The Director of Advising and Retention shall be responsible for providing vision and leadership for the college’s student-centered advising program, from first-time enrollment through degree attainment.  The Director is responsible for integrating, facilitating, enabling, and fostering outcomes driven efforts in academic advising and early alert practices that support student success (retention, persistence, graduation, overall student satisfaction).  The Director of Advising and Retention directs professional advising staff, coordinates faculty academic advising, and reports directly to the Dean of Student Services.

Job Duties Include...

Academic Advising

• Develop and apply a thorough knowledge of College academic program requirements and curricula, admission criteria, academic placement, pre/co-requisites, courses, financial aid processes, transferability, and other internal student services (tutoring, counseling, Writing Center, etc.). 
• Clarify student educational goals, instruct students on the appropriate pathway to reach those goals, work in collaboration with students to build plans to complete those goals, and assist with the navigation process to complete those goals from registration through completion.
• Audit, monitor, and track students’ progress in a case management style toward the fulfillment of academic goals and requirements.
• Assess and re-design new student orientation practices to reflect a case management style advising model that includes both Student Services and Faculty Advisors.
• Develop a student outreach and comprehensive assessment plan for College advising practices, guided by learning outcomes, to include analysis and interpretation of student retention and graduation data.
• Implement training for Student Services and Faculty Advisors. Assist with monitoring and the evaluation of advising loads for Faculty and Student Services Advisors.
• Ensure and organize consultation between Student Services Advisors and Academic Divisions/Faculty about the College’s programs and requirements in order to maintain up-to-date knowledge for all stakeholders.
• Maintain an advising case load and assist with advising and registering first-time and returning students, both walk-in and by appointment, especially during high volume advising periods.
• Document student advising sessions utilizing campus retention software.  Maintain user proficiency for software programs, systems, and databases used by the College.

Retention/Early Alert Program

• Oversee the development of a new early alert program, developing strategies for efficient early alert utilization and assessment of interventions. Use early alert data to provide recommendations for improving student retention along the continuum of a student’s enrollment to the student’s educational goal/degree attainment.
• Administer the Jenzabar Early Alert system, using it in conjunction with other College information systems to validate student data and update student records and information. 
• Assign students to faculty and professional advisors per the developed early alert model guidelines, and provide training and ongoing support for the early alert system.
• Monitor and assess advisees’ academic progress and interventions with students who are not reaching their academic goals or making satisfactory academic progress.  Ensure outreach to students who receive an early alert for academic concerns, attendance, or midterm grade reports.
• Coordinate and implement special projects and programs related to overall student retention initiatives. 
• Assess student drops and withdrawals to determine any patterns or course combinations that appear to be barriers to student success.
• Work in consultation with technical (IT) staff regarding implementation and monitoring of electronic data and communication systems.

Additionally, the Director of Advising and Retention shall:

• Directly supervise two Part-Time Student Services Advisors.
• Participate in college programs or other student engagement activities that aid in retention, including serving as an administrative co-advisor to the WSCC Student Senate.
• Provide input and present ideas for marketing efforts and publications related to the college’s advising and early alert program.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge through participation in NACADA and other professional associations, workshops, meetings and conferences.
• Serve on college-wide teams as they relate to advising and retention management processes.

• Ensure commitment to the highest professional standards and maintain confidential information in compliance with College policies and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Maintain and safeguard equipment, software, and facilities.
• Comply with college policies and procedures.
• Maintain a safe work environment.