DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Assistant Vice Chancellor Student Retention & Success (SRS), the Director, Student Programs and Success is responsible for leading and implementing a comprehensive range of student success units, programs and initiatives including the newly established Triton Firsts program which engages first generation faculty, staff, and alumni to inspire our growing population of first-generation students to excel during their academic career. The Director provides leadership to four units that support several distinctive student populations at UC San Diego and provides support to the AVC SRS for project management, advancing strategic initiatives, and other administrative tasks within the SRS team. The student success programs (Units) include the Undocumented Student Services (USS), the Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC), Transfer Student Success, and the Student Success Coaching Program (SSCP). Exercise leadership and discretionary authority to solve managerial and programmatic concerns; utilize a high degree of independence, ingenuity and analytical skills to resolve complex problems.

The Director is charged with managing complex administrative roles in support of a comprehensive range of student development services including assessment and program evaluation, marketing, and communication, and provides direct support to the AVC while implementing strategic projects (i.e.: Black Alumni Scholars/Gates Scholars) and collaborations to fulfill the overall goals of the Student Retention & Success Cluster. The Director is also responsible for promoting SRS services, initiatives, and ideology across the UC system and nationally as part of various committees and working groups. This includes supporting the UC First-Generation, Veterans, Undocumented, and Transfer Coalitions and the NASPA First-Gen Forward Advisory Designation. The role will support the efforts of the AVC by serving to promote collaboration across SRS so that services, activities and programming delivered from SRS are high quality, coordinated, and aligned with the best practices that promote undergraduate student retention, persistence, and graduation rates for targeted student populations.

The position serves as a campus champion for the success and retention of distinctive student populations and helps to make UC San Diego a student ready institution that is equipped to provide culturally engaging opportunities to our growing population of first-generation students and students with intersecting identities. This requires communication and partnership with a broad range of campus constituents including the seven colleges’ academic, student affairs and residence life units, the Teaching and Learning Commons, Academic Affairs units, the office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, faculty, staff, alumni, and student leaders. The Director will develop, maintain, and continuously monitor student learning outcomes for success programs and assist in further enhancing model program evaluation strategies for the SRS Cluster while establishing practices and policies that enrich the student experience from initial enrollment through to graduation. Responsible for the initiation, development, management, evaluation and promotion of research informed needs, activities, and programs that support the success of a distinctive student population served by each unit.

Ensure that SRS services support the academic and psycho-educational success of students that have unique strengths, needs, or expectations. Populations include students from educationally or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, historically underrepresented students, first generation college students, military affiliated and undocumented or mixed immigration status students, foster youth, and others. Promote a climate of ethical leadership, respect, trust and fairness consistent with the UC San Diego Principles of Community and represent the interest of the department in the conduct of regular business. Serve as a role model for behavior that ensures principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are being upheld within the workplace. Build capacity and facilitate shared responsibility for creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive department in which each staff member can thrive. Seek opportunities to collaborate with campus constituents to conceive and implement strategic initiatives that drive and develop diversity within the department.

The successful candidate will demonstrate an aptitude for supportive supervision, leadership, and organizational development. They will have experience managing and leading student program development and assessing and evaluating student learning outcomes, and the ability to understand various diversity issues in higher education impacting the student population. The director must advocate for students in alignment with university goals and have demonstrated success in coalition and relationship-building with individuals across many levels of an organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor’s degree and significant and progressively responsible experience in a related student success area, or an equivalent combination of experience and/or training.

• Excellent management and leadership skills and demonstrated ability in leading and directing a complex organization. Management ability and skills to direct and supervise professional staff with the ability to train, motivate and provide effective and sound judgment, coaching and leadership.

• Advanced knowledge of higher education, student development and persistence, and diverse learning environments and how these theories inform practice of counseling, learning, and program development. Skills in monitoring/assessing people, processes, and services, to make improvements.

• Advanced knowledge of the theories and practice of counseling, learning, human and career development.

• Advanced experience in multicultural competencies. Advanced knowledge of cultural, socio-economic, political, and environmental issues affecting the education of undergraduates as they advance through a Research One University environment.

• Proven ability to understand various diversity issues in higher education, including issues that affect the diversity climate, and ability to work with underrepresented students and their organizations.

• Excellent organizational and time management skills to establish goals and prioritize workload of self and others. Ability to meet deadlines and work efficiently and effectively on multiple projects with competing deadlines. Flexibility in dealing with people and competing demands. Ability to manage details of complex projects and events and to independently follow through to successful completion.

• Demonstrated skills in promoting a climate of ethical leadership, respect, trust and fairness consistent with the UC San Diego Principles of Community. Ability to represent the interest of the department at all times in the conduct of regular business. Serve as a role model for behavior that ensures principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are being upheld within the workplace.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Job offer is contingent on a clear Background Check.

• Must have access to reliable transportation for local travel/outreach.

• Working on occasional evenings and weekends is anticipated.

• This position is a mandated reporter of known or suspected child abuse or neglect, according to the California law, Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA).