurate, timely, and holistic advising to promote student success, retention, and persistence.

Description of College / Department / Program / Division / Unit

The primary role of the Division of Diversity and Inclusion is to ensure that diversity, in its many forms, is understood, respected, and valued. The Division advocates for access, equity and inclusion while encouraging critical dialogue, thinking, and meaningful educational interactions on campus and in the community. The Division includes the following departments: Center for Transformative Justice, ACCESS Center, Diversity and Inclusion, Multicultural Student Services, Pride Center, Student Support Services, and Upward Bound, Equity and Affirmative Action,
Title IX, Institute for Social Justice.

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in education, counseling, sociology, ethnic & racial studies, or related field.
  • Minimum of one year experience of demonstrated ability to work with low-income, first-generation, transfer, multicultural, and/or racially diverse students in an educational setting.
  • Experience training and supervising tutors and student workers.
  • Experience coordinating and facilitating small group discussions.
  • Demonstrated record of conducting assessment and/or evaluation of office programs.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in oral and written communication skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills.
  • Strong computer proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a part of a team
Preferred Qualifications
  • Bilingual in English/Spanish, Hmong, or other languages
  • Master’s degree in education, student affairs and higher education, or related field.
  • Experience working with financial aid programs.
  • Proficiency with social media.
  • Strong computer proficiency with Peoplesoft, D2L, and Canvas.
Physical Demands
  • Sedentary position, sitting and standing occasionally.
  • May be required to lift up to 15-20 lbs on occasion.
Working conditions and environment
  • Requires the ability for evening and weekend work with occasional overnight travel.
  • Has a high level of social interaction. Work with students, faculty, and other administrators.
  • Work near others, such as when sharing office space.
  • Make decisions that greatly impact the reputation and finances of their institution.
  • Generally, work a set schedule.
Miscellaneous Information

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON BENEFITS

Your benefits add an additional 40%+ to the overall financial package from the university.
Highlights include:
• 22 days of vacation for 12-month positions (that are non-instructional)
• excellent flexible health insurance with low co-pays and good coverage.
• paid holidays and sick days.
• sick leave may be converted at retirement to pay for health insurance post-work at UWL .
• after 5 years of employment, you become vested in our retirement system which ensures income post-career.
• benefits at UWL are highly competitive with local industry and some of the strongest in state and nation.
Learn more at: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl20.pdf
Benefit eligibility is determined at point of hire. This information is provided for illustrative purposes only. Benefits are also pro-rated based on the appointment percentage.

—-

The University of Wisconsin System and the University of Wisconsin–Madison are engaged in a redesign of job title and compensation structures. The Title and Total Compensation Project will result in relevant and market-informed titles to help us keep and grow our outstanding workforce. If you are the successful candidate, your title is subject to change in November 2021. For more information, visit: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/title-and-total-compensation-study/

Duties/Responsibilities

These are the job duties required for the position.

Responsibility Statement

Academic and Financial Retention

Duties to Support Responsibility
  • Works with Assistant Director to create strategies and coordinated efforts for tracking students on academic probation, suspension and re-admittance
  • Partners with academic advisors, faculty, staff, students, and administrative personnel to track analytics, and helps identify risk indicators to support data-informed retention and transfer strategies
  • Assists in the development of programs and initiatives that promote awareness, sensitivity, advocacy, and understanding to ensure access for individuals with disabilities
  • Monitors, plans, and facilitates student academic progress, student programming, and success plans
  • Establishes and maintains ongoing efforts to assess and evaluate the quality of campus life for students of color and recommends appropriate solutions to address academic and non-academic issues.
  • Collaborates and serves as a liaison with academic advisors and student success professionals in the Colleges and other Divisions to coordinate student support efforts across campus through a holistic approach
  • Maintains positive and productive relationships with academic departments and student support offices, including the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, Career and Professional Development Office, Counseling Services, Residence Life and others as needed.
  • Assists with transfer orientation and transfer START and National Student Transfer Week in partnership with Academic Advising and Career Services and Admission’s Office
  • Develops measurable retention strategies and action plans for transfer student’s cohorts.
  • Maintains confidentiality and accurate student records and processes and responds to academic inquiries according to established institutional and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA ) policies
  • Assists Office of Student Life in some situations with university withdrawal process.
  • Works with appropriate campus departments to develop academic and career related programs to assist students’ persistence through graduation.
  • Educates and advises students in developing of self-advocacy skills.
  • Maintains transfer student master database and regularly communicates with transfer students
  • Helps coordinate the Multicultural Business Scholars program scholarship program in partnership with the College of Business Administration ( CBA )
  • Provides leadership for the development of appropriate transition programs as the programming relates to financial and academic success
  • Monitors budgets related to retention services and programming
  • Establishes and maintains ongoing efforts to assess and evaluate the quality of campus life for students of color and recommends appropriate solutions to address academic and non-academic issues.
  • Works with the Assistant Director for Retention to develop, implement and assess multiple outreach campaigns each semester that focus on financial literacy and retention.
  • Oversees and coordinates orientation training, payroll, and evaluation of work-study and student help with Office Assistants and interns
Percentage Of Time

