Student Success Navigator

Iowa Western Community College (IA); Council Bluffs (IA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, IA is seeking a Student Success Navigator to support persistence, retention, and completion through proactive outreach and individualized case management. You will use the College’s Early Alert System and other success technologies to identify at-risk students, especially online learners, and coordinate interventions with faculty and student services.

You will collaborate with the Coordinator of Academic Support and other staff to connect

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Experience with grant administration preferred.
• Experience with student support services is a plus.
• Ability to manage confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a central point of contact for students seeking assistance with academic and non-academic challenges.
• Monitor referrals from the College's Early Alert System and other student success technologies.
• Identify students with risk indicators and conduct proactive outreach via phone, email, text, virtual meetings, and in person.
• Develop timely intervention plans to address barriers to student success.
• Provide individualized case management from identification through resolution of concerns.
• Maintain an active caseload and conduct regular follow-up meetings to assess progress.
• Document interactions, outcomes, and interventions in designated student success systems.
• Connect students with campus and community resources (advising, tutoring, accessibility, financial aid, counseling, career services, basic needs).
• Assist with grant reporting and tracking of outcome data; contribute to assessment activities.

Skills

Grant administration

Project management

Communication skills

Customer service

Confidentiality

Team collaboration

Data-informed decision making

Multi-tasking

Networking with campus resources

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Student Success Navigator is a grant‑funded position that supports student persistence, retention, and completion through proactive outreach, individualized case management, and coordinated intervention efforts. Using data from the College's Early Alert System and other student success technologies, the Navigator identifies students who may be at risk academically, personally, financially, or through disengagement, with a particular emphasis on online learners.

Working closely with the Coordinator of Academic Support, the Navigator serves as a central point of contact for students, connecting them with appropriate campus resources and providing ongoing support from initial identification through resolution of barriers. The role collaborates extensively with faculty, advisors, and student services staff to enhance student success, improve retention, and advance institutional completion goals.

• Demonstrates IWCC’s core mission, vision, and values.

• Monitor and respond to student referrals generated through the College's Early Alert System and other student success technologies.

• Identify students exhibiting academic, attendance, engagement, behavioral, or other risk indicators.
• Conduct proactive outreach to students through multiple communication methods, including phone, email, text messaging, virtual meetings, and in-person appointments.
• Develop timely intervention plans designed to address barriers to student success.
• Provide individualized case management services from student identification through resolution of concerns.
• Maintain an active caseload of students requiring varying levels of support and intervention.
• Conduct regular follow-up meetings with assigned students to assess progress and adjust support strategies.
• Document interactions, outcomes, and intervention activities within designated student success systems.
• Serve as a central point of contact for students seeking assistance with academic and non‑academic challenges.
• Connect students with appropriate campus and community resources, including:
  • Academic advising
  • Tutoring services
  • Accessibility services
  • Financial aid
  • Counseling and mental health resources
  • Career services
  • Basic needs and community support programs
• Follow up on referrals to ensure students successfully access the services needed.
• Assist students in developing realistic academic, career, and personal goals.
• Support implementation of retention and student success initiatives identified through the grant project.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to identify trends affecting student success and recommend intervention strategies.
• Participate in efforts designed to improve retention, course success, persistence, and completion rates.

• Online Orientation

• Facilitates the online orientation course every fall, spring and summer semester for students.
• Creating and maintaining content in Canvas.
• Manages enrollment process for students in the online orientation course.
• Coordinating with other staff regarding content, timelines, and communication.
• Following recommendations and best practices for online orientation.

• Collaborate with the Coordinator of Academic Support to ensure students requiring academic support services are identified, connected with appropriate resources, and effectively served.

• Work closely with faculty, advisors, counselors, coaches, and other student support personnel to coordinate care for students.
• Participate in case management meetings and student success teams as appropriate.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships across campus departments to support student success goals.
• Assist with training, communication, and awareness efforts related to student intervention processes.
• Maintain accurate student records and case notes.
• Assist in collecting, tracking, and reporting grant‑related outcome data.
• Contribute to assessment activities designed to evaluate program effectiveness and student outcomes.
• Support continuous improvement efforts through data‑informed decision making.
• Participate in professional development activities related to student success, retention, advising, and case management.
• Perform other duties as assigned that support grant objectives and institutional student success goals.

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Administrative and/or supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated experience of grant administration; managing federal awards, programs, and reporting.
• Effective project management skills.
• Demonstrates sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and disabled backgrounds of community college students.
• Excellent customer service skills required.
• Strong organizational skills including the ability to multi‑task, meet deadlines, maintain student records, produce error‑free final products, and manage time and output.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to articulate in both small and large group settings and with diverse groups of people including co‑workers, students, business contacts and at various levels from front‑line to administration.
• Illustrates a history of successfully collaborating with coworkers on a regular basis to achieve common goals.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.).
• Enthusiastic and dedicated to the challenges of helping students succeed.
• Professional in communication, appearance, relationships, and responsiveness.
• Positive attitude.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality at all times.
• Self‑starter with the ability to perform with little or no direct supervision.
• Ability to pass a background check

• Normal Office
• Lift 10 lbs.
• Frequently required to sit for extended periods of time and use hands to operate computer keyboard, telephone and basic office equipment.
• Regularly required to talk and hear.
• Ability to drive company owned or personal vehicle.

Cognitive Requirements:

• Reading, Writing, Calculating
• Social Interaction Skills
• Reasoning/Analysis
• Works with Minimal Supervision