Department: Student Academic Affairs
Position Status: Full-time; Twelve (12) months
Reports To: Assistant Director of Retention, Persistence and Academic Success
Supervisory Resp: None
Classification: Exempt
Student Success Coaching is an equal partnership between the student and the coach. Coaches and students concentrate on specific goals and the commitment to the planned outcomes. Coaches collaborate with students, their families, advisors, faculty members, and other administrators to develop appropriate academic and transitional support to first-year students applicable to all aspects of the student's life tasks - academic, personal, social, and career.
The Student Success Coach will address the unique needs of first-year students by providing holistic, proactive opportunities and academic and transition support. The Student Success Coach will serve as the point person in the students’ transition from Admissions to their enrollment as a student. This position will assist the student and their family’s navigation of pre-enrollment tasks prior to arriving on campus. The selected candidate will also assist in the implementation of programs and services designed to promote academic, personal, and social/emotional success, engagement, and retention of first-year students. In addition, the selected candidate will work with upperclassmen placed on Academic Probation or Warning.
The Student Success Coach will be a part of a dynamic Student Academic Success team and report to the Student Academic Success Coordinator. This is a full-time, twelve (12) month appointment.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Student Outreach & Case Management
- Maintain accurate student records, case notes, and assessment data in the College's student success platform (EAB Navigate) and prepare reports to evaluate program effectiveness.
- Provide holistic success coaching to an assigned caseload of students, supporting academic achievement, personal development, goal setting, and persistence to graduation.
- Monitor student attendance, academic progress, and early alerts; conduct proactive outreach and develop individualized success plans for students experiencing academic or personal challenges.
- Advise first-year students on academic planning, course registration, college policies, major and career exploration, and pathways to graduation.
- Assist with course scheduling and provide targeted support to undecided/undeclared students, students on academic warning or probation, and other students identified as at risk.
- Coordinate and facilitate workshops and programs on student success topics such as time management, study strategies, metacognition, leadership development, resilience, and college adjustment.
Campus Collaboration
- Serve as the primary point of contact for new students and their families, providing individualized support to ensure a successful transition to Catawba College.
- Cross-train with campus partners (i.e. Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Athletics, and Academic Affairs) to effectively support first-time, first-year students.
- Coordinate referrals to campus resources, including tutoring, academic support, accessibility services, counseling, financial aid, and other student support services.
- Assist with the planning and delivery of New Student Orientation, First-Year Seminar, and transition initiatives that promote academic success, belonging, and student engagement.
- Collaborate with faculty and campus partners to strengthen student success, retention, and engagement efforts.
- Participate in admissions events, athletic recruitment activities, and other campus programs, including occasional evening and weekend responsibilities.
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Engage in ongoing professional development and remain current with best practices in student success, coaching, retention, and advising.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Associate Dean of Student Academic Success or designee.
- Staying abreast of new trends in success coaching and practices
DESIRED EDUCATION, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s preferred, in College Student Development, Counseling, Education, or closely related field.
- Experience providing direct services to students in a higher education setting.
- Demonstrated history of problem-solving, planning, and organizational skills along with the ability to work collaboratively with others required.
- Comfortable speaking to a wide variety of audiences, including parents, students, coaches, faculty, and administrators.
- Knowledge of specific barriers faced by underserved student populations
- Experience in advising/coaching/counseling related to educational programming and student success in higher education.
- ability to work independently while functioning as a team member.
- Strong abilities in time management and managing multiple, complex and escalated student situations and details.
- Excellent interpersonal, writing, and verbal communication skills required.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and social media platforms required; familiarity with Banner or EAB Navigate preferred.
ABOUT CATAWBA
Founded in 1851 in Newton, North Carolina, Catawba was started by German pioneers who had traveled from eastern Pennsylvania to settle in the valleys of the Haw, Yadkin, and Catawba Rivers. In 1890, Catawba became a coeducational institution, and the first woman graduate completed her studies in 1893. In 1925, Catawba moved and re-opened to its current location in Salisbury, NC, which is about 45 minutes from Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Charlotte, two hours from the mountains, and four hours from the beaches.
Today, Catawba College has 41 buildings on 276 wooded acres on a residential campus. Catawba is known for its 189 acre on-campus ecological preserve. Ranked as one of the best colleges in the south, Catawba offers 70 academic majors to approximately 1,300 students representing 34 U.S. states and 19 foreign countries. Students are instructed by nearly 90 full-time faculty, more than 83% of whom hold the highest degree in their field.
Catawba provides an education focused on an institutional philosophy of a liberal education, which entails a broad range of knowledge, intellectual and practical skills, and individual and social responsibility fostered and developed in all academic programs. Catawba is a learning community that provides students with unique opportunities to explore vocation, helping students to consider their calling, their passions, and their purpose as they prepare to reach their highest potential. Catawba’s mission is to provide “students an education rich in personal attention that blends the knowledge and competencies of liberal studies with career preparation” and to enable “students to reach their highest potential while becoming responsible citizens.” More information about Catawba College is located at www.catawba.edu.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants shall submit the following materials, in a single file, pdf version only, to [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected]:
- A letter of application.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae
- Contact information for three (3) professional references.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact Justin Tyler Owens ([email protected]) or Learie Nurse ([email protected]) for any questions about this position.
Catawba College is an equal opportunity employer. As such, the College is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status, unless allowed by law and deemed necessary to the operation of the College. The College complies with all federal, state, and local laws governing non-discrimination.