80

Essential

Yes

Responsibility Statement

Department and other campus retention efforts

Duties to Support Responsibility
  • Represent the department and Division at university functions that require training or orientation.
  • Occasional weekend, evening work, and travel work is required.
  • Performs other duties as deemed appropriate by the Director and Assistant Director of Retention.
  • Potential opportunity to advise a multicultural student organization
Percentage Of Time

20

Essential

Yes

Posting Detail Information

Special Instructions

Posting Date

09/29/2021

Close Date

Continuous Recruitment

Yes

Continuous Recruitment First Review Date

11/08/2021

Position Contact Name

Antoiwana Williams

Position Contact Email

hrinfo@uwlax.edu
Required Documents
Required Documents
  1. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
  2. Cover Letter/Letter of Application
  3. Reference Contact Information
Optional DocumentsSupplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

  1. * The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identities of finalists must be revealed upon request. See Wis. Stat. §. 19.36(7).
    • I wish for my name to remain confidential until the university is no longer able to do so.
    • I waive my right to keep my name confidential through the application process.
  2. * Are you legally eligible to work in the United States?
    • Yes
    • No
  3. * Are you currently under investigation or have ever left employment during an active investigation in which you were accused of sexual violence or sexual harassment? (Required under UW System Administrative Policy 1275)
    • Yes
    • No
  4. * Were you ever found to have engaged in any sexual violence or sexual harassment in a previous work assignment? (Required under UW System Administrative Policy 1275)
    • Yes
    • No
  5. * Are you an alum of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse?
    • Yes
    • No
  6. * After you retire from a Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) employer, you may return to work with a WRS employer as a rehired annuitant, provided certain requirements are met. There are no restrictions on what type of position a rehired annuitant can hold. Under the WRS, there is no limit to how much you may earn as a rehired annuitant. (Learn more: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/life-events/empcha/ra/). Are you currently collecting an annuity from the Wisconsin Retirement System, (WRS)?
    • Yes
    • No
  7. * Are you currently employed by or have you been employed by a UW System institution or a State of Wisconsin agency during the last seven (7) years? Please answer yes or no. If yes, provide the institution or agency name, your supervisor and contact information, including phone number and email address.
    • Yes
    • No
  8. * Please provide your most recent employer, supervisor name and contact information, including phone number and email address. (Pursuant to UW System Administrative Policy 1275, UW System requires reference checks related to sexual harassment and sexual violence to be conducted at a minimum with a final candidate’s most recent employer and with all previous UW System institution and State of Wisconsin agency employers from the past seven years. UW-L will notify you prior to contacting your supervisor).

    (Open Ended Question)

  9. * Will you now or in the future require visa sponsorship for employment at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse? (UW-L and UW System institutions pay for some or all of the sponsorship costs. Some candidates may require an H1B or another form of employment sponsorship to work in the US. This question is asked so that if you are the successful candidate, Human Resources can work with your work unit to begin the process of obtaining this visa).
    • Yes, I will require sponsorship prior to employment.
    • Yes, I will require sponsorship for continued employment if hired.
    • No, I do not require sponsorship and am eligible to work in the US.
  10. * How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
    • Chronicle of Higher Education Web Site
    • Discipline-Specific Publication/Web Site
    • HERC Web Site
    • HigherEdJobs.com Web Site
    • Job Center of Wisconsin Web Site
    • Minority Publication/Web Site
    • University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Social Media (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
    • University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Web Site
    • La Crosse Tribune
    • Personal Referral
    • LinkedIn
    • Indeed
    • WinonaDailyNews.com, LaCrosseTribune.com, ChippewaHerald.com, Journaltimes.com, Kenoshanews.com, Madison.com
    • Department of Workforce Development (WISC)
    • Other


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