Kenyon College invites applications for the position of Associate Director/Director of Academic Advising and Support, with the final title determined by the successful candidate’s experience and qualifications. This full-time, 12-month administrative position offers an exciting opportunity for a collaborative, student-centered professional to help advance holistic academic advising, student success, experiential learning, and peer support programs at a nationally recognized liberal arts college.
Reporting to the Dean for Academic Advising and Support, this person will lead key advising and academic support initiatives connected to Kenyon’s Strategic Plan, including the Sophomore Success program, peer tutoring, support for students on academic probation, and student engagement with the Kenyon Keys, a new strategic initiative that helps students unlock connections between Kenyon’s interdisciplinary learning and hands-on experiences so they're ready to tackle the challenges of today.
The successful candidate will work closely with faculty, staff, and campus partners to help students navigate academic challenges, connect their curricular and co-curricular experiences, and plan for meaningful futures beyond Kenyon.
Responsibilities
Program Leadership and Development
- Oversee and grow Kenyon’s Sophomore Success Program, liaising with the Career Development Office, the Registrar’s Office, the Center of Global Engagement, the Office of Community Partnerships, and other partners to encourage students to engage with and reflect on experiential learning opportunities like internships, research opportunities, off-campus study, and community engagement.
- Manage and develop the Peer Tutoring program through collaborating with faculty, the Writing Center, and the Math Science Skills Center.
- Inaugurate a Peer Mentorship Program; select, train and manage student peer mentors.
Experiential Learning and Reflection
- Provide advising and programming to help students engage in Kenyon Keys activities and connect curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular aspects of their Kenyon experience.
- Working with campus partners, ensure meaningful completion of experiential learning reflections, amplifying the benefits of those programs and helping students articulate the learning outcomes and transferable skills developed through academic and experiential opportunities.
Student Advising and Academic Support
- Manage the college’s Conditional Enrollment (academic probation) program, working with advisors and faculty to support students experiencing academic challenges.
- Provide direct academic advising to students, including students experiencing academic difficulty, in coordination with the Dean for Academic Advising and Support and the campus CARE team.
- Maintain a student advising caseload and connect students with appropriate academic, personal, and experiential learning resources.
Assessment
- Work with Information Technology, the Registrar’s Office, Institutional Research and others to implement relevant software platforms to track student experience, participation, outcomes and program impact.
- Provide regular reporting on retention, academic success, Kenyon Keys engagement and program impacts.
- Evaluate student success data to improve advising programs and recommend improvements.
- Other duties as assigned by the Dean for Academic Advising and Support.
Minimum Qualifications
- A Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, education, a liberal arts discipline, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- At least five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, preferably in academic advising, student success, student support, academic affairs, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience advising and supporting students, including students managing academic challenges.
- Experience managing programs, services, projects or initiatives.
- Commitment to liberal arts education,
- Demonstrated strong ability in oral and written communication.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment, professional discretion, and respect confidentiality.
- Willingness to learn and use advising, student success, assessment, and reporting technologies.
Preferred Qualifications
- Doctorate or terminal degree in a relevant field.
- Experience with academic probation, retention initiatives, peer tutoring, peer mentoring, experiential learning, or sophomore-year programming.
- Experience using student success platforms, advising software, or data systems.
- Experience assessing programs and using evidence to improve student outcomes.
- Experience training or supervising student employees, peer educators, or professional staff.
Kenyon College is a nationally prominent, private liberal arts college where academic excellence goes hand in hand with a strong sense of community and close relationships among students and professors.
Compensation and Benefits
Salaries at Kenyon are competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition to an attractive salary, Kenyon offers benefits for employees and their family members. Children of employees are eligible for 100% tuition waivers at Kenyon, and through the Great Lakes Colleges Association, children of employees are eligible for 90% tuition waivers at twenty-two other of the nation's finest liberal arts colleges.
We also offer health, dental and vision insurance, TIAA retirement, and many other benefits, including provisions for a spouse, families, and domestic partners. Details about benefits as well as conditions of employment are described more fully in our Staff Handbook.
Kenyon College is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome applications from all qualified individuals. It is the College's policy to evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, religion, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy or state, local, or federal law. Kenyon College has a strong commitment to an inclusive environment that welcomes all voices and perspectives.
