Student Achievement & Learning Advocate

Hood College is focused on providing students with enhanced student experiences that empowers students to use their hearts, minds, and hands to meet personal, professional, and global challenges and to lead purposeful lives of responsibility, leadership, service, and civic engagement.

The Student Success Center provides holistic support to empower our students to seek help, be resilient, and reach their goals to ease their transition to college. We promote accessibility, diversity, and belonging that fosters a safe and inclusive environment for all members of Hood College.

Our vision is to be a leading unit in student success by supporting students through individualized advising and mentoring and co-curricular engagement to thrive academically, personally, and professionally.

Under the direct supervision of the Associate Dean of Student Success, the Student Achievement & Learning Advocate is responsible for providing holistic, direct, and personalized support to all Hood College students to guide them through complex issues regarding academic progress, including students on academic probations and warning. This position has responsibility and accountability for increasing graduation and retention rates and decreasing the number of students placed on academic probation. The Student Achievement & Learning advocate will work closely with the Student Success team and the Office of Accessibility Services, when applicable, to support students in the Academic Success Program and oversee the tutoring program and testing center.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities . Other duties may be assigned

Academic Services (35%)

• Assist with the coordination, development, and implementation of appropriate high engagement student success strategies and supporting technologies.
• Provide comprehensive holistic support and proactive guidance for students from admission to degree completion.
• Manage an assigned case list of up to 125 undergraduate students and other students needing support.
• Monitor and track students' academic progress each semester.
• Advise students on degree progress, transfer planning, wellness, and personal and career goal completion.
• Develop, monitor, and review personal educational plans with students.
• Employ intervention strategies to aid students in regaining good academic standing.
• Provide and maintain ongoing outreach to students on assigned case list and students placed in the GPS (Guided Pathways for Success) program.
• Keep accurate documentation of each advising session and services provided to students.
• Assist the Associate Dean of Student Success to assess all aspects of the GPS program to identify opportunities for refinement and improvement.
• Coordinate, develop, facilitate, and present workshops on assorted topics.
• Refer students to appropriate on and off campus resources.
• Support summer registration by registering and supporting new students and other student support retention initiatives.
• Cultivate relationships with administrators, faculty, staff, and athletics to ensure accurate and timely communication and resolution of student needs, obstacles, and questions.
• Provide support and reporting for the Blazer Navigate (retention/academic alert) system and serve as an achievement advocate to provide proactive outreach and individualized academic success coaching support.
• Assist with summer advising for first-year and transfer students.
• Support a caseload of advisees.
• Other duties as assigned.

Accessibility Services (30%)

• Assist the Director of Accessibility Services to select, hire, train, and supervise undergraduate student proctors.
• Manage testing center operations to include activities like maintaining testing center database and associated email inboxes, scheduling student appointments, preparing tests, corresponding with professors and students, configuring student accommodations, scheduling and supervising proctors, & generating reports and data.
• Maintain confidential student records.
• Comply with and enforce all testing procedures, practices, and policies.
• Resolve problems or testing issues that may arise during testing sessions.
• Develop and facilitate executive functioning training sessions and other professional development opportunities for tutors and blazer academic coaches.
• Serve as a direct point of contact for faculty, staff, and students regarding the testing center.

Supervisory Services (20%)

• Supervise student workers in the testing center and in the student success center.
• Provide training for student success staff and testing center staff.
• Coordinate coverage for front desk staff and testing center staff.
• Distribute staff schedules for testing center and student success center to all student success center staff.

Campus Wide Services (5%)

• May serve on the Students of Concern Committee and other College committees.
• Partner with campus departments to participate in new student orientation, academic, career, cultural, recruitment, and student engagement events.
• Participate in campus wide events, including commencement.
• Represent the Office of Student Success at campus wide events.
• Evening and weekend responsibilities may be required. May travel with students on occasion.
• Work collaboratively with other members of the student success team to advance the mission of the College and Student Success office.

Teaching Services (10%)

• May teach up to one Academic Success Seminar course (2 credits) once a semester/year. The following are required for this commitment:
  
  • Assess and report course learning outcomes and student success metrics
  • Provide regular office hours for enrolled students
• Provide timely, consistent, and regular feedback to students; maintain advising documentation.
  
  • Submit academic alerts and/or kudos, and grades in a timely manner

Qualifications

We seek a candidate who values diversity, equity and inclusion in all that they do. Candidates must have strong organizational skills and a proven ability to work collaboratively with partners across campus in support of Hood College’s mission as a student-centered, liberal arts institution.

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education and/or Experience Minimum Requirements/Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in counseling, education, social work, or related field.
• Two years of relevant experience in an educational setting.
• Demonstrate an understanding of diversity through success in working with multicultural, international, traditional, adult, and special student populations.
• Must possess a holistic student-centered philosophy.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some evening and weekend hours.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with many interruptions.
• Must be able to travel on occasion with students and/or for professional development.
• Strong organizational, analytical & problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to draft reports, correspondence, and/or manuals.

Preferred Skills and Characteristics

• Master's degree in counseling, education, social work, or related field.
• Previous experience working with traditionally underserved students.
• Previous academic advising/coaching experience.
• Knowledge of student development & advising theory related to role.
• Familiarity with student information systems and data management.
• Mental Health First Aid Certification.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).
• Understanding of student development, advising methods, academic policies & information, registration, and support resources.

Technology Skills

Proficient in MS Office tools (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), e-mail, and online resources. Ability to learn new applications quickly including organization-wide information systems and department-specific software applications.

Language Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to effectively provide information and positively respond to questions from both external and internal stakeholders both in person and by phone. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

Mathematical Skills

Proficient with statistical and financial concepts. Must have the ability to apply those concepts to tracking, projections, goal setting and interpreting reports. Must be able to draw conclusions from reports and make cost-effective decisions regarding programs.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a number of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, verbal, diagram, or schedule form. Ability to work independently and as a member of a group in developing and executing project plans. Ability to work in theoretical arena and apply logic as appropriate.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use fingers, hands, reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear. The employee is required to sit. The employee may occasionally be required to stand and lift and move up to twenty-five pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Work Environment

The work environment described here is representative of what an employee will encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level is usually moderate, and could include interaction with other employees, students, the public, telephones, and other office equipment.

Compensation

This is a position with an annual starting salary range of $49,500 to $55,000 depending on circumstances including an applicant’s skills and qualifications, certain degrees and certifications, prior job experience, training, and other relevant factors. Hood College has provided a compensation range representing its good faith estimate of what the College may pay for the position at the time of posting. The College may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. Hood College offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and tuition benefits. Learn more about Hood College.

To Apply

We invite qualified candidates to apply online via our electronic application which requires submission of a cover letter, resumé and three professional references. If you need assistance with the online application process, please email View email address on click.appcast.io or call View phone number on click.appcast.io.

Hood College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, religion, or age in recruitment, admission and access to, or treatment, or employment in its programs, services, benefits, or activities as required by applicable laws including Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and complies with the law regarding reasonable accommodation for disabled applicants and students. Inquiries about discrimination or reasonable accommodation should be referred to the Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator at Alumnae Hall, 401 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, MD. 21701 (AD 308), View phone number on click.appcast.io. For complete information on Hood College’s nondiscrimination policy, please visit

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