The Manager of Retention and Student Outreach provides strategic leadership for student retention, persistence, and engagement efforts within Roo Advising. This role supervises Exploratory/FLEX advising team, ensuring coordinated, data-informed, and student-centered practices that support undergraduate success-particularly for First Time College students, and students in transition, academic recovery, or exploration.
The Manager serves as a key advising leader responsible for translating institutional goals into actionable retention strategies, fostering cross-campus collaboration, and advancing a culture of proactive outreach, belonging, and persistence aligned with UMKC’s Culture of Care and strategic priorities.
Leadership & Supervision
- Supervise, mentor, and evaluate Exploratory/FLEX Academic Advisors, promoting consistency, equity-minded practice, and professional growth.
- Support onboarding, training, and ongoing development of staff in collaboration with the Director and Assistant Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising.
- Foster collaboration across supervised teams to ensure seamless support for exploratory students and those experiencing academic difficulty.
Retention Strategy & Data-Informed Practice
- Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of comprehensive retention and persistence strategies for undergraduate students.
- Leverage both quantitative data (e.g., retention metrics, academic standing, course performance, student success platforms) and qualitative data (e.g., student feedback, case notes, outreach insights) to inform decision-making.
- Translate data insights into actionable interventions, outreach campaigns, and programmatic improvements.
- Prepare summaries, dashboards, and reports related to retention and persistence outcomes for advising leadership.
Committee Leadership & Institutional Engagement
- Serve as a thought partner to advising leadership on institutional retention priorities and continuous improvement efforts.
- Represent Roo Advising on campus committees, task forces, or working groups related to student success, retention, and engagement.
Student Outreach, Programming & Student Engagement
- Oversee Roo Advising engagement and outreach events, including but not limited to tent events, mid-semester check-ins, and targeted retention campaigns.
- Partner with campus departments (e.g., Student Affairs, Orientation, Career Services, Student Involvement, Residential Life) to offer fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate student engagement opportunities.
- Collaborate on communication strategies that promote advising, persistence resources, and a sense of belonging among students.
- Develop and manage targeted outreach campaigns aimed at increasing FTC and New Transfer Student retention metrics
Research, Benchmarking & Continuous Improvement
- Serve as Roo Advising's lead resource on retention and persistence research, translating scholarship, national trends, and emerging best practices into actionable institutional strategies.
- Conduct environmental scans and benchmarking analyses of aspirational, peer, and operational institutions to identify innovative approaches that support student success, belonging, retention, and degree completion.
- Partner with advising leadership to evaluate and implement evidence-based retention initiatives informed by NACADA resources, higher education research, and institutional assessment findings.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong leadership, coaching, and supervisory skills.
- Ability to synthesize data, student narratives, and institutional priorities into coherent strategies.
- Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills.
- Capacity to manage multiple initiatives and priorities in a fast-paced, student-centered environment.
- Demonstrated commitment to UMKC’s mission, values, and Culture of Care.
