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Director of Academic Support

Employer
Concordia University Chicago
Location
Illinois, United States
Salary
Salary Commensurate with experience
Date posted
Jun 16, 2022

Concordia University Chicago (CUC) invites applications for the full-time, exempt position of Director of Academic Support. This position reports directly to the Associate Dean of Students, Academic Resources, and is located in River Forest, IL.

The Director of Academic Support manages Academic Support staff, promotes Academic Support services, and oversees the departmental budget with integrity and zeal. The individual selected for this position is an enthusiastic promoter of student utilization of academic support services, particularly subject and writing tutoring, in Concordia's new CULearn Teaching & Learning Commons. The director is the lead individual at Concordia to mentor students on academic probation, assess their individual academic support needs, and create individually tailored academic recovery programs for probation students that routinize their utilization of academic support services. The Director of Academic Support strives for excellence and inclusion as the University's lead disability specialist, supports the Academic Support Coordinator's to deliver accommodations for students with disabilities, and develops CULearn's capacity to provide coaching for executive functioning. As a mentor and role model who teaches and advises students who require extra support, the director honors the individual needs and gifts that each person embodies as children of God. The Director of Academic Support is a dynamic individual who exhibits a vibrant personal faith in Jesus Christ, displays Christ-centered leadership and a commitment to student success.

Responsibilities/Duties:

Student Utilization of Academic Support Services

  • Facilitate student engagement in academic support programs & activities in CULearn
  • Actively promote academic support to various deans, department chairs, and faculty
  • Lead by example through tutoring students directly in STEM, humanities, or social sciences and/or undergraduate & graduate-level writing
  • Upon request, work with the Associate Dean, Academic Resources to represent Academic Support at orientations for incoming students for fall and spring semesters

Retention & Probation Student Support

  • Lead and contribute to university retention initiatives focused on supporting student academic success and increasing student progress toward graduation
  • Research, develop, and implement academic recovery program for probation students
  • Mentor individual academic probation students and supervise their academic progress
  • Serve on Academic Suspension Appeals committee

Student Tutor Recruitment, Training, Management, and Professional Development

  • Recruit highly qualified undergraduate and graduate student staff to fulfill a variety of tutoring positions to support undergraduate and graduate student subject & writing needs
  • Train professional and student staff to reflect Concordia's mission and values
  • Provide regular professional development opportunities for professional and student staff to ensure continuous improvement of support and resource options based on emerging and promising practices in the field of learning assistance

Accessibility Services

  • Maintain knowledge of current and prospective legislation and regulations governing the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act with regard to higher education policies, procedures, and practices
  • Review and verify disability documentation of functional limitation to determine eligibility for temporary and permanent reasonable accommodations of support and service requests
  • Promote and facilitate university-wide equal learning opportunities including, but not limited to, coaching for executive functioning

Faculty/Academic Department Engagement

  • Use the weeks before the start of each semester to partner with faculty to promote academic support services in the classroom, both in-person and online
  • Use Navigate Student Success management system to assess academic support needs and initiate proactive outreach to departments to identify potential support options and collaboration opportunities
  • Monitor digital faculty peer tutor referral system and act on all faculty suggestions for subject tutoring or writing support
  • Teach COL 1000 and organizes routinized academic support for CUC's Excel Scholar population

Intellectual Enrichment & Distinctive Programming

  • Occasionally team with Associate Dean, Academic Resources to offer students enrichment lectures, debates, and table panels across a variety of academic disciplines in CUC/s new CULearn Teaching & Learning Commons
  • Collaborate with Associate Dean and Library Director to provide graduate students with resources for Masters theses and Doctoral dissertation support
  • Partner with Director of Concordia Honors Program and Associate Dean, Academic Resources develop a distinctive academic culture of undergraduate research
  • Collaborate with Associate Dean of Students, Academic Resources on possible scholarship for presentation/publication

Communication & Reporting

  • Use data extracted from sources such as the Navigate Student Success management system to create and share reports that inform decision-making, policies, procedures, and budget allocations to promote Academic Support services growth and CUC student retention
  • Record, assess, and present trends in student needs & engagement to faculty and administration
  • Monitor tutoring and graduate assistant hours and document in a bi-weekly cost efficiency report measure and forecast needs
  • Maintain strategic communication plan to ensure students, faculty, and staff are educated about support and resource options
  • Compile quarterly reports for Board of Regents

**Candidates must support and be committed to the mission and identity of Concordia University Chicago, a university of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS).

Skill Sets:

  • Thorough knowledge and fluency with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and related legislation
  • Technologically savvy
  • Advanced Microsoft Office proficiency with an emphasis on PowerPoint, Publisher, ACCESS, & EXCEL
  • Facility with WC Online
  • Professional and diplomatic written and verbal communication skills
  • Advanced critical, creative, and strategic thinking
  • Competent problem solving and conflict resolution
  • Exceptional time & priority management
  • Confident and collaborative organizer with initiative and positivity
  • Effective communication and empathetic listening skills
  • Enthusiastic supporter of Lutheran higher education and the mission, vision, and core values of Concordia University Chicago.
  • Demonstrated leadership in the field of higher education academic support
  • Experience with programs such as Banner, Navigate, DegreeWorks, Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Analytics/Intelligence, Argos, and Qualtrics preferred

Minimum Experience Required:

5+ years of experience in:

  • Effective professional and student staff management
  • Assessment and continuous improvement of learning center services and programs
  • Engagement with diverse college student populations facing physical and academic challenges
  • Direct support and advocacy for college students with disabilities
  • College level curriculum development, direct instruction, and tutoring
  • Academic support program development and implementation
  • Implementation of computer assistive technology
  • Familiarity with and understanding of higher education standards, resources, and certifications

Education Requirements:

Master's degree in Education, English or related field preferred. Candidates pursuing or nearing completion of graduate/Master's study will be considered.

Compensation and Benefits:

Starting range is dependent upon individual qualifications and experience. Concordia University Chicago benefit options include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and/or Health Savings Account (HSA)
  • Disability and Survivor Plan (Basic Life Insurance)
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Retirement Pension Plan
  • Retirement 403(b) Savings Plan
  • Supplemental Life Insurance
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
  • Accident Insurance
  • Critical Illness Insurance
  • Tuition benefits (available for employees and their qualified dependents)

Application Information:

Interested individuals should include a cover letter, resume and references with their online application.

In compliance with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's Executive Order 2021-20, Concordia University Chicago requires all on-campus faculty and staff to submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or participate in weekly COVID-19 testing. Further information regarding Concordia's response to COVID-19 can be found here.

Concordia does not discriminate in the employment of individuals on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, disability, sex or age. As an institution of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, however, and to the extent allowed by law, Concordia University reserves the right to give preference in employment based upon religious affiliation.

Concordia University Chicago does not generally sponsor for employment visas except for positions that oversee, teach or support our international programs.

About Concordia University Chicago:

Concordia University Chicago is a liberal arts-based Christian university founded in the Lutheran tradition. Through its College of Theology, Arts & Humanities, College of Business, College of Education, and College of Health, Science & Technology, Concordia-Chicago offers more than 160 areas of study in small classes taught by professors who are passionate about teaching and student success. All undergraduate and graduate degrees are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Concordia University Chicago has been recognized as a College of Distinction since 2010, and is consistently ranked among the Best Regional Universities-Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. For more than a decade, combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment has exceeded 5,000 students. Concordia University Chicago is located in River Forest, 10 miles west of downtown Chicago. Learn more about our commitment to higher education, rooted in the Gospel, at CUChicago.edu.

Steadfast in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, Concordia University Chicago promotes academic rigor in its liberal arts and professional programs; grounds students in objective truth, integrity, and excellence; and practices faithfulness to the Confessional teachings of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, as it forms students for vocations in church, family, and the world.

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