Associate Director of Student Success & Diversity (Hybrid Opportunity)

About UMass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued-and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.

Job Summary

The Associate Director of Student Success and Diversity, will work in conjunction with the Director of Student Success and Diversity in the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) to develop, organize, implement, and assess student success related to diversity activities and initiatives in the College to promote an inclusive campus environment where all students feel they belong and thrive academically. These activities and initiatives will include recruiting talented students as well as coordinating and independently leading a subset of the success programs that foster academic success and a sense of belonging and community of CNS students, especially among traditionally marginalized groups in the sciences. The Associate Director of Student Success and Diversity is also responsible for assessing the programmatic effectiveness of the programs they lead, contributing to the overall assessment of CNS student success, and helping ensure the alignment with the college's student success and diversity objectives.

Essential Functions

• Identify and initiate strategies to improve the retention and timely graduation of all students in STEM, and especially those underserved, in conjunction with the Director and Associate Director, using student success data (Flagship Analytics, focus groups, surveys).
• Design and offer an inclusion training program for research mentors of undergraduates (lab director and graduate students) as well as graduate Teaching Assistants.
• Direct the CNS Peer Leader Program including the recruitment, training and supervision of CNS peer leaders. Develop training curricula and update all associated training materials.
• Develop and teach seminars for undergraduate students relevant to increasing diversity and inclusion (e.g., BioPioneers).
• Lead signature programs in the college (including recruitment, implementation, and budgeting) to promote student success (e.g. BioPioneers, Lee-SIP undergraduate research program). Report annual program outcomes and assess program impacts.
• Support transfer students in CNS, including serving as the CNS liaison in the recruitment, retention, and completion of transfer students from Massachusetts community colleges.
• Provide culturally competent student success coaching to CNS students, especially those in traditionally marginalized groups in the sciences.
• Serve as a liaison, along with the Director of Student Success and Diversity, for CNS faculty in support of academic success and promoting inclusion for traditionally marginalized groups in the sciences.
• Provide supervision for the CNS Office of Student Success and Diversity Assistant Director.
• Recruit, train, and supervise undergraduate students and graduate students who serve as mentors and provide instructional support to CNS student success and diversity programming (e.g., Lee-SIP, BioPioneers).
• Assist students in placement within research labs and internships.
• Manage budgets and reporting of grant or donor-funded student success programs for which they are responsible.
• Work with colleagues in other STEM colleges on programs to recruit and retain traditionally marginalized groups in the sciences.

Other Functions

• Work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, equality and inclusiveness.
• Work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS community and across the campus to support the Dean's strategic priorities.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of the College of Natural Sciences.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Bachelor's degree and five (5) years of experience in higher education or student services area.
• Experience working with students with a range of academic abilities, including honors level and academically at-risk.
• Knowledge of higher education policy and regulation implementation.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with others, to identify and achieve shared goals. Ability to work with a large, culturally diverse faculty and undergraduate population.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Guidance & Counseling, Science or related field.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

• Typical office environment.

Work Schedule

• Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm.
• Required to work some nights and weekends.
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  This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee's work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.
  
  

Salary Information

Level 27

PSU Hiring Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with the application, please submit a resume and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged.

At UMass Amherst and in CNS, we strive to be a community where every individual feels a sense of belonging, where every individual is included, and where every individual is valued. You can find these values and goals at: Inclusive Excellence : College of Natural Sciences : UMass Amherst, and For the Common Good - 2024-2034 : Strategic Plan : UMass Amherst.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.