Retention Specialist, La Plaza

Western Washington University (WWU) is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington with 15,000 students. The university is nationally recognized for its educational programs and commitment to inclusive success.

Multicultural Student Services (MSS) supports WWU’s mission by providing leadership and guidance for a variety of student organizations and resources, including the Black Student Coalition, Blue Resource Center, Ethnic Student Center, La Plaza, and an upcoming Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) cultural center. MSS is dedicated to supporting historically marginalized communities and fostering inclusive student engagement.

The La Plaza Retention Specialist is responsible for the daily operations, programming, and student engagement at the La Plaza Latinx resource center. The role serves as a key retention agent for Latine students, building bridges to academic and co‑curricular resources, advising and supporting students with culturally‑appropriate services, and promoting holistic wellbeing through advising, counseling, and referrals to university and community resources.

• Program Development & Management (30%) - Manage the daily operations of La Plaza, design, implement, and assess comprehensive co‑curricular programming, provide intersectional programmatic support with LGBTQ+ Western, Disability Access Center, and Tribal Liaison Office, chair the Latine Student Support Network and Heritage Month Committee, and support university recruitment efforts.
• Supervision, Engagement, and Advising (30%) - Recruit, hire, train, and supervise 8‑10 student employees; advise ESC clubs and individual students, providing connections to additional university and community resources; conduct outreach at events and foster a supportive environment that empowers students in self‑advocacy.
• Institutional Support and Guidance (20%) - Collaborate with departments to embed appropriate resources, participate in strategic planning, represent MSS on committees, and conduct research and best‑practice sharing within the university.
• Administration (15%) - Ensure compliance with university policies, manage the annual budget of approximately $200,000, maintain the La Plaza website and social media presence, and support strategic planning and reporting.
• Other Duties as Assigned (5%) - Participate in committee initiatives, professional development related to community accessibility, and support the management of the Ethnic Student Center programs and front desk.

• Master’s degree with one year of relevant experience in student affairs, student services, or higher education; or a bachelor’s degree with two years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination.
• Knowledge of statewide and national Latine student movements and historical issues impacting success.
• Experience advising students or leaders of programs/clubs to support student leadership development with culturally responsive services to BIPOC students.
• Ability to orient Latine students to university culture and provide support services for their personal, academic, and professional goals.
• Experience designing and facilitating programming that advances identity development and leadership skills for students with multiple marginalized identities, focusing on Latine populations.
• Demonstrated ability to engage diverse students in intercultural learning and dialogue.
• Experience supervising student employees.
• Strong facilitation and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop and manage budgets.
• Knowledge of student leadership and student development theories and their application.
• Excellent professional judgment aligned with organizational mission and goals.
• Collaboration skills across departments and disciplines.
• Organizational and time management skills with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration, Education, Ethnic or Cultural Studies, or Psychology.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in multicultural services or identity‑based resource centers.
• Strategic assessment experience of…