Assistant Director of Student Success and Academic Advising

Rice University; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 52,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Rice University in Houston seeks an assistant director of academic success to design, develop, and coordinate student services programs. The role requires advising, policy interpretation, and collaboration with staff, faculty, and committees to promote graduate student success.

The ideal candidate will have strong communication, diplomacy, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple meetings and projects, often on a tight schedule, while maintaining campus presence five days

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree is required.
• Two or more years of professional experience.
• Experience with enterprise student systems such as Banner, DegreeWorks and EAB Navigate preferred.

Responsibilities

• Administers an area or program in student services and evaluates eligibility.
• Counsels students and parents on sensitive issues and policies.
• Develops outreach plans and represents the department at meetings and events.

Skills

Communication skills

Diplomacy

Problem solving

Time management

Organizational skills

MS Office

Data analysis

Teamwork

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduate degree

Tools

Banner

DegreeWorks

EAB Navigate

Job description

Job Description

Under general supervision the assistant director, academic success, provides technical advice, problem ‐ solving assistance, answers to questions regarding program goals, and policy interpretation. The assistant director will design, develop, and coordinate projects. This position will also participate in committees and task forces involving student success and academic advising. Ideal candidates should have extensive skills and experience in academic advising, student support, and the approach utilized in a rigorous academic program to ensure student success and positive learning and experiential outcomes.

Ideal Candidate Statement

The ideal candidate for this role is enthusiastic about supporting graduate students and enjoys interacting with students, staff, and faculty. They thoughtfully exercise diplomacy, discretion, and judgment in engaging stakeholders. They thrive working both independently and as a member of a team, taking initiative to improve processes and work collaboratively across teams. They also should have excellent time management and organization skills, be proactive, detail‑oriented, and service focused.

Workplace Requirements

Rice Business primarily delivers residential classes and activities taking place almost daily between 7 am and 10 pm. We value a highly collaborative and community-based culture, with expectations to provide in‑person support and services to all members of our community. Remote work options are limited. Most employment activities are required to be performed in‑person and on‑campus. This in‑person approach is central to the successful achievement of our research and academic missions. This role requires on‑campus presence five days per week, and will require some evenings and weekends. After the probation period has concluded, 1 day of remote work/week may be offered, depending on the timing in the academic year.

• Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

Annual Hiring Range

$58,000, with hiring salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

• Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• Two or more (2+) years of professional experience
• In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted

Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to exercise diplomacy and foster rapport with stakeholders
• Advanced problem‑solving skills
• Ability to manage a high volume of student meetings, email traffic, and projects
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Strong data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Adept at problem‑solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary
• Strong client service orientation and attention to detail

Preferences

• Experience working in an institution of higher education advising or student support function
• Ability to utilize or quickly learn enterprise student systems (current examples include Banner, DegreeWorks and EAB Navigate)
• Graduate degree

Essential Functions

• Administers an area or program in student services, evaluates and recommends decisions on program eligibility
• Reviews decisions recommended by other staff
• Collaborates with others to help resolve program issues and concerns, interprets policies, and mediates complex and sensitive issues
• Resolves multi‑dimensional matters in response to students in crisis, at risk, or who have other program issues, counsels students and parents on sensitive and confidential issues
• Reconciles complex issues; analyzes diverse transactions from multiple sources
• Summarizes data from multiple sources, prepares management reports and presentations.
• Develops and implements plans for outreach efforts, develops and maintains external community and represents the department and university at meetings and events
• Provides advice to students on a range of issues, including, but not limited to, academic progress, academic program policies, career plans, accessibility, community standards, etc., in order to assist them in making appropriate choices and decisions
• Informs students of research, fellowship and scholarship opportunities, makes recommendations and may award grants
• Serves as a subject matter expert to other departments; represents the unit or department
• Serves as a key member of university wide teams or projects
• May oversee, analyze and assist in financial processes and development of budgets
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions / Information

• Manages student success tracking processes for students who may not be meeting academic standards (GPA, performance, or satisfactory progress toward degree)
• Takes ownership of integration of multiple tools, on behalf of the department and school, including academic advising CRM system (e.g., EAB NAVIGATE)
• Coordinates communications with students regarding course selection, choices for elective courses, resources to aid in academic success, and degree completion

Rice University HR | Benefits

https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at [e-mail] for support. If you have any additional questions, please email us at [e-mail] . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.