Director of the Academic Resource Center NEW

Walla Walla, Washington
Whitman College
Director of the Academic Resource Center
Whitman College

Compensation: $85,182-$94,647 annually

WHITMAN COLLEGE

Located in the historic community of Walla Walla , Whitman’s vibrant and beautiful tree-lined campus is home to an intellectually diverse, dynamic, welcoming and supportive community of some 500 staff and faculty serving approximately 1,500 students from the local region and across the globe. With exceptional students, accomplished faculty and staff, and a fiercely loyal and growing number of engaged alumni, Whitman College continues to build on its national reputation for academic excellence as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

Whitman College is cultivating a community built on inclusion and belonging. We recognize the value of those who can offer historically underrepresented perspectives and encourage applications from those whose background, knowledge, and insights from lived experience can add to the college’s working and learning environment. Whitman College is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer (EEO).

POSITION PURPOSE

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) is designed to support the academic success of all Whitman College students by offering free tutoring, success coaching and skill-building workshops. The ARC
partners with students, faculty, staff, and college departments and centers to develop sustainable, accessible and student-focused academic support systems.

The ARC Director provides leadership, strategic direction, and oversight for all aspects of the academic support mission and is responsible for developing and improving student support services, including tutoring, academic coaching, and co-curricular programs. The Director promotes a student growth mindset and collaborates with faculty and staff to strengthen student support services that foster personal, academic, and professional achievement. Additionally, the Director oversees recruitment and training of staff, manages the budget, evaluates ARC services, ensures compliance with federal and institutional policies and regulations, and fosters professional partnerships to expand academic support. The Director reports directly to the Provost and Dean of the Faculty.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Supervisory Duties

• This role supervises at least one regular staff position.
• This role typically supervises at least one student employee.

Provide Strategic Leadership for the ARC (50%)

• Provides direct service to students by developing and offering success-focused programs, personalized coaching, and tutoring assistance to help them achieve their academic goals.
• Partners with faculty and staff collegewide to develop student learning assignments and create activities that increase student success and retention.
• Lead the integration of intercultural communication principles across academic coaching, tutoring, and student support services to enhance student engagement, belonging, and success among diverse student populations.
• Creates and oversees strategic partnerships for expanding tutoring and coaching services across all departments and centers.
• Promotes the development of co-curricular assignments with academic and student services departments
• Develops programs and opportunities for students to develop a growth mindset and understand metacognition to support their personal, academic, and professional success.
• Creates and implements annual plans for service offerings, cross-departmental collaborations, event attendance, and student academic success activities. Reviews operations systematically and annually for cost-effectiveness
• Contributes ideas and feedback on how the ARC can support the college’s strategic goals and funding plans related to student learning, development and retention. Promotes the ARC to internal and external communities, presenting opportunities and activities to participate in increasing student engagement
• Promotes innovation and best practices in ARC services and outreach activities; maintains a working knowledge of nationwide trends.
• Serves on internal and external committees, including ad hoc and screening committees; represents student academic support services and the development of retention programs in academic affairs.
• Able to plan, schedule, and organize tasks related to the job to achieve goals within or ahead of established time frames.

Management & Supervision (35%)

• Oversees the recruitment, hiring, and supervision of all full- and part-time staff in collaboration with the Learning Coordinator and Academic Coach.
• Implements performance appraisals and evaluations; provides professional development opportunities.
• Manages annual program budgets, monitors and reviews expenditures regularly, maintains equipment inventory records, and prepares detailed budget reports, including tutoring cost projections.
• Manages escalated student and staff issues in a professional and timely manner in accordance with College Rules and policies.
• Ensures all federal and college regulations are met related to privacy, security, and confidentiality of student information, and train all staff on FERPA and other sensitive information control.
• Strictly honors the privacy, security, and confidentiality of student records and other sensitive information according to appropriate state, federal, and college regulations, policies, and procedures.

• Ensures professional staff are engaged in professional development opportunities that lead to innovation, best-practices, and connections to national networks.

Assessment & Evaluation (15%)

• Oversees the development, update, and use of software related to tutoring, academic success coaching, and programming.
• Manages access and permissions to tracking/CRM accounts and student services software within areas of assigned responsibility.
• Develops, leads and provides accurate and timely data assessments and reports of services and resource usage; recommends institutional practices to improve effectiveness of services.
• Utilizes Excel and other data management tools to manage and manipulate data

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Must be able to explain and/or demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. Specifically,

• Knowledge of academic support services in higher education, including tutoring, academic coaching, and student success programs, and how students learn and develop.
• Ability to use intercultural communication practices to effectively support and engage students from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Knowledge of student privacy laws and college policies (e.g., FERPA) and ability to handle sensitive information appropriately.
• Ability to develop and carry out plans that improve student support services and align with college priorities.
• Ability to build strong working relationships with faculty, staff, and campus partners to support student success.
• Ability to supervise, support, and develop staff and student employees.
• Ability to design and deliver programs, workshops, and services that help students succeed academically.
• Ability to use data and technology (e.g., Excel, student systems) to track participation, evaluate programs, and make improvements.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities, stay organized, communicate clearly, and support an inclusive, student-centered environment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Master’s degree in areas of education or in an academic field relevant to academic skills development.
• 2+ years of work experience in higher education and/or in academic advisement, student support services, or a closely related area.
• Experience in staff management and organization.
• Demonstrated experiencing utilizing data to assess, evaluate, and redesign services to ensure established goals/outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience building collaborative partnerships that ensure positive student success outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty,
  staff, and student environment or commitment to do so
  as a staff member.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• A Ph.D. or Ed.D in an appropriate field of education, or in an academic field related to academic skills development.
• Prior experience with both higher education teaching and student support beyond the classroom, as well as experience with diagnostic and classroom assessment, computer-based tracking and education advisement.

Please note that while the description details both required and preferred qualifications, we want applicants to be aware that they do not need to have all of the preferred qualifications to be considered for this position. If you meet the minimum qualifications and have passion for the work, you are encouraged to apply.

BENEFITS

Whitman College offers a competitive benefits program that is designed to attract qualified candidates and retain talented employees. Benefit offerings and eligibility described reflect current offerings and may be subject to change in accordance with College policies and plan documents. Full-time employees enjoy the following benefits:

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurances.

Basic life , accidental death and dismemberment and long term disability insurances with the capability to elect additional voluntary coverage.
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