Vice President, Student Success

Vice President, Student Success

Office of the Senior Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer

Exempt, Regular, Full-time

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), seeks an experienced and innovative leader as our next Vice President, Student Success (VP) within the Office of the Senior Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer (SVP). Reporting to the SVP, this leadership role provides expert oversight to our diverse workforce of advising teams with a laser focus on student success. With a spirit of collegiality, camaraderie, and collaboration, the VP will lead the data-informed design, implementation, coordination, and improvement of the relationship-based success coach model and enrollment processes; the development of a remote nation-wide workforce, and programs to enable a positive staff experience; and the cultivation of a culture of care, initiatives, and interventions to continuously enhance student service and academic success. This includes building a model that supports new students and effectively prepares them to be successful. The advising teams work with new and continuing students to improve student satisfaction, retention, persistence, and graduation rates. The success of our students, from start to graduation, is the key objective in this role.

The VP accomplishes student success as a servant leader to their team with a strong partnership with Student Affairs colleagues. Cross-functionally, the VP sets the tone for employee engagement across the advising teams. This VP provides a framework and foundation for success with each individual colleague by  offering training, coaching, and mentoring to ensure that each colleague has the foundation to successfully coach students to success. The VP is also responsible for building high-performing teams, defining projects, and leading the implementation of strategic priorities that improve our retention rates and demonstrates UMGC's “students first” and “people always” culture.

While relocation to the MD/DC/Northern VA metro area is preferred, a 50% (2 weeks/month) on-site presence is required.

Specific accountabilities include:

• Creates coaching strategy and executes, acting as a champion to achieve a culture of innovation in success coaching to deliver a best in class advising model
• Drives and cultivates a culture of care that works in the students' best interest, anticipating their needs, with a deep level of understanding of our students and their needs to be proactive in supporting students
• Leads the ongoing training and development of Directors to provide coaching and development to their teams
• Leads the coaching of students, from new student enrollment to graduation, resulting in improved student satisfaction, retention rates, student success, and graduation rates
• Partners with Financial Aid to identify opportunities to better support students' ability to fund their programs
• Partners with Academic Affairs for training on programs; collaboratively identifies, plans, and executes proactive academic interventions between faculty and success coaches to improve student success; and identifies ways for faculty and success coaches to effectively communicate and partner to support students in their courses
• Guides and directs leadership practices to foster a positive, inclusive, high-performing work environment that is compliant to all regulatory policies while meeting goals and objectives of the department
• Partners closely with teams within Student Affairs to develop a culture of care and a sense of belonging for students, and ensures that the students' voices are heard
• Collaborates with key departments including Admissions, Global Military Operations, Corporate Learning Solutions, and Academic Affairs to create a successful student journey and experience and to develop and execute university-wide and department-specific programs and initiatives
• Aligns strategies and projects and partners with all functional departments including Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and the Registrar
• Exhibits deep analytical knowledge about interpreting complex data to meet business goals and objectives 
• Manages to performance metrics in a compliant fashion by establishing the metrics, implementing processes, and coaching to to ensure consistent, high-quality evaluation and goal setting for employees
• Plans and implements change management processes (systems, business processes, staff training, and communications) to ensure successful business transformations
• Displays an ability to successfully influence and drive change to ensure compliance with university-level policies
• Develops creative solutions to solve department issues and contribute to innovative strategies
• Provides effective direction and leadership to a large staff population in a high-growth, remote environment 
• Participates in advisory groups to contribute to the overall advancement in technology that improves and enables the student experience
• Manages and adheres to budget policies and practices
• Other job-related duties as assigned

Required education & experience: An earned Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning; at least 10 years of experience leading customer care/customer service teams that focus on building customer relationships, including at least five (5) years managing and developing managers; a proven track record of success leading high-performing teams in a metrics-driven, multicultural workplace; as well as the agility to lead and navigate multiple projects simultaneously.

Preferred education & experience: An earned Master's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning; at least five (5) years of experience in enrollment management managing both retention and headcount in a higher education workplace; experience growing and cultivating strong leaders; knowledge of trends and best practices in training and development; experience leading cross-functional teams and gaining buy-in across all levels of an organization from senior executives to individual contributors within a project team; ability to work in ambiguity, particularly relating to higher education regulations and compliance; proven ability to lead the implementation of complex projects from vision to successful launch; ability to interact and communicate with all levels of an organization, including senior management, and propose recommendations articulately; the ability to adapt to changes in a dynamic work environment; an analytical and results-driven orientation, including the ability to establish and improve metrics, processes, and associated behaviors; experience being an inspiring, high-energy, team-player/coach able to quickly gain credibility and build relationships across the organization; a track record of sound executive decision making, business acumen, and skill in coaching and developing leaders (as opposed to a “command and control” style); success in applying a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to all people, processes, and business operations; as well as a particular ease, finesse, and discernment that results from organizational and emotional intelligence.

FOR BEST CONSIDERATION, APPLY ON OR BEFORE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021

All submissions should include a cover letter and resume. UMGC offers competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits for qualifying positions, such as tuition remission, generous leave and healthcare. For detailed benefits information, please visit: https://careers.umgc.edu/benefits.html .

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. UMGC is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, ancestry, political affiliation or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is committed to helping safeguard the health of its faculty, staff, students, contractors, and guests. Because vaccinations reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—and in alignment with the University System of Maryland (USM) vaccination mandate, all prospective UMGC faculty (full-time and adjunct) and staff are required to be fully vaccinated, unless an exception is approved as a reasonable accommodation based on disability or religion.  

Prospective faculty and staff must provide their vaccination status and submit proof of vaccination (or a copy of their Approved Exception Letter) before the start of their employment. Failure to provide proof of vaccination or show proof of exception may result in the offer of employment being rescinded.