Student Services Specialist; Makamakalehua First- Student Coordinator

Student Services Specialist (Makamakalehua First-Year Student Coordinator)

The University of Hawai'i at Hilo (UH Hilo) is a public liberal arts and sciences university on the Island of Hawai'i, recognized for its integration of cultural immersion and place-based research that leverages the island's extraordinary geological, biological, and cultural diversity. A comprehensive, regional campus within the ten-campus University of Hawai'i System, UH Hilo offers high-quality undergraduate and select postgraduate education, with distinctive strengths in areas such as marine science, geology, astronomy, and Hawaiian language revitalization, while advancing research, scholarship, and creative activity that support community needs, environmental stewardship, Indigenous knowledge systems, and workforce development for the State of Hawai'i.

The Kipuka Native Hawