Director Of Student Success Operations

Housed within Academic Affairs, the Office of Student Success promotes academic excellence, engagement, and student thriving by empowering students to make the most of their experience at the University of Denver. Academic Affairs collaborates with the schools, divisions, academic departments, the faculty, and student life to develop programs, curricula, and experiences that support, inspire, and challenge students. Our Student Success work is defined by our mission to advance a university-wide culture of holistic student thriving by developing and promoting best practices in student success and advising; driving data-informed decision-making processes and providing meaningful outreach to students that is both responsive and proactive.

As an educational and research community, DU values curiosity, intellectual freedom, and open communication. DU respects individual differences and embraces civil discourse. DU promotes caring and close individual attention. DU is a community distinguished by inclusiveness, collaboration, responsiveness, and accountability. As such, we are committed to enhancing the diversity of our faculty and staff. The University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Position Summary

The Director of Student Success Operations plays a critical role in leading and managing institutional efforts to promote student retention and persistence to graduation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Reporting to the Assistant Vice Provost of Student Success (AVPSS), the Director provides leadership in leveraging and aligning operational systems, policies, practices, and resources to support student success across the university.

In close partnership with the AVPSS, the Director oversees two major areas contributing to the student success ecosystem at the university: 1. Student success technology systems, training, and ongoing platform adoption, and 2. Student success operations and communications. The Director is responsible for understanding and interpreting the needs of advisors and student success stakeholders across campus, and translating those needs in the development of technological solutions. The Director partners closely with technological experts on campus, particularly in IT and the Registrar’s Office, in the ongoing maintenance of the university’s current student success platform, as well as in the development and implementation of any future platforms that support student success at the university. The Director leads training efforts for faculty and staff users to ensure system adoption and optimized user experience. Additionally, the Director provides leadership in identifying, connecting, and streamlining systems, processes, and resources that support the advising and student success experiences at DU. The Director partners closely with the AVPSS and Student Success Analyst regarding student success data collection and management, analytics, and assessment. The Director is responsible for overseeing daily and strategic operations for the office of student success, including student-facing communications campaigns, elevated student case management oversight, and project management for student success programs and initiatives.

Essential Functions

Student success technology systems, training, and ongoing platform adoption

• Serve as lead trainer for faculty and staff use of student success system. In collaboration with the Director of Faculty Advising and Executive Director of Advising, lead the design and implementation of the institutional academic advisor onboarding and training efforts. Develop training materials and conduct tailored high-quality professional development training such as workshops for faculty advisors, professional advisors, administrators, and campus partners to create and sustain a robust culture of system adoption, excellent advising, and data-informed decision-making on campus.
• Regularly review best practice student success research. Share information as appropriate. Utilize research to inform recommendations.
• Serve as main point of contact for DU’s current student success system by providing support and recommendations to academic administrators and advisors campus-wide. Serve as primary liaison for external partnerships with third party advising technology provider.
• Partner closely with IT, the Registrar’s Office, academic units, and the student success team to align and maximize functional and technological rollouts of complementary system(s). Represent student success and advising perspectives and needs on committees related to development and adoption of any new technologies that impact student success.
• Collaborate closely with the Student Success Analyst to champion research- and data-informed decision-making in student success across campus. This may include collaborating on assessment of programs and initiatives and research projects leveraging the student success technology system.
• Assess technology system usage and adoption.
• Ensure system consistency, optimization of configuration, process documentation, data integrity, security, testing, and adherence to policies and procedures for current student success system. Maintain control of access rights, security settings and user permissions.
• Contribute to the holistic alignment of student success and advising technology systems on campus in the effort to create a seamless advising and student success experience for students, faculty, and staff. Understand and interpret the needs of faculty and staff advisors and translate these needs in the development of technological solutions.
• Obtain and share data from the student success system and other institutional data sources with appropriate leadership, faculty and staff to inform decision making.
• Partner with senior leaders across the institution to leverage the analytics platforms and tools available.

Student Success operations, programs, and communications

• Oversee project management for strategic, tactical, and operational academic initiatives and student success operations that directly support the student success ecosystem on campus, including the Path Forward Program.
• Working closely with the AVPSS, monitor and report on the implementation of strategic initiatives (to include development of key metrics and assessment planning).
• Cultivate partnerships with academic colleges and campus partners (including associate deans and department chairs), leading the development and implementation of strategic initiatives to support and strengthen student success and ensure equitable service to students.
• Supervise the Student Success Coordinator.
• Lead the ongoing management and intervention strategy for undergraduate elevated academic case management via the Academic Rapid Response team, in collaboration with campus-wide leadership. Design targeted and structured interventions for undergraduate students in data-informed elevated risk categories.
• Oversee implementation of student-facing communications campaigns, leveraging analytics to optimize as appropriate.
• Identify, streamline, and connect systems, processes, and resources that support the advising and student success experiences at DU. Using data-driven insights, the Director develops recommendations for system and process strategies and enhancements.
• Develop and update comprehensive process documentation to facilitate and streamline daily, quarterly, and annual system processes, and to ensure robust contingency planning.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and implement both new and ongoing initiatives. This includes collaborating with campus stakeholders in identifying additional opportunities for student outreach, and leading and coordinating the preparation of any related annual reports.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to set operational goals from strategic plans and lead direct reports in accomplishing these strategic goals and initiatives. Ability to anticipate next steps and execute independently.
• Proven interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with diverse constituents at all levels of the organization.
• A technical aptitude and understanding of predictive models and ethics of care.
• Ability to juggle a wide variety of tasks and effectively prioritize responsibilities.
• High level of initiative, attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to build strong working relationships with colleagues in varying roles across a complex organization
• Experience managing complex, concurrent projects, with the ability to identify roadblocks and work collaboratively to identify possible solutions.
• Comfortable summarizing, compiling, and interpreting student data and reports.
• Ability to work independently and function as a team member
• Ability to work with confidential material and sensitive matters with integrity, diplomacy and discretion.
• Process-oriented thinking and ability to pay careful attention to detail.
• Ability to oversee large training initiatives, provide training, and give professional feedback and guidance to staff.
• A strong interest and aptitude in student success and related data.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Required Qualifications

• Experience training professionals of varying skill levels
• Experience using a CRM system
• 5 years of experience in higher education, student support, or a related field
• Experience using analytics software, dashboards, databases, reporting tools, and/or visualization tools
• 2+ years experience in a position closely related to academic advising
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Management experience

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years experience as a professional trainer
• Experience using Civitas Learning software
• Experience working with faculty
• Master's degree in Higher Education Administration, Education, Statistics, or Psychology
• 2+ years’ experience working in a leadership role closely related to academic advising
• Experience using Salesforce
• Experience leading cross-collaborative committees
• Experience with Ellucian Banner
• Experience creating data visualizations
• Experience developing and/or implementing strategic communications plans
• Experience assessing programs and initiatives

Working Environment

Physical Activities

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

In accordance with the University’s flexible work policy, this position is eligible to be considered for partial remote work. Further details regarding this plan will be determined with the hiring manager and are dependent on the division and team specific needs.

Application Deadline

For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) May 5, 2023. Applications will continue to be evaluated as the position is open until filled.

Special Instructions

Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade Number:

The salary grade for the position is 12.

Salary Range:

The salary range for this position is $73,000-$85,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:

The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Denver prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age (40 years and over in the employment context), religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veterans status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the university's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For the university's complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please see non‑discrimination‑statement.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.