Director of Advising & First-Year Success

HOOD COLLEGE; Frederick (MD); On-site; USD 49,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Hood College seeks a Director of Advising and First-Year Support to lead undergraduate academic advising and coordinate a holistic support model for first-year students. This grant-funded, temporary role reports to the Dean of Student Success and drives strategies to improve retention and student progression.

The Director collaborates with faculty, staff, and campus partners to align advising with academic planning, personal development, and career goals, ensuring an integrated student

Qualifications

• Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, education, academic advising, or a related field.
• Professional experience in academic advising, student success, first-year programs, retention, student affairs, or a related higher-education setting.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with undergraduate students.
• Knowledge of academic advising practices, student development theory, first-year transition, and student-success strategies.
• Experience using student information, advising, early-alert, or student-success management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to use student data to inform outreach, interventions, and program improvements.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, administrators, students, and campus partners.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, student-centered environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for Hood College's undergraduate academic advising program.
• Coordinate advising for incoming first-year students, including summer advising and registration.
• Develop and facilitate advisor training, professional development, advising manuals, tools, and resources.
• Advise a cohort of first-year students.
• Collaborate with academic departments and faculty advisors to promote consistency and quality in advising.
• Support advisors and work closely with the registrar's office in interpreting academic policies, degree requirements, registration processes, and student-success procedures.
• Promote advising practices that integrate academic planning with students' personal, professional, and career goals.

Skills

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Written communication

Oral communication

Advising knowledge

Collaboration

Time management

Education

Master's degree

Tools

MS Office

Student information systems

Job description

Hood College seeks a Director of Advising and First-Year Support to lead undergraduate academic advising and coordinate a holistic support model for first-year students. This grant-funded, temporary role reports to the Dean of Student Success and drives strategies to improve retention and student progression.

The Director collaborates with faculty, staff, and campus partners to align advising with academic planning, personal development, and career goals, ensuring an integrated student