Position Information

Job Title Student Success Advocate

Job Description

The Student Success Advocate ( SSA ) provides SCC students with direct educational guidance and support services through a Guided Pathways conceptual framework in the Health Programs. Guidance and support includes one-on-one meetings, workshops, proactive career and academic goal identification, collaborative course and program advice, personal and social resource and referral assistance, academic support and other services or resources that empower students to progress toward and achieve their individual goals. A case-management approach is used to assign students to a respective SSA who works with them throughout their entire educational experience. SSA’s will be cross-trained with other Student Affairs staff as well as program-specific faculty to ensure they have the training and skills necessary to provide comprehensive academic guidance, cross-functional services and back-up support when necessary.

This position is a full-time position (261 work days per year). The starting salary is $43,888.00 per year.

Benefits include medical, dental & vision insurance, $50,000 life insurance, long-term disability, paid sick leave, paid discretionary leave, 15 days vacation, paid spring and holiday breaks and participation in IPERS or TIAA - CREF retirement plan.

The Student Success Advocate will be assigned to the West Burlington campus but must have the ability and mobility to communicate with and visit other areas throughout the college district as needed. Must be able to work on a basis of “available as work demands” in addition to a fixed schedule, which may include evenings and weekends.

The Student Success Advocate will abide by the employment contract and relevant policies and guidelines of the Board of Trustees.

Essential Duties Summary

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Learn and embrace the comprehensive community college philosophy and related Iowa Code.

• Learn, apply, and role-model all SCC policies and procedures, including but not limited to the strategic goals and expectations of accountability within the Student Affairs Division.

• Work with GPS2 Activity Director (AD), Program Coordinator (PC), Director of Student Support, Retention, and PACE Programs ( DSSRPP ) and Guided Pathways Steering Team to implement overarching Guided Pathways framework into existing college operations.

• Manage individual student advisee caseload of Health Programs to ensure: three (3) or more advocacy appointments per term and an individual Guided Pathway plan developed for each advisee.

• Provide holistic, intrusive, and intensive advising and support interventions per the Guided Pathways framework.

• Assist AD with the development of related GP materials, documents, and resources for use with individual students.

• Collaborate and assist Admissions staff in transitioning students from the recruitment funnel into their designated guided pathway.\

• Document time and effort toward grant objectives through regular reporting.

• Embrace and support constructive change/ work efficiently and effectively to improve student-centered services, processes, and related college operations.

• Contribute toward building a positive team working environment within Student Affairs; treat others with respect and compassion as a representative of SCC .

• Apply ethical standards to work situations; make work decisions in accordance with SCC’s values and goals; show respect and sensitivity for cultural differences and promote a harassment-free environment.

• Keep student records/communication notes, work schedule/calendar appointments, and other reporting documents up-to-date.

• Provide comprehensive educational guidance, registration and retention services including but not limited to:

o assistance with career and skill exploration/re-direction;

o developing personal and educational goals;

o creating and monitoring individualized academic plans (pathways);

o providing guidance in applying for and navigating financial aid/scholarships;

o assistance in understanding placement standards, course scheduling options, co- and pre-requisites, degree requirements, course content and instructional expectations;

o support in seeking transfer and articulation information;

o informing students about College policies, processes, and procedures relevant to a successful educational experience, as well as possible consequences of alternate academic and personal decisions;

o process student registrations, course schedule changes, adds/drops/overloads, and degree audits on the administrative student registration system; and,

o facilitate proactive interventions with students at risk of non-progression (i.e. FA warning/probation/dismissals, D & F lists, academically underprepared and at-risk, DOD alerts, personal-social-economic challenges, etc.).

o assist in Health Program acceptance process (i.e. tracking of those students qualified to enter health program of interest, process acceptance letters, manage waitlists of health programs, etc.)

• Maintain current operational knowledge of all degree and certificate programs, all online course offerings, policies and procedures of the ICCOC , transfer policies and program requirements at SCC .

• Support and assist with admissions activities to support smooth transitioning for students accepted to SCC such as registration appointments, visit and orientation events, presentations and tours, group placement testing/visit events, and other enrollment strategies to matriculate students through the enrollment funnel.

• Develop and maintain a bank of student support referral options throughout the College’s primary service area that can serve specific student needs as appropriate (i.e. child care, transportation, housing, food assistance, mental/physical/social/spiritual health, domestic issues, employment, etc.).

• Develop familiarity and competency with various learning-success/retention-focused programs, applications, and technologies used by SCC .

• Assist students in learning how to effectively navigate technological resources including but not limited to: HawkNet, WebAdvisor, Student Self-Serve, CANVAS , etc.

• Collaborate with Student Affairs colleagues and other college departments (i.e. Academic Achievement Center, Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, Library, etc.) to develop and deliver various student-success focused workshops on topics such as, but not limited to: note-taking, study skills, test anxiety, time and financial management, and career exploration.

• Document student interactions accurately and timely in appropriate SCC tracking systems as designated.

