Director of New Student Advising and Testing

Suffolk County Community College; Selden (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Suffolk County Community College is seeking a Director of New Student Advising and Testing to lead onboarding, advising, and testing across the Ammerman Campus in Selden, NY. This 12-month, full-time role focuses on maximizing student yield, enrollment, and persistence.

The Director will oversee staffing, process design, professional development, and data-informed strategies to improve student success and retention, working with multiple college offices and vendors as needed.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in Counseling, Higher Education or related field.
• Minimum two years of experience in higher education.
• One year of supervisory experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily operations of new student advising, placement testing, and First Stop/Welcome Center services.
• Develop and assess in-person and virtual advising processes; monitor service delivery and staff engagement.
• Schedule counselors to ensure appropriate staffing and continuity of support.
• Supervise and evaluate office staff and adjunct counselors; inform reappointment decisions.
• Coordinate with the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs to maximize shared resources.
• Design and deliver ongoing professional development for counselors; maintain advising materials.
• Lead initiatives to improve advising, testing, onboarding and enrollment services.
• Use data analytics to evaluate advisement effectiveness and target interventions.
• Set annual goals, oversee assessments, and prepare reports aligned with enrollment objectives.
• Oversee data integrity across advising and testing systems (e.g., SLATE and SARS).
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs, Admissions, Financial Aid, and the Registrar on scheduling and communications.
• Develop automated, personalized communications guiding students through enrollment milestones.
• Provide administrative oversight for Counseling Center and Advising/Mentoring Center in absence of Dean.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Experience in higher education

Data analytics

Education

Master’s Degree in Counseling, Higher Education or related field

Tools

Slate

Banner

Job description

TITLE: Director of New Student Advising and Testing

CAMPUS: Ammerman Campus in Selden

START DATE: ASAP

TYPE OF APPOINTMENT: Full Time

RANK: Guild

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Suffolk County Community College is the largest community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, enrolling more than 26,000 students at its three campuses in Selden, Brentwood, and Riverhead, as well as its Culinary Arts Center in Riverhead. Established in 1959, the college offers a wide array of transfer-oriented associate degrees in the liberal arts and sciences; business; communications and the arts; computing and cybersecurity; health sciences; and many other areas. Career-facing degrees and certificates are offered in allied health professions, automotive technology, culinary and baking, manufacturing, and many other areas. The college provides high school concurrent enrollment opportunities to thousands of students each year through Suffolk’s Beacon program and on-campus early college classes. Designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic Serving Institution, Suffolk enrolls thousands of students in English Language Learning courses, and also serves more veterans and military-connected students than any other college in the SUNY system.

SUNY Suffolk is searching for a full-time (12-month), Director of New Student Advising and Testing, beginning immediately on the Ammerman Campus in Selden, NY. Suffolk County Community College is an open admissions institution committed to serving a diverse student population in a variety of degree and career programs.

The Director will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for new student advising, placement testing, and First Stop/Welcome Center services. Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive onboarding and advisement strategy designed to maximize student yield, support enrollment and persistence, and promote overall student success. Ensure a coordinated, student-centered approach to onboarding through effective advising, communication, and enrollment support services.

This is a Guild (Unit 4) position, and, as such, the salary and benefits for this position are determined according to the salary and benefits plan for the Guild of Administrative Officers.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the daily operations of new student advising, placement testing, and First Stop/Welcome Center services.
• Develop, implement, and assess efficient in-person and virtual advising processes; monitor service delivery, responsiveness, and staff engagement.
• Manage scheduling for full-time and adjunct counselors to ensure appropriate staffing coverage and continuity of student support services.
• Supervise, train, and evaluate office staff, including adjunct counselors; conduct observations and performance evaluations to inform reappointment and promotion recommendations.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs to maximize shared resources and coordinate services supporting both new and continuing students.
• Design and deliver ongoing professional development and training for full-time and adjunct counselors; maintain and disseminate advising materials and resources.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance advising, testing, onboarding, and enrollment services with a focus on student retention and success.
• Utilize data analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of advisement and onboarding strategies; identify trends and implement targeted interventions for student populations demonstrating lower yield or engagement.
• Establish annual goals, oversee assessment activities, and prepare reports aligned with institutional priorities and enrollment objectives.
• Oversee data integrity and workflow management across advising and testing systems, including SLATE and SARS; ensure the effective use of communication technologies to support student outreach and engagement.
• Serve as administrator for placement testing operations; ensure compliance with vendor requirements and oversee test administration, staff training, and related processes.
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs, Admissions, Financial Aid, and the Registrar to support master scheduling, placement processes, automated communications, and coordinated enrollment initiatives across enrollment cycles.
• Develop and implement automated and personalized communication workflows, including email, text, and campaign outreach, to guide students through key enrollment milestones.
• Provide administrative oversight for the Counseling Center and Academic Advisement/Mentoring Center in the absence of the Assistant Dean of Students.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s Degree in Counseling, Higher Education or related field.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience in higher education.
• One (1) year of supervisory experience.

Preferred

• Prior experience in a community college
• Familiarity with systems such as Slate, Banner, or similar platforms.

HIRING SALARY

This is a Guild (Unit 4) position, and, as such, the salary and benefits for this position are determined according to the salary and benefits plan for the Guild of Administrative Officers.

NON-DISCRIMINATION NOTICE

Suffolk County Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, equal pay compensation-sex, national origin, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction or disability in its admissions, programs and activities, or employment. This applies to all employees, students, applicants or other members of the College community (including, but not limited to, vendors and visitors). Grievance procedures are available to interested persons by contacting either of the Civil Rights Compliance Officers/Coordinators listed below. Retaliation against a person who files a complaint, serves as a witness, or assists or participates in the investigation of a complaint in any manner is strictly prohibited.

The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the College's non-discrimination polices:

Civil Rights Compliance Officers

Christina Vargas
Chief Diversity Officer/Title IX Coordinator
Ammerman Campus, NFL Bldg., Suite 230
533 College Road, Selden, New York 11784-2899
[e-mail]
[phone]

or

Dionne Walker-Belgrave
Affirmative Action Officer/Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Ammerman Campus, NFL Bldg., Suite 230
533 College Road, Selden, New York 11784-2899
[e-mail]
[phone]

In an emergency, contact Public Safety to make a report 24 hours a day/7 days a week by calling [phone] or dialing 311 from any College phone.

Inquiries or complaints concerning alleged civil rights violations in the College’s education admissions, programs and activities may also be directed to:

Office for Civil Rights (OCR) – Enforcement Office
U.S. Department of Education
32 Old Slip, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10005-2500
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
TDD: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Also see: https://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm

Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination in employment practices may also be directed to:

NYS Division of Human Rights
Long Island (Suffolk)
New York State Office Building
250 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 2B-49
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Telephone: [phone]
TDD: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Also see: https://dhr.ny.gov/how-file-complaint

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
New York District Office
33 Whitehall Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
TTY: [phone]
ASL Video Phone: [phone]
Also see: https://www.eeoc.gov/field/newyork/charge.cfm

Suffolk County Community College is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal opportunity and non-discrimination in employment, education, access to services, programs, and activities, including career and technical education opportunities.

A copy of the postsecondary career and technical education courses offered by the College is available and may be obtained on our website at: www.sunysuffolk.edu/explore-academics/college-catalog or by calling the Office of Admissions at 631-451-4000 to request a mailing.