Assistant Director of Student Success Full Time

Department: Student Success

Reports to: Associate Dean of Student Success and Pathways

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Type: Full-time (.91 FTE)

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Student Success is an 11-month position that provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and collaborative partnership to advance student retention, persistence, and holistic academic support. This role supervises the Academic Counseling team, manages core budgets, facilitates department curriculum, teaches Student Success courses, oversees the academic standing processes, and supports campuswide coordinated care initiatives. The Assistant Director plays a critical role in ensuring that students—especially those on academic probation, first generation students, and students seeking academic support— learn, persist, and graduate at Calvin University.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Supervision

• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance evaluation for five Academic Counselors to foster a collaborative, student-centered team.
• Provide training, professional development, and ongoing support for advising and success initiatives.

Budget & Resource Management

• Manage Student Success operating budgets.
• Monitor expenditures, forecast needs, ensure compliance with institutional policies, and support strategic resource allocation.

Coordinated Care & Campus Collaboration

• Collaborate with partners in the Coordinated Care Network (academic departments, student life, success programs, faculty, and parents) to implement proactive and reactive success initiatives.
• Coordinate office functions with TRIO and Disability Services.

Academic Standing & Caseload Oversight

• Oversee processes, communications, and interventions for students on academic warning and probation.
• Develop and assess programs that support students in academic recovery and transition back to good standing.

Systems & Workflow Management

• Manage and optimize academic student support queues in Salesforce, ensuring timely case assignment, tracking, and resolution.
• Use data to monitor trends, improve workflows, and inform strategic decision making.

Teaching and Curriculum

• Teach 8 credits each year of Student Success or Community and Commitments coursework.
• Coordinate Academic Success teaching loads each semester, including instructor assignments, scheduling, and communication.

Program & Committee Service

• Lead first generation student initiatives (Calvin First) and Summer Navigators including coordination, programming, and assessment.
• Represent the department on various student success committees, task forces, and working groups including the Committee on Admissions and serve as a primary liaison for cross campus interventions related to student persistence and academic support.

Education And Experience Qualifications (preferred)

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, or related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in academic advising, student success, or related student support roles.
• Demonstrated experience in staff supervision, coaching, or team leadership.
• Strong knowledge of academic success strategies, retention initiatives, and student development theory.
• Familiarity with case management systems; Salesforce experience ideal.
• Experience managing budgets or program funds.
• Demonstrated commitment to supporting first-generation, underrepresented, and academically at-risk students.
• Data informed decision-making and comfort with student success analytics.

Physical Demands

The work in this position is performed within routine office conditions, usually without exposure to hazardous or unpleasant conditions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Proofreading and checking documents for accuracy.
• Using a keyboard to enter, retrieve, or transform data. Closely observes monitoring devices for 2 hours or more at a time.
• Regular movement to meet with students and colleagues around campus
• Lifting 5 lbs. or less.

FAITH and EDUCATIONAL COMMITMENT

• Commitment to the educational mission of Calvin as a Christian liberal arts University affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.
• A commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith, learning, and student development.

DIVERSITY COMMITMENT

Demonstrated awareness and commitment to effectively establishing relationships and positive communication across multiple dimensions of diversity including, but not limited to, race, gender, physical limitations, class, or religious perspectives.