Student Success Specialist

Benedict College; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Benedict College is seeking a Student Success Specialist – Early Alert to support student persistence and success. The role focuses on proactive outreach, resource coordination, and coaching to help students navigate campus supports and maintain progress toward graduation.

The specialist works closely with the Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, and academic staff, using tools like Starfish by EAB and Jenzabar to document interventions and drive data‑driven decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a closely related field with at least one year of responsible related experience.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills with diverse audiences.
• Experience contributing to student success initiatives in higher education and advocacy.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive outreach and academic-success coaching to students identified through the early-alert system.
• Monitor early-alert notifications, contact students, assess concerns, and develop short-term action plans.
• Collaborate with faculty, academic advisors, and campus offices to coordinate timely interventions.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Collaboration

Data-driven outreach

Case management systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in a closely related field

Tools

Starfish by EAB

Jenzabar

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: BENEDICT COLLEGE - COLUMBIA, SC 29204s a critical member of the campus community, the Student Success Specialist serves as an advocate charged with helping students navigate campus resources and resolve issues as part of a coordinated effort to ensure students thrive and persist to graduation. This position will practice data driven outreach, proactive resource referral, and timely/holistic interventions to meet the needs of students, especially those with complex issues that may span multiple offices/areas. The position will generate data and reports to help identify barriers to student satisfaction, retention, and academic progression, engage in outreach to and documentation of students identified as at risk, and support university personnel who work with students encountering institutional challenges.

The position will work collaboratively with offices across the university (e.g. Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Student Affairs, the Schools, and Academic Advisers) to assist students in resolving issues, navigating support, and managing complex cases that may affect persistence, satisfaction, and graduation. The role works directly with students, utilizing systems and tools such Starfish by EAB and Jenzabar to ensure data driven practices, appropriate documentation, and holistic case management.

All efforts will support and advance strategic university goals and measures, including first-year retention, student satisfaction and belonging, and the 6 year graduation rate.

The Student Success Specialist – Early Alert provides proactive outreach, academic-success coaching, and resource coordination for students identified through the College’s early-alert system. The Coach works directly with students experiencing attendance concerns, missed assignments, low grades, difficulty managing academic responsibilities, or other barriers that may affect persistence and academic progress.

The position monitors assigned early-alert notifications, contacts students, assesses academic and nonacademic concerns, develops short-term action plans, and connects students with appropriate campus and community resources. The specialist collaborates with faculty, academic advisors, Student Success Center staff, and other campus offices to provide timely, coordinated intervention.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree in a closely related field of study with at least one year of responsible related experience, two to three years of academicadvising/counseling in adult or higher education, experience contributing to student success initiatives within a higher education setting especially related to outreach and advocacy.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport and make connections with students, faculty, and staff of varying diversity to positively influence progress and results; develop and maintain effective working relationships.
• High degree of collaboration and innovation
• Maintain confidential and sensitive information.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Preferred Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Broad understanding of academic student services in a higher education setting;
• Experience developing and executing interventions for students that address curricular, career, and/or social barriers to student success and engagement;
• Experience with case management systems, Microsoft Office, Starfish by EAB, and Jenzabar or other student information system;
• General knowledge of the range of student development and retention theories;
• An understanding of promising practices in one or more of the following areas:
• Student success and retention, student engagement, student transition and development, behavioral science, and/or community and belonging in order positively affect key goals and outcomes;
• Broad understanding of academic student services in a higher education setting;
• Experience developing and executing interventions for students that address curricular, career, and/or social barriers to student success and engagement;
• Experience with case management systems, Microsoft Office, Starfish by EAB, and Jenzabar or other student information system;
• General knowledge of the range of student development and retention theories;
• An understanding of promising practices in one or more of the following areas:
• Student success and retention, student engagement, student transition and development, behavioral science, and/or community and belonging in order positively affect key goals and outcomes;