Our Unit:
The MSU Pathways Persistence Programs in the Office of Undergraduate Education are an affirming, dynamic network of initiatives designed to support student persistence, academic excellence, and empowered community. Aligned with MSU’s commitment to ensure all students can learn, thrive, and graduate, these programs address barriers to success and create structures that promote equitable outcomes. Grounded in equity and social justice, the Pathways Persistence Programs work to close opportunity gaps and support students’ persistence toward graduation.
The cohort programs within the unit—Bailey Scholars, Dow STEM Scholars, First-Generation Leadership & Innovation (FLI) Vanderploeg Scholars, the Residential Initiative on Sustainability and the Environment (RISE) and TRIO Student Support Services (SSS)—offer high-impact experiences such as mentoring, career development, and living-learning communities. Through evidence-based initiatives, largely funded by external sources, the Pathways Persistence Programs cultivate conditions that empower students to develop self-discovery of purpose, educational success, sense of belonging, empowered community, and well-being.
Program Overview:
The First-Generation Leadership & Innovation (FLI) Vanderploeg Scholars Program is a signature, endowment-funded cohort program designed to advance equity, persistence, and leadership development for first-generation college students at Michigan State University. FLI provides a structured, multi-year experience that integrates community-building, leadership development, high-impact learning opportunities, and supplemental holistic support within a cohort-based model.
Grounded in access and opportunity, the FLI Vanderploeg Scholars Program is intentionally designed to address systemic barriers faced by first-generation students and to cultivate belonging, purpose, and academic success. The program directly supports the University’s Student Success Strategic Plan and contributes to MSU’s goal of achieving an 86% graduation rate by 2030.
Position Overview:
The Program Director for First-Generation Leadership & Innovation (FLI) Vanderploeg Scholars provides strategic, operational, and programmatic leadership for the FLI Vanderploeg Scholars Program at Michigan State University. The Program Director is responsible for vision-setting, program design, fiscal oversight, assessment, staff supervision, and cross-campus partnerships that advance the success, well-being, and persistence of first-generation students.
The Program Director directs day-to-day program operations, leads the design and implementation of a holistic student success framework, and provides supplemental advising and coaching in collaboration with academic advising and campus support units. The role represents first-generation student success efforts at the institutional, statewide, and national levels and requires independent judgment, collaborative leadership, and a sustained commitment to equity, data-informed practice, and student development. This position is not a primary academic advising role and does not carry responsibility for degree or major advising.
Primary Duties:
Student Success Strategy & Supplemental Advising (50%)
- Design, lead, and continuously refine a holistic student success framework for FLI Vanderploeg Scholars that integrates academic progress, leadership development, innovation, sense of belonging, and well-being.
- Oversee and coordinate the FLI student support model, ensuring alignment with campus advising structures, student success technologies, and equity-informed practices.
- Provide supplemental advising and coaching as needed to FLI students, focused on persistence, institutional navigation, goal-setting, and connection to resources—not primary degree planning or major advising.
- Collaborate with academic advisors, colleges, and support units to complement (not duplicate) primary academic advising and ensure coordinated student support.
- Guide students’ engagement in high-impact practices (e.g., research, internships, study abroad, service learning, fellowships) as part of a developmental cohort experience.
Strategic Leadership, Supervision & Management (Other) (25%)
- Provide program director leadership and long-term strategic vision for the FLI Vanderploeg Scholars Program.
- Contribute to first-generation initiatives more broadly on campus.
- Design, implement, and continuously evaluate programmatic structures and cohort experiences that promote persistence, academic success, socio-emotional development, and access to high-impact practices within FLI Vanderploeg Scholars.
- Establish and assess program goals, learning outcomes, and success indicators aligned with the university’s Student Success Strategic Plan.
- Direct all program operations, including recruitment strategy, cohort management, curriculum integration, student communications, and signature events.
- Serve as the primary representative of the FLI Vanderploeg Scholars program on institutional committees, cross-functional workgroups, and collaborative initiatives.
- Supervise and mentor professional staff, graduate assistants, and undergraduate employees; lead hiring, onboarding, professional development, and performance evaluation processes.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and sustainable team culture grounded in shared leadership, student-centered practice, and equity.
Outreach, Partnerships, & Advocacy (10%)
- Lead the strategic recruitment and selection framework for the FLI Vanderploeg Scholars Program, ensuring equity-centered, data-informed, and mission-aligned processes.
- Cultivate and sustain high-impact partnerships with academic units, student support offices, faculty, community-based organizations, and national first-generation networks to expand opportunities for FLI Scholars.
- Serve as an institutional advocate for first-generation student success by contributing to policy discussions, cross-campus initiatives, and system-level efforts that advance equity and persistence.
- Represent the FLI program in statewide and national first-generation initiatives, elevating MSU’s leadership and contributing to the field.
Research, Assessment, Data-Informed Practice (10%)
- Design, implement, and oversee a comprehensive assessment and evaluation strategy for the FLI Vanderploeg Scholars Program.
- Analyze institutional data, engagement metrics, and qualitative student feedback to inform strategic decision-making, resource allocation, and program refinement.
- Develop reports and presentations that translate data into actionable insights and demonstrate program impact aligned with institutional goals and external funding expectations.
- Share outcomes with campus leaders, funders, and external stakeholders to support accountability, sustainability, and continuous improvement.
Teaching & Curriculum Development (5%)
- Provide curricular leadership for the FLI-designated section of UGS 110, including course design, instructional delivery, and alignment with program learning outcomes.
- Integrate leadership development, identity exploration, social-emotional learning, and academic skill-building into the curriculum using evidence-based pedagogical practices.
- Design and facilitate co-curricular workshops and learning experiences related to persistence, purpose, leadership, and career development
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Masters -Higher education, student affairs, or a related field
Doctorate -Terminal degree (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) in higher education, student affairs, or a related field
- Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, or a related field.
- Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible, full-time experience in higher education, student affairs, or a related field or equivalent experience.
- Demonstrated experience providing strategic leadership for cohort-based, student success, or equity-centered programs, including program design, implementation, and evaluation.
- Experience exercising independent judgment and leading complex initiatives with multiple stakeholders.
- Evidence of strong communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills across diverse audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze, interpret, and apply data from multiple sources to inform programmatic and strategic decision-making.
- Experience using student success assessment tools and learning analytics.
- Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and the success of first-generation college students.
- Terminal degree (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) in higher education, student affairs, or a related field.
- Lived experience as a first-generation college student and/or professional experience supporting first-generation, limited income, or disabled students.
- Experience supervising and developing professional staff, including performance evaluation and coaching.
- Experience contributing to curriculum design, instructional delivery, advising, mentoring, or holistic student support within a cohort or learning community model.
- Knowledge of undergraduate student success theories, first-generation scholarship, and evidence-based practices in persistence and retention.
- Strong skills in program design, event planning, workshop facilitation, or curriculum development.
- Experience working in environments that require occasional evening and weekend commitments.
Applicants must submit both a cover letter and a curriculum vitae (CV) to be considered. Please note that supplemental materials such as transcripts and additional documents will not be reviewed.
Applications that do not include the required cover letter and CV will not be considered for review.
This position will remain open until filled. For Fullest consideration, applications should be submitted between March 13, 2026, and April 13, 2026.
Applications received after April 13, 2026, will be reviewed only if the position remains unfilled following the initial interview process.
Review of applications will begin on April 13, 2026.
04/13/2026
https://firstgen.msu.edu/fli-vanderploeg-scholars/
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
