Student Success/Retention Specialist

Reporting to the Director of Student Success and Retention, the Student Success/Retention Specialist performs a broad range of responsibilities to meet the needs of the Student Success Programs office, including proactively engaging and serving students, supporting college-wide student success initiatives, and collaborating across campus to contribute to the overall success of retention, persistence, and completion. These responsibilities include but are not limited to communicating with students and faculty, assisting students with resources, and providing timely interventions to help students in their academic progress. This position supports enrollment, retention, and completion initiatives of the College. The Retention Specialist demonstrates sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and racial/ethnic backgrounds of community college students. This position may use varying styles and approaches that reflect an understanding and acceptance of the role of culture in a diverse, multicultural workplace.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The following are the functions essential to performing this job:

1. Outreach, coach, and meet regularly with students assigned through caseload to discuss needs, monitor academic progress and assist with the resolution of academic and personal challenges.

2. Develop and implement academic support initiatives, programs, and services that assist special populations, such as single parents, first-generation college students, limited-income students, and students from racially underrepresented backgrounds.

3. Serve as an integral member of the Student Success & Retention Committee, the case management team, and coordinated care processes via the College’s comprehensive intervention system, currently EAB Navigate.

4. Develop individual success/action plans for student caseload and partner with academic advisors to support students in course registration support, satisfactory academic progress, and outreach activities.

5. Participate in and assist with coordinating proactive outreach and enrollment campaigns to students, including calls, texts, and email.

6. Stay up to date on college academic programs, college academic policies, academic partnerships, national trends, and best practices that improve retention and student success.

7. Partner with Student Finance, Financial Aid, Registration & Records, Career & Academic Planning Services (CAPS), and other stakeholders to guide students and remove barriers to success.

8. Collect, maintain, and evaluate data regarding students’ progress and contribute to reports, grant proposals, and college-wide updates.

9. Support various enrollment, retention, and completion initiatives of the College.

10. Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Student Success & Retention

1. Bachelor’s Degree

2. Two (2) years of demonstrated experience working with transfer services, career development, academic advising, recruitment, counseling, or related functions

3. Two (2) years of experience working with students of color, first-generation, limited income, non-traditional, or disproportionately impacted students in a higher education setting

1. Master’s Degree in Counseling, Higher Education, Advising, or related field

2. Experience working in a community college setting or have a demonstrated understanding of the mission of a community college.

3. Demonstrated understanding of best practices in providing holistic support to students in a community college setting preferred.

4. Demonstrated understanding of student transition, student retention, and student development theory.

5. Proficiency in using Microsoft Office, student records systems, early alert monitoring systems, social media and web communications, and database systems.

6. Evidence of strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication, organizational, and project management skills.

7. Proficiency in a second language, preferably Spanish