Assistant Director of Student Success and Academic Advising

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Please attach, in PDF format, a cover letter and a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application. Please make sure to include employment dates on the resume in Month/ Year format.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nations top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rices culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

Under general supervision, The Assistant Director of student success and academic advising provides technical advice, problem‐solving assistance, answers to questions regarding program goals, and policy interpretation. The Assistant Director will design, develop, and coordinate projects. This position will also participate in committees and task forces involving student success and academic advising.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate for this role is enthusiastic about supporting graduate students and enjoys interacting with students, staff, and faculty. They thoughtfully exercise diplomacy, discretion, and judgment in engaging stakeholders. They thrive working both independently and as a member of a team, taking initiative to improve processes and working collaboratively across teams. They should also have excellent time management and organizational skills, be proactive, detail-oriented, and service-focused.

Workplace Requirements:

Rice Business primarily delivers residential classes and activities that take place almost daily between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. We value a highly collaborative and community-based culture, with expectations to provide in-person support and services to all members of our community. Remote work options are limited. Most employment activities are required to be performed in person and on campus. This in-person approach is central to the successful achievement of our research and academic missions.

In this role, options for remote work vary depending on team responsibilities throughout the academic year. Candidates should be willing and available to be on campus five days per week, with the understanding that remote work options (~1 day/week) are offered when possible following successful completion of the probationary period. This role will require occasional evenings and weekends.

• Per Rice Policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range:

Minimum $50,000, commensurate with experience

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelors degree
• 2+ years of professional experience
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to exercise diplomacy and foster rapport with stakeholders
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage a high volume of student meetings, email traffic, and projects
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Adept at problem-solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary
• Strong client service orientation and attention to detail

Preferences:

• Experience working in an institution of higher education in advising or a student support function
• Ability to utilize or quickly learn enterprise student systems (current examples include Banner, DegreeWorks, and EAB Navigate)
• Graduate degree

Essential Functions:

• Administers an area or program in student services
• Evaluates and recommends decisions on program eligibility
• Reviews decisions recommended by other staff
• Collaborates with others to help resolve program issues and concerns, interprets policies, and mediates complex and sensitive issues
• Resolves multi-dimensional matters in response to students in crisis, at risk, or who have other program issues; counsels students and parents on sensitive and confidential issues
• Reconciles complex issues; analyzes diverse transactions from multiple sources
• Summarizes data from multiple sources and prepares reports for management and presentations
• Develops and implements plans for outreach efforts, maintains external community relationships, and represents the department and university at meetings and events
• Provides advice to students on a range of issues, including but not limited to academic progress, academic program policies, career plans, accessibility, and community standards, to assist them in making appropriate choices and decisions
• Informs students of research, fellowship, and scholarship opportunities, makes recommendations, and may award grants
• Serves as a subject matter expert to other departments and represents the unit or department
• Serves as a key member of university-wide teams or projects
• May oversee, analyze, and assist in financial processes and the development of budgets
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions / Information:

• Manages student success tracking processes for students who may not be meeting academic standards (GPA, performance, or satisfactory progress toward degree)
• Takes ownership of integrating multiple tools on behalf of the department and school, including the academic advising CRM system (e.g., EAB Navigate)
• Coordinates communications with students regarding course selection, choices for elective courses, resources to aid in academic success, and degree completion

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice Universitys Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.