Assistant Vice President for Student Success

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Student Success serves as a senior student experience officer and leads the University's Student Success portfolio through a holistic approach to academic and personal development and student well-being. The AVP provides leadership, vision, and strategic direction for a comprehensive portfolio of departments under student experience and works collaboratively with stakeholders to increase retention and persistence. The AVP oversees institutional councils, teams, and prevention programs which work collaboratively to further student success. The AVP leads the University’s response to students of concern and assesses and evaluates all operations, policies, programs, and services to ensure mission compliance, student impact, and organizational effectiveness.

Salary: $100,000-$130,000 Annually

Essential Functions

• Responsible for the strategic planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive, data-driven, and integrative student success model that supports and enhances students' academic, physical, emotional, psychological, social, and intellectual well-being; identify organizational and operational improvements; and design creative approaches and strategies to support new programs and student- centered initiatives
• Use a broad-base of knowledge and expertise in areas such as counseling, substance use prevention, violence prevention, and resilience to guide and oversee campus-wide harm reduction strategies and interventions that create the conditions for student success
• Lead the University's case management efforts to include identifying and supporting students of concern and training faculty, staff, and student-leaders on how to respond to a wide range of academic and well-being concerns
• Support and advocate for undergraduate and graduate students who experience crisis; intervene directly in highly sensitive cases involving critical illness/injury, mental illness and other threats to mind and body
• Serve as a senior administrator-on-call, providing counsel, guidance, and direction; communicate with parents, guardians, and emergency contacts as appropriate, and in support of students’ well-being and academic success
• Oversee the University’s medical withdraw process to include developing policies and procedures, evaluating students' requests for medical withdrawals and petitions to return to campus, determining if and when emergency interim and/or university-initiated actions are required, and coordinating with campus partners, parents and families in support of the student experience
• Create regular opportunities to dialogue and collaborate with faculty and staff about student well-being and student success in order to broaden understanding of the bio-psychosocial influences on health behaviors and to effect positive change
• Monitor trends, evaluate, and address changes in student needs to improve the student experience and retention to campus
• Collaborate with the Title IX Coordinator on programming to reduce incidences of sexual misconduct and provide victim advocacy and support
• Collaborate with the Chief Diversity Officer to build supports and programming for a diverse student body
• Serve as a major cost center manager, providing financial oversight and responsibility for departmental budgets and fund accounts
• Oversee the University’s Student Emergency Funds, collaborating with the Director of Financial Aid
• Coordinate efforts to enhance collaborative relationships with other colleges and universities, local and state agencies, and health care providers to advance the University’s student success and well-being agendas
• Exercises strategic leadership in establishing and implementing short and long - term organizational goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures; monitors and evaluates operational effectiveness; and effects changes required for improvements
• Designs, establishes, and maintains an organizational structure and staffing to effectively accomplish the University's goals and objectives; recruits, employs, trains, supervises, and evaluates staff
• Develops and monitors key performance indicators for departments and units to evaluate and improve student success
• Supports and implements professional development of the staff
• Leads all personnel to ensure the efficient and productive operation of all administrative and operational functions of the departments
• Collaborates and works in partnerships with other University Units to advance student success and well-being of our students by creating across unit intersections that assist in transforming the student experience
• Communicates effectively with both internal and external constituents
• Effectively represents the University on- and off-campus
  
  

Direct Reports:

• Dependent on prior experience
  
  

Other Duties & Responsibilities:

• Supports and assists in creating intersections for faculty, staff and students that will assist in transforming people’s lives
• Supports and assists in creating an evolving culture of mentoring and rich engagement opportunities for faculty, staff, and students
• Maintains a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and a high degree of cultural competence and respect for a wide range of identities and experiences, therefore welcoming and supporting all faculty, staff and students and expanding access to the AU experience
• Maintains a safe working environment within and around their facilities and associated equipment and supplies including, but not limited to, obtaining Safety Data Sheet {SDS) information pertaining to any hazards associated with their work environment
• Participates in all required assigned training, including safety training and will comply with safety rules, regulations, and protocols
• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Contributes to the overall success of the University by performing other duties as assigned
  
  

Qualifications: Education & Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Master’s degree required with 5-7 years of progressively responsible managerial experience in student affairs. 10+ years preferred with student success and retention experience
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute comprehensive health and wellness strategy
• Demonstrated commitment to working with a diverse student body, faculty, staff, and other constituents
• Superior leadership and team management skills with the ability to engage others through a democratic process, while serving as key decision maker
• Experience incorporating knowledge of the bio-psychosocial elements that influence health behaviors such as substance use, eating disorders, and other high-risk behaviors
• Experience with strategic design and assessment of a comprehensive, data-driven health and wellness program
• Current knowledge of and commitment to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion as it pertains to student success
• Strong project management skills
• Ability to facilitate crisis intervention procedures
• Strong presentation, verbal, and written communication skills
• Flexibility and willingness to assume new tasks and special projects
• Strong technology skills including proficiency in Microsoft Office {Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and internet-based software systems
  
  

Working Conditions:

• On-campus housing available if desired as a condition of employment/for the convenience of employer; ability to travel on and off campus; and evening and weekend work expected
  
  

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Personal Protective Equipment must be worn when required. A respiratory function test and the ability to use respirators may be required. Stairs and uneven surfaces may be present; artificial lifts, etc. may or may not be available. The position may require the incumbent to walk outdoors in all types of weather to other buildings or offices located on the campus. The Campus is located in an area that contains numerous hills and slopes and may not always be fully accessible for mobility impaired individuals.

About Alfred University

Lighting the way for students since 1836.“We've always been a place for makers, especially those who make the future. Our commitment to independent thinking, creativity, academic rigor and community have made us a unique kind of leader since 1836.”

Alfred University {AU) was founded on principles of social justice in 1836 by liberal, independent thinkers who placed high value on education for all citizens. The University has retained and built upon the strong values of its founders, developing as an institution of national and international renown that is responsive to the needs of contemporary society while remaining consistent with the spirit of its origins. Alfred University is the second oldest coeducational college in the United States as well as one of the earliest nineteenth century colleges to have enrolled African American and Native American students. It has a long-standing history of educating socially conscious students who make a difference in their professions and their communities.

Over the course of the twentieth century, Alfred University evolved into a complex institution offering a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, art and design, engineering, business, education, counseling, and school psychology to its nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students that live, learn, and play on a 232-acre campus located in an idyllic, creative valley in Western New York. To learn more, visit alfred.edu.

Alfred University actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Protected veterans, minorities and women are encouraged to apply.