Assistant Director, Student Success & Practice Transitions Marquette University

Ourlivesmadison; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Marquette University School of Dentistry is seeking an Assistant Director, Student Success & Practice Transitions to provide strategic leadership for a comprehensive student success model from matriculation through graduation and transition to the dental profession.

The role oversees advising, academic intervention, scholarships, career development, and practice transition initiatives, collaborating with faculty, university partners, and external dental communities to foster student engagement,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field is required.
• 4 years of relevant, progressive experience.
• Knowledge of best practices for student success in an academic setting.

Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee course registration; lead and conduct comprehensive advising; oversee accommodations and tutoring programs; analyze student success initiatives for predoctoral students.
• Develop and execute planning and continuous improvement of student transition and mentoring programs (orientation, graduation activities, mentor program).
• Administer and oversee scholarship and student funding programs; lead scholarship committee and reporting.
• Develop, lead and oversee comprehensive practice transition programming to prepare students for dental profession.
• Provide guidance on employment opportunities, career planning, and professional networking for graduates.
• Provide strategic leadership for the Office of Student Success and Practice Transitions (OSSPT) including governance and planning.
• Perform other duties aligned with the School of Dentistry’s mission.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration

Job description

Posting Number: 201104861

Position Title: Assistant Director, Student Success & Practice Transitions

State: WI

Employment Status: Full Time

Position Status: Regular

Position Type: Staff

Job Family: Student Support, Advising, and Career Development

# Hours Per Week: 37.5

Department: Dental School

Posting Date: 09/15/2026

Position Overview

Be The Difference Begins with Great People.

Are you looking for a new opportunity where you can make the difference in the lives of students and faculty? We’re always looking for highly talented individuals to join our team – people who think big, care deeply, and believe in being the difference in their work and community.

We prioritize student success, access to education, and service in our work to educate well-rounded servant leaders who transform their fields, our society and the world. Our Catholic, Jesuit approach emphasizes student engagement with the world around them and formation of the heart and mind.

We believe in our mission: The search for truth, the discovery and sharing of knowledge, the fostering of personal and professional excellence, the promotion of a life of faith, and the development of leadership expressed in service to others. These core values guide our relationships with our students, each other, and our community.

Marquette University offers a rich and competitive Total Rewards package including medical, dental, vision, 403(b) with up to 8% university match, generous time off package, and tuition benefits for employees, spouses, and dependents with no payback requirement!For more information, please view our Total Rewards guide.

This is your next opportunity to join an organization that invests in their employees’ career journey by diversifying their skills, deepening their expert knowledge, encouraging a healthy work-life balance, focusing on personal wellbeing, providing leadership training, and sustaining a culture of respect and inclusion.

This role provides strategic leadership for a comprehensive student success model that supports predoctoral students throughout the student lifecycle, from matriculation through graduation and successful transition into the dental profession. The position provides executive oversight for the development, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of programs, services, and initiatives that promote academic achievement, student well‑being, professional development, career readiness, retention, and degree completion.

The Assistant Director, Student Success & Practice Transitions serves as the School of Dentistry’s central resource for student success, providing leadership and oversight for advising, academic intervention, orientation and graduation programming, accommodations and accessibility services, mentoring, student organizations, academic support services, scholarships, career development, and practice transition initiatives. Through collaboration with faculty, administrators, university partners, and student leaders, the individual in this role develops and implements strategies that foster student engagement, belonging, resilience, and academic and professional success while ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and accreditation standards.

The role also serves as the School of Dentistry’s primary liaison to dental practices, professional organizations, community partners, and industry leaders, cultivating strategic partnerships that expand experiential learning, residency, employment, associateship, and practice ownership opportunities for students and graduates. Using assessment, data-informed decision‑making, this role evaluates program effectiveness, guides strategic planning for the OSSPT, and advances initiatives that strengthen student outcomes and support the School of Dentistry’s mission.

Through visionary leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and innovative programming, this role cultivates meaningful connections among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the dental profession, fostering a culture of educational excellence, professional engagement, and student success.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Direct and oversee course registration; lead, develop and conduct comprehensive advising; oversee, guide, and facilitate student accommodations and the peer tutoring program; and develop, guide, and analyze student success initiatives for predoctoral students.
   • Monitor and analyze academic progress, provide guidance on educational and professional development, lead and coordinate intervention strategies for students in need of support, and connect students with appropriate resources to promote well‑being, retention, academic achievement, and timely degree completion.
   • Lead and manage the predoctoral student registration process. Coordinate registration activities, monitor enrollment status, ensure compliance with institutional and accreditation requirements, and collaborate with academic departments to support student progression and course scheduling needs. Lead a continual auditing process to ensure accuracy in course registration and degree completion.
   • Drive and shape academic support services for students, including the coordination of accommodations, exam proctoring, peer tutoring, and simulation laboratory tutoring programs. Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate tutors, proctors, and other student support personnel; coordinate assignments; monitor program effectiveness; and ensure the delivery of high‑quality academic support resources that promote student success.
   • Collaborate with School of Dentistry and University stakeholder to coordinate student support services and promote student success. Maintain strong partnerships with offices including Admissions, Financial Aid, Counseling Services, Disability Services, Belonging and Inclusion, Academic Affairs, and Student Affairs to address student needs and facilitate referrals when appropriate.
2. Develop and execute the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of comprehensive student transition and mentoring programs, including predoctoral student orientation, predoctoral graduation activities, and the mentor program that is led collaboratively with the Wisconsin Dental Association and Pierre Fauchard Academy.
   • Direct and collaborate with faculty, staff, student leaders, and university and community partners to facilitate a successful transition into dental school, foster student engagement, belonging, and academic preparedness, and lead and coordinate meaningful mentorship, commencement and recognition experiences that celebrate student achievement and support the transition into the dental profession.
3. Administer and oversee scholarship and student funding programs.
   • Lead and direct the scholarship committee in the review, evaluation, and selection of scholarship recipients, ensuring compliance with donor intent, institutional policies, financial aid regulations, and available funding resources.
   • Create and maintain scholarship reporting, tracking and analysis.
4. Develop, lead and oversee comprehensive practice transition programming designed to prepare students and residents for successful entry into the dental profession. Provide guidance on employment negotiations, contracts, practice acquisition, financial management, professional networking, licensure requirements, and career planning.
   • Develop and oversee systems for communicating employment opportunities and career resources through presentations, events, digital platforms, and targeted communications that connect students and residents with professional opportunities.
   • Serve as the primary liaison between the School of Dentistry and the dental profession regarding career development and practice transition opportunities.
   • Cultivate and maintain relationships with dental practices, community organizations, alumni, professional associations, and industry partners seeking to recruit graduates.
5. Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the Office of Student Success and Practice Transitions (OSSPT).
   • Direct all operational and administrative functions ofOSSPT, including resource allocation, assessment initiatives, policy development, and strategic planning to support student success and professional development goals.
6. Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of the mission, vision, and strategic goals of the Marquette University School of Dentistry.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field required. 4 years of relevant, progressive experience. Knowledge of best practices for student success in an academic setting.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Preference given to those with Master’s degrees preferably in Higher Education Administration.

Prior experience in Student Affairs.

Strong leadership, communication, organization, and interpersonal skills.

Knowledge of the dental profession.

EOE Statement

It is the policy of Marquette University to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other applicable federal or state‑protected classification.

Required Documents

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter/Letter of Application