Director of Retention and Student Success Job Title Director of Retention and Student Success Department Dean of Enrollment's Office Posting Number req505 Description of Job Duties Job Summary: The Director of Retention and Student Success at Southwestern Oklahoma State University will be responsible for monitoring key enrollment-based data to ensure institutional retention, persistence and completion enrollment goals are met. Using best practices from research, the Director will incorporate data-driven and trend-analysis intervention strategies toward student success for target students, particularly students at-risk of stopping out based on the data. This position will oversee Advising and Retention Services Department and collaborate with departments that impact student success and retention. The Director will collaborate with leaders in Student Services and across campus to ensure first-year experience events and programs align with retention strategies that support students' sense of belonging. This leader will be expected to incorporate persistence, retention, and completion management best practices into the vision, strategy, and practices of the department. The university seeks a bold and innovative leader who will work collaboratively with SWOSU's leadership team to ensure strong enrollment and dramatic increases in overall SWOSU student success. Duties and Responsibilities:
- Works closely with Academic Affairs and department chairs to analyze and identify course section capacity needs to maximize enrollment opportunities. Intensively reviews individual course section capacities across modalities as well as number of sections offered to meet demand.
- Review predictive analytics, other student success related data and student records to identify patterns related to retention and graduation barriers.
- Monitors enrollment reports that include incoming and overall student data to identify key trends for intervention.
- Collaborate with Admissions & Recruitment and faculty to assess effectiveness of concurrent enrollment partnerships to meet enrollment demands.
- Develops, directs, and assesses institution-wide student success initiatives and services designed to increase the persistence, academic goal completion, and graduation rates of students.
- Promote course offerings for current and future semesters in various mediums including CANVAS notifications, single sign on login page, emails, etc.
- Serve as a consultant and subject matter expert to university administrators and leaders regarding institutional barriers impacting enrollment growth, graduation, and retention.
- Collaborate and communicate with students, advisors, and administrators to trouble-shoot graduation barriers and provide timely solutions for students.
- Collaborates with Director of Admission & Recruitment for the design, implementation, and building of materials for the New Student Orientation process.
- Collaborates with key faculty and staff concerning the development and effectiveness of SWOSU's orientation class for incoming freshman, SWOSU Connect, including curriculum development, learning outcomes, and impact for retention.
- Meet routinely with SWOSU Connect instructors to support curriculum and instructor professional development.
- Oversee the Academic Success Coaching program on campus, sharing academic information with coaches, managing coaching referrals and outreach, and assessing results of coaching engagement.
- Coordinates communication efforts with probation and suspended students to ensure they understand their academic status and encourage a return to campus.
- Oversees outreach efforts to stop out students to facilitate opportunities for their return to campus.
- Maintains knowledge of best practices and new developments within student success and retention strategies; recommends changes to maintain relevance of programs and services to meet student and institutional needs.
- Oversees recruitment, management, professional development, and retention of direct reports and staff.
- Facilitates enrollment-related communication opportunities to ensure students stay informed of key enrollment dates, courses, advising information, and other relevant topics. Includes overseeing texting campaign and additional communication strategies.
- Ensures compliance with state regulations, federal laws, and SWOSU policies.
- Assists functional areas in the usage and development of technology for the purpose of promoting enrollment.
Work Settings:
- Reports to Vice President for Student Services
- Available to assist with situations during or after working hours whether in-person, by phone, or email contact
- Promote personal safety, safety procedures, and a safe work environment
- 12-month appointment
- Full-time status
- Exempt
About SWOSU: With locations in Weatherford, Yukon, Sayre, and online degree programs, SWOSU is one of the leading regional universities in the country. See what makes SWOSU and Weatherford so great! Education and Experience Education & Experience:
- Requires a master's degree in related field and extensive work experience that demonstrates expert knowledge of fundamental theories, principles, and concepts of student success and retention.
- Appropriate professional accomplishments, credentials, and supervisory experience.
- Experience with Ellucian Colleague (SIS), Canvas (LMS), Recruit (CRM), PowerBI, Argos, and Jotforms is preferred.
Anticipated Start Date 9/9/2024 Location Weatherford Employment Type Exempt