Director of Student Advising

Job Description: ABOUT THE CHICAGO SCHOOL The Chicago School educates the next generation of change-makers in innovative theory and culturally competent practice to strengthen the integrated health of individuals, organizations, and communities. We enroll over 6,000 students across 40+ academic programs culminating in a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree or a professional certificate, and our unique approach to impact-focused education has made us a leading nonprofit university for more than 40 years. As an employee at The Chicago School, you can become a member of a university community committed to true inclusion and equity. At The Chicago School, we celebrate individuals of all backgrounds and identities for who they are and what they can contribute. We take pride in hiring and retaining the most dynamic, talented, and passionate professionals who will help us continue to innovate for decades to come. POSITION SUMMARY Reporting to the Senior Director of Student Advising, this position is responsible for helping to manage the Student Advising Division within Student Support Services. This includes overseeing the day-to-day operation of university-wide advising efforts, leading the coordination and delivery of all advising processes, and providing vision, strategy, and guidance. The ADSA will engage in college-wide retention and success efforts through collaboration within all departments in Student Support. This position requires developing collaborative, working relationships with intradepartmental leaders, campus and academic leadership, and other student facing departments to holistically support students. Directors may be expected to serve as a “key contact” for one or more campuses at The Chicago School and are expected to maintain a campus presence 3-4 days a week. Our available locations include Chicago, (preferred) and Washington, D.C. PRINCIPLE DUTIES Leadership and Strategic Planning · Lead staff in development of excellent student and academic support service skills that create an environment of student-centered focus and support. · Lead Student Support Counselors (SSCs) in the development of strong time management and organization skills necessary to manage assigned populations. · Support academic departments’ efforts to assist students with using their strengths to achieve success while addressing opportunities for growth such as improving their time management and prioritization skills or building a sup port system. · Monitor SSC progress and completion of intervention tasks, student contact requests and appointments used to support student needs as they progress towards degree completion. · Assist in development and maintenance of ongoing training to SSCs to continue to grow their institutional, program and student support services skills. · Along with department leadership, collect data to assess the prior year’s retention and forecast for future terms. · In collaboration with department leadership, identify and develop strategies and create plan to implement strategies while also assessing efficacy of the implementation. · Identify risks and obstacles standing in the way of student progress and develop solutions to promote student success. · Work closely with the Office of the Registrar to ensure all student accounts are complete and updated by the second week of each term/semester. · Collaborate with AVP of Business Operations, Senior Director of Advising, and Senior Director of Student Support Operations to forecast credit hours and continuing student totals and risk population on a weekly basis. · Work closely with appropriate departments to develop re-recruitment efforts for withdrawn students. · Maintain a student population. · Adhere to and ensure staff adheres to all internal, Federal, Department of Education, regulatory, and affiliate policies and procedures, integrity and ethical standards. · Serves as lead in student issues that have been escalated due to unprofessional student behavior and/or disagreements between student and another department that require student support involvement. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS · Master’s Degree required · Minimum 3+ years of progressive leadership experience in academic advising or student success programs. · Proven track record in leading large teams and managing complex programs. · Experience with training and customer service · Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS · The ability to display professionalism in all interactions · Experience with building or managing effective student support initiatives · Demonstrated success in implementation and improvement of student retention · Strong experience in managing a high level of work in a fast-paced environment · Excellent writing, interpersonal, and technological skills, including the use of Microsoft Office COMPENSATION RANGE Salary range is $70,000-$80,000, commensurate with education and experience. DISCLAIMER The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. Assist students with using their strengths to achieve success while addressing opportunities for growth such as improving their time management and prioritization skills or building a support system. Monitoring SSC progress and completion of intervention tasks, student contact requests and appointments used to support student needs as they progress towards degree completion. Collect data to assess the prior year’s retention and forecast for future terms. Identify and develop strategies and create plan to implement strategies while also assessing efficacy of the implementation. Identify risks and obstacles standing in the way of student progress and develop solutions to promote student success. Work closely with the Office of the Registrar to ensure all student accounts are complete and updated by the second week of each term/semester. Collaborate with Business Manager and Senior Director of Student Support to forecast credit hours and continuing student totals and risk population on a weekly basis. Assist in development and maintenance of ongoing training to SSCs to continue to grow their institutional, program and student support services skills. Assist with school leadership in developing and implementing standard operating procedures as well as communication strategies. Collaborate with Senior Director of Admissions to create strategies for success of incoming students, identify potential risk factors of new students and working for student success as they onboard into their programs. Work closely with appropriate departments to develop re-recruitment efforts for withdrawn students. Maintaining a student population. Adhere to and ensure staff adheres to all internal, Federal, Department of Education, regulatory, and affiliate policies and procedures, integrity and ethical standards. Serves as lead in student issues that have been escalated due to unprofessional student behavior and/or disagreements between student and another department that require student support involvement. Departmental and team email inbox review, including but not limited to: Accommodations and Online Student Support general email. Desired Qualifications: Must be a self-starter, with an attention to detail; possess high-level organizational and problem solving abilities Skilled communicator with excellent verbal and written communications skills Ability to work independently in service-oriented environment Excellent customer service, critical thinking, and problem solving skills Experience and proficiency in student information systems – preferably CampusVue - with an emphasis on working with the end users (Office of the Registrar, staff, faculty) Experience with Excel and SPSS Some evening and weekend work required particularly around start times Must possess integrity, ambition, and be process and results-driven Master’s degree or 6+ years of relevant experience required Minimum of 5 years of student retention focused experience in a higher education setting Experience working with online population and/or remote users Demonstrated success in implementation and improvement of student retention Demonstrated experience in managing a high level of work in a fast paced environment Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. Compensation & Benefits This opportunity is budgeted at $$70,000 -$80,000 base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, click the link below. The Chicago School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please note: For the protection of faculty, staff, students, and all who enter our facilities, The Chicago School strongly recommends that all employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 per CDC guidance. For more than four decades, The Chicago School has been a leading nonprofit university dedicated to training professionals for careers that improve the integrated health of individuals, organizations, and communities across the globe. Grounded in the values of education, innovation, community, and impact, The Chicago School offers 40+ distinct academic programs at campuses across the country (Washington DC, Chicago, Dallas, Southern California) and online, educating over 6,000 students annually in fields across integrated health. The Chicago School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The Chicago School is also an affiliate of The Community Solution, a network of nonprofit higher education institutions that works collaboratively to advance institutional sustainability, increase student success, and enhance community impact.