Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Student Success, Retention, and Persistence

Summary:

The Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Success, Retention, and Persistence reports to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and provides leadership, advocacy, coordination, and recommendations for academic and non-academic initiatives supporting student success and persistence at Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. The Assistant Vice President works closely with administrators and staff in Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Institutional Research Student Affairs, and other units actively engaged in research and assessment of student retention initiatives and intervention opportunities enhancing student persistence toward graduation. Units reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Student Success, Retention, and Persistence include Freshmen Academy, Associate Deans for Student Success, Tutorial Assistant Network, and Quality Enhancement Plan.Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serves as the university's chief retention officer and provides leadership to direct reports to ensure these programs and Student Success Centers are providing high-quality support to relevant student populations.

• Collaborates broadly to promote student success across all undergraduate colleges. Forge partnerships with key academic units so the office can undertake the work necessary to support student success.

• Coordinates with campus partners, and develops a five-year Student Success Plan for the university aligned with institutional goals, as well as an iterative process for initiating new strategies and tactics.

• Envisions, plans and seeks funding for future student success initiatives and programs.

• Develops resources and strategies for students across the university, including visionary initiatives that focus on the relationships among student success, persistence to graduation, and advising functions.

• Assesses activities undertaken to improve student retention, persistence, and graduation. Supports and improves successful initiatives and discontinues initiatives that are not effective.

• Oversee and assess institutional reform efforts directed toward improved student academic

• Collects and interprets data that recognizes the cultural and socio-economic differences among learners to demonstrate areas of needed support for advising and student success. Leverages performance indicator tools to analyze data success.

• Develops, refines, and enhances services and support provided to transfer students and expands academic success programming for at-risk students including first-generation and Pell students, as well as those on academic notice and/or probation.

Minimum Position Requirements (including certifications, licenses, etc.):

• The successful candidate for this position must possess a doctorate or terminal degree with at least seven years of progressively responsible administrative experience in higher education advisement, academic programming, and retention-related initiatives.  
• The capacity to lead, work, and communicate effectively with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other educational agencies and institutions is essential. 
• Demonstrated leadership abilities, including strong and effective interpersonal skills, the abilities to relate to people, to manage resources, and to delegate responsibilities and proportionate authority. 
• A comprehensive knowledge of university policies and procedures relating to the development and implementation of academic programs is required, as well as prior management of educational support programs. 
• The ability to effectively supervise others, to think creatively in resolving problems and proposing changes along to demonstrate excellence in written and oral communication.

Essential Functions:

• Serves as liaison with the Division of Student Affairs, Deans and Chairs, Accounts Payable, etc. to ensure that all aspects of the student enrollment process are efficiently implemented.
• Represents the Division of Academic Affairs with units external to the university and on internal committees/task forces related to all matters pertaining to enrollment management.