Retention Advisor

Coastal Alabama Community College; Bay Minette (AL); On-site; USD 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Coastal Alabama Community College is seeking a Retention Advisor dedicated to helping students overcome challenges and stay on track toward completing their education. The role emphasizes proactive outreach, personalized support, and data-informed decision making to improve retention and outcomes across the college.

Working with faculty and student services, you will identify at-risk students, conduct regular follow-ups, and guide them to resources.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 1-3 years of experience in advising, counseling, student services, admissions, retention, or related higher education field.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple student cases simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and student information systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive outreach to students identified as academically, financially, or personally at risk.
• Conduct regular follow-up meetings, phone calls, text messages, emails, and virtual appointments.
• Utilize intrusive advising techniques to encourage continued enrollment and completion.
• Document all student interactions within the institution's CRM (Target X).
• Monitor early alert reports, attendance concerns, and faculty referrals using Dropout Detective.
• Review midterm grades and academic progress.
• Assist students with academic recovery strategies.
• Support students placed on Academic Warning, Probation, or SAP Warning.
• Encourage utilization of tutoring, learning labs, and academic support services.
• Contact students who Stop attending classes, Withdraw, Fail to register, Miss financial aid requirements, Have registration holds, Have unpaid balances.
• Assist students with re-enrollment processes.
• Work closely with Admissions and Advising to facilitate seamless registration.
• Utilize student success software (e.g., Dropout Detective, EAB Navigate, TargetX, CRM systems) to identify at-risk students.
• Maintain accurate records of outreach and interventions.
• Prepare reports on retention activities and student outcomes.
• Analyze trends and recommend strategies to improve persistence.
• Handle sensitive information in a confidential manner.
• Maintain a highly professional attitude and demeanor at all times.
• Provide leadership on campus and within the College.
• Communicate positively and professionally in all aspects of the position.
• Attend all employee meetings, College meetings, and professional development activities.
• Become thoroughly familiar with all pertinent state and national policies and comply with said policies.
• Serve on and provide information to college committees as needed.
• Comply with ACCS and College policies, as well as state and federal laws.
• Ensure the positive promotion of the College and integration of all campuses within the College.
• Be prompt and punctual in reporting for work, meetings, and office hours.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution

1-3 years of experience in advising, counseling, student services, admissions, retention, or related higher education field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Student information systems

Job description

The Retention Advisor plays a key role in helping students overcome challenges, stay on track, and achieve their educational goals. This position is ideal for a motivated, innovative, and student-centered professional who enjoys problem-solving and making a meaningful impact on student success. Through proactive outreach, personalized support, and strategic use of student success data, the Retention Advisor informs the team on strategies, trends and connects at-risk students with the resources and guidance they need to succeed. Working collaboratively with faculty, academic advisors, and student services team, this individual helps develop creative solutions, strengthen student engagement, and improve retention and completion outcomes across the College.

Appropriate placement on the Alabama Community College System salary schedule.

C3-3.

For more information about salary schedules, refer to https://www.coastalalabama.edu/human-resources/.

For any questions or additional information, please contact the Human Resources Department at [e-mail].

At a minimum, the essential functions of this position shall include:

Student Success and Retention

1. Provide proactive outreach to students identified as academically, financially, or personally at risk.
2. Conduct regular follow-up meetings, phone calls, text messages, emails, and virtual appointments.
3. Utilize intrusive advising techniques to encourage continued enrollment and completion.
4. Document all student interactions within the institution's CRM (Target X).

Academic Monitoring

1. Monitor early alert reports, attendance concerns, and faculty referrals using Dropout Detective.
2. Review midterm grades and academic progress.
3. Assist students with academic recovery strategies.
4. Support students placed on Academic Warning, Probation, or SAP Warning.
5. Encourage utilization of tutoring, learning labs, and academic support services.

Enrollment Persistence

1. Contact students who:
   • Stop attending classes
   • Withdraw
   • Fail to register
   • Miss financial aid requirements
   • Have registration holds
   • Have unpaid balances
2. Assist students with re-enrollment processes.
3. Work closely with Admissions and Advising to facilitate seamless registration.

Data Management and Reporting

1. Utilize student success software (e.g., Dropout Detective, EAB Navigate, TargetX, CRM systems) to identify at-risk students.
2. Maintain accurate records of outreach and interventions.
3. Prepare reports on retention activities and student outcomes.
4. Analyze trends and recommend strategies to improve persistence.

All positions at Coastal Alabama have the job responsibilities below:

1. Handles sensitive information in a confidential manner.
2. Maintains a highly professional attitude and demeanor at all times.
3. Provides responsible, appropriate, and satisfactory leadership on campus and within the College.
4. Communicates positively and professionally in all aspects of the position.
5. Attends all employee meetings, College meetings, and professional development activities.
6. Becom\"es thoroughly familiar with all pertinent state and national policies and comply with said policies.
7. Serv\"es on and provide information to college committees as needed.
8. Complies with ACCS and College policies, as well as state and federal laws.
9. Ensur\"es the positive promotion of the College and integration of all campuses within the College.
10. Is prompt and punctual in reporting for work, meetings, and office hours.
11. Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
2. One (1) to three (3) years of experience in advising, counseling, student services, admissions, retention, or related higher education field.
3. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
4. Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities.
5. Ability to manage multiple student cases simultaneously.
6. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and student information systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Knowledge of student development theory and retention strategies.
2. Strong advising and coaching skills.
3. Excellent customer service orientation.
4. Ability to build rapport with diverse student populations.
5. Ability to interpret academic records and institutional policies.
6. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
7. Ability to maintain confidentiality under FERPA.
8. Strong organizational, analytical, and time management skills.
9. Ability to work independently while collaborating across departments.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Coastal Alabama Community College is an equal opportunity employer.?It is the policy of the Alabama Community College System, including all postsecondary community and technical colleges under the control of the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees, that no employee or applicant for employment or promotion, shall be discriminated against on the basis of any impermissible criterion or characteristic including, without limitation, race, color, national origin, religion, marital status, disability, sex, age,or any other protected class as defined by federal and state law.

Coastal Alabama Community College is also an equal opportunity educator. It is the policy of the College that no student or other person because of age or race/color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or the like shall be excluded or limited from participation in or be denied the benefits of any college program or activity.

It is College policy to provideequal opportunity for employment and advancement to all applicants and employees as required by appropriate federal and state law.

Coastal Alabama Community College will make reasonable accommodations for qualified disabled applicants or employees. Applicants in need of an accommodation(s), should contact the Human Resources Office prior to the interview.

Coastal Alabama Community College reserves the right to withdraw this job announcement at any time prior to the awarding. The College reserves the right to fill the position within one year of the statedanticipatedstarting date or not to fill the position due to budgetary or operational considerations.?Further, the College reserves the right to fill more than one position in the same job classification should another vacancy occur during the search process.

Coastal Alabama Community College is a multi-campusorganizationand employees of the College may be assigned to work at any of the College worksites, may berequiredto travel among various work sites for both day, evening, and weekend responsibilities, and must provide their own mode of transportation.

Coastal Alabama Community College is an active participant in the Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-verify).E-verifyelectronically confirms an employee's eligibility to work in the United States as required by the Department of Homeland Security.

In accordance withAlabama Community College System policy and procedures, the applicant chosen for employment will berequiredto sign a consent form for a criminal background check.Employment will be contingent upon the receipt of a clearance notification from the criminal background check.

Applicants must adhere to the College's prescribed interview schedule and must travel at their own expense.