• Provide referrals to specialized services inside and outside the college such as: Academic Achievement Center, Disability Services, TRIO & PACE , DHS , Community Health Center, Mental Health Associates, Domestic Violence Shelter, etc.

• Participate as an active member of the CARE team and other college committees as assigned.

• Attain and maintain certification in the following programs including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Mandatory Reporter, Life Coaching, Campus Safety Authority ( CSA ), etc.

• Assist with recruiting, training and monitoring student peer advisors.

• Assist with development and facilitation of college-wide New Student Experience ( NSE ) program.

• Assist with organization, facilitation, and promotion of SCC’s Early Alert Retention System ( EARS ) tools and processes (i.e. Drop Out Detective [ DOD ], CARE Team, MAXIENT ).

• Keep the Director informed on all pertinent material relating to operational responsibilities.

• Perform other duties as assigned and coordinated by the DSSRPP and the Vice President Student Affairs.

Specific Caseload Responsibilities:

SCC operates with a team of Student Success Advocates all of whom have the same general responsibilities listed above, and each with the assignment of a designated group of individual students as their caseload.

• Generally, students will be assigned to an SSA based on their chosen academic program (Pathway), and the SSA will serve as their primary point of contact and guidance for the duration of their experience at SCC within that Pathway.

• SSA’s will develop a close working relationship with the faculty dedicated to the respective discipline(s) of the students assigned to them.

• The optimum caseload per advocate will range from 150 – 250 students on average; however, some caseloads may be higher or lower than this range due to the size of particular academic programs.

• Some SSA’s may have multiple disciplines represented across their caseload, as well as students that may be assigned based on type/characteristic such as High School-Concurrently Enrolled, Veterans’, Student Athletes, Online-only, etc.

• This position will primarily work with students accepted into the Health Programs.

  Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required (emphasis in Student Affairs/Development, Higher Education, Psychology, Social Work, or related area preferred); Master’s Degree preferred.

• Minimum 3 years work experience in college student development/affairs setting preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to interpret assessment information & apply to individual academic and career plan.

• Superior customer service skills, including: patience, compassion, humility, and a positive attitude required.

• Successful experience assisting college students with personal, social, economic, and/or academic challenges preferred.

• Knowledge of, and experience with, addressing specific needs of underserved and unprepared populations is preferred.

• Effective problem identification and resolution skills are required; crisis-management experience is preferred.

• Well-developed abilities with prioritization, time-management, sound judgment, timely follow-up, and follow-through are essential.

• Strong presentation, facilitation, written, verbal, listening, and interpersonal communication skills to help inspire, engage, support, and challenge students.

• Honesty, strong work ethic, character, personal integrity, commitment to providing professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality are required.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, social media, and ability to learn and develop competency in student databases, SCC’s administrative software (Ellucian), and various learning-success/retention-focused programs, applications, and technologies.

• Strong analytical, evaluative, and organizational skills, with demonstrated ability to plan, implement, and manage multiple tasks.

• Ability to establish a welcoming and trusting environment where individual students will find comfort sharing their goals, thoughts, aspirations, experiences, challenges, and concerns.

• Collaboration with other team members will be critically important.

• Flexibility to work evening hours and occasional weekends required.

• Valid driver’s license.

  Preferred Qualifications

  Physical Demands

The Student Success Advocate must have the ability and mobility to coordinate and deliver services to both campuses and centers in respect to specific caseload assignment; travel to other areas within the state, nationally, regionally, and throughout the college district required. Must be able to work on a basis of “available as work demands” in addition to a fixed schedule, which will include evenings and weekends.

EEO Statement Summary

It is the policy of Southeastern Community College not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, employment, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual or potential parental, family or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code §§ 216.6 and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 – 1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.).

Individuals having questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy should contact Title IX / Equity Coordinator, Southeastern Community College, 1500 W. Agency Road, West Burlington, IA 52655, email equity@scciowa.edu, phone number 319/208-5101, fax 319/208-5005 or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, , John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-7204, Telephone: (312) 730-1560 Facsimile: (312) 730-1576, TDD 800-877-8339 Email: OCR .Chicago@ed.gov (OCR.Chicago@ed.gov)

Posting Detail Information

Posting Number AS362P

Open Date 12/03/2024

Close Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please answer the screening questions and make sure and upload your resume, cover letter and transcripts in order to be considered for the position. Thank you,

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• • How did you hear about this employment opportunity?

(Open Ended Question)

• • Please explain why you are interested in this position and discuss at least 3 qualities that you believe you will bring to this role.

(Open Ended Question)

• • In your own words, what is the difference between Guided Pathways and Academic Advising?

(Open Ended Question)

• • Discuss the pros and cons of the terms “enable” and “empower” as they relate to serving students at SCC.

(Open Ended Question)

Documents Needed To Apply

Required Documents

• Resume

• Cover Letter

  Optional Documents

• Transcript #1

• Letter of Recommendation

• Curriculum Vitae

• Transcript #2

• Transcript #3

• Transcript #4

SCC Human Resources Office

(319) 208-5063

lhempen@scciowa.edu