Associate Director for Retention, College of Education, Criminal Justice & Human Services

Current UC employees must apply internally via SuccessFactors > http://bit.ly/UCEMPL

Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati has embarked upon its third century – building on the past and defining the future by leading urban, public universities into a new era of innovation and impact through its strategic direction, Next Lives Here . Underscoring the power of creativity, ingenuity, invention and inclusion, what’s Next will accelerate our unrivaled academic, research and athletic momentum. As the global founder of cooperative education, UC remains a world-class leader in experience-based learning. U.S. News & World Report ranks UC’s co-op program in the Top 4 in the country, while the National Science Foundation places UC at No. 33 among America’s public research universities. A dynamic campus life environment boasts a diverse student body of nearly 47,000, what The New York Times calls “the most ambitious campus design program in the country,” and a history-making athletics program that has earned the respect of the Big 12 Conference. 

CECH is dedicated to making a difference in our communities through academic programs, outreach, and community partnerships. Our students and faculty work side-by-side with educators, athletic directors, community wellness experts, cybersecurity analysts, and local, state and federal law enforcement officials. We value experiential learning as an important element of our degree programs. Current research is incorporated into every course to ensure our graduates are prepared to address the most urgent challenges of our society.

The College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology (CECH) is seeking an Associate Director for Retention. The Associate Director for Retention will supervise a team of retention and student support specialists in the college. The retention team supports students on their path to graduation at the undergraduate and graduate level. This position provides leadership and oversight for retention initiatives that are data-driven, proactive, and student-centered. The Associate Director will lead the development of a strategic retention plan for the college, develop customized retention strategies for targeted populations (including first-year students), and assist students of diverse backgrounds in fostering a strong sense of self and community. Retention responsibilities also include mentoring underserved students (including underrepresented minority [URM], veteran/active-duty, first generation, international, and students with a disability) and linking students to various campus resources and other administrative offices to enhance student success. Candidates with experience in these and other intersecting identities are encouraged to apply.

The Associate Director of Retention will lead the CECH retention team (undergraduate and graduate program managers and clinical mental health counselor) by setting retention goals in partnership with program, school, and college leadership. The person in this position will develop long-range plans and strategies to achieve unit and university goals for retention, and will monitor established goals set for the retention team. They will also disaggregate, analyze, and disseminate retention and graduation data to determine barriers for targeted populations and support student needs with sound equity and inclusion practices for student success. They will need to utilize student success technologies for monitoring student progress and outreach, and create networks with faculty and administrative offices to actualize and support the university and college's retention and diversity missions.

The Associate Director must have strong interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills, and demonstrated experience with strategic planning and data-driven design. Passion for working with underserved communities is essential. Must be able to retain a high volume of programmatic, college, and university-related information while having the ability to critically think through complex situations. Must have established leadership experience and be able to work well both on a team and independently.

• Duties must be directly related to conducting, directing, or assisting in an academic program or academic unit, or directing or assisting with the direction of an academic advising office or center. These duties must comprise of at least 75% or more of the work assigned to the position.
• Administrative work elements are considered secondary, non-academic, and must not exceed 25% of the work assigned.
• Academic director positions located in an academic department or academic unit may use this title as a secondary appointment for faculty members serving as directors. Such appointments would remain secondary to the faculty appointment.
• Faculty members holding this title as a secondary appointment are subject to those policies and procedures applicable to their primary appointment and retain faculty benefits.
• May provide direct and/or indirect supervision to exempt and non-exempt staff (i.e., hiring/firing, performance evaluations, disciplinary action, approve time off, etc.). 
• Perform related duties based on departmental need.

Bachelor’s Degree

Academic positions will require specific educational credentials and experience related to the program for which the position is responsible.

• Demonstrated experience implementing targeted services and minimizing barriers for diverse students or populations, preferably in a college or university setting.
• Experienced leader with supervisory responsibilities in student advising, retention or similar student or academic affairs area.
• Knowledge of retention strategies and theories, including best practices in first-year experience.
• Demonstrated experience with successful strategic planning.
• Experience gathering and using data to design interventions.
• Solutions-oriented with a drive for innovation and spirit of collaboration.
• Commitment to excellence, advancing the social justice goal of students obtaining an education, communication, listening, and attention to detail.
• Team player with ability to work independently.
• Ability to prioritize, organize, plan, and follow-up on multiple tasks and projects.
• Comfortable with the use of technology and open to learning new systems and technology as needed.
• Master’s degree in higher education or related field.

• Office environment/no specific unusual physical or environmental demands.

An application, resume, and cover letter are required to be considered for this position. Please use the additional documents feature as needed for these items

Compensation and Benefits

UC offers a wide array of complementary and affordable benefit options, to meet the financial, educational, health, and wellness needs of you and your family. Eligibility varies by position and FTE.

• Competitive salary range of $60,000 - $65,000 dependent on the candidate's experience.
• Comprehensive insurance plans including medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage.
• Flexible spending accounts and an award-winning employee wellness program, plus an employee assistance program.
• Financial security via our life and long-term disability insurance, accident and illness insurance, and retirement savings plans.
• Generous paid time off work options including vacation, sick leave, annual holidays, and winter season days in addition to paid parental leave.
• Tuition remission is available for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Enjoy discounts for on and off-campus activities and services.

The University of Cincinnati, as a multi-national and culturally diverse university, is committed to providing an inclusive, equitable and diverse place of learning and employment. As part of a complete job application you will be asked to include a Contribution to Diversity and Inclusion statement.

As a UC employee, and an employee of an Ohio public institution, if hired you will not contribute to the federal Social Security system, other than contributions to Medicare. Instead, UC employees have the option to contribute to a state retirement plan (OPERS, STRS) or an alternative retirement plan (ARP).

The University of Cincinnati is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity Employer / Minority / Female / Disability / Veteran.

REQ: 77390 

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