Student Success Leader & Retention Strategist

George Mason University; Fairfax (VA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

George Mason University seeks an Assistant Dean for Student Success in Fairfax, VA. This role provides strategic leadership for retention, academic achievement, progression, and timely degree completion, overseeing advising, orientation, case management, and appeals processes.

The position reports to the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs and collaborates with faculty, staff, APCs and university offices to implement policies and drive continuous improvement in student outcomes.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in related field from an accredited institution or equivalent
• Typically, five years of experience in higher education administration, academic advising, student success or related areas
• Experience managing complex student issues and resolving conflicts
• Knowledge of academic advising models, retention strategies and data-informed decision-making
• Strong leadership and supervisory skills
• Excellent interpersonal, collaboration and relationship-building skills
• Data analysis and problem-solving abilities
• Strategic planning and project management capabilities
• Ability to work with policy interpretation and confidentiality in sensitive matters
• Experience with data visualization tools like Power BI or Tableau

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for student success programs and services
• Develop and implement retention and progression strategies
• Lead continuous improvement efforts to enhance student experience
• Ensure alignment with college and university priorities
• Oversee data collection and analysis of student success metrics
• Monitor program effectiveness and report outcomes to leadership
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to apply policies and support processes
• Support SAA events and student-facing activities

Education

Master's degree in related field

Doctoral degree in Higher Education or related field

Leadership and supervisory skills

Data analysis and problem-solving skills

Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills

Verbal and written communication skills

Strategic planning and project management

Conflict resolution and case management

Tools

Power BI

Power BI, Tableau or similar analytics tools

Job description

George Mason University seeks an Assistant Dean for Student Success in Fairfax, VA. This role provides strategic leadership for retention, academic achievement, progression, and timely degree completion, overseeing advising, orientation, case management, and appeals processes.

The position reports to the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs and collaborates with faculty, staff, APCs and university offices to implement policies and drive continuous improvement in student outcomes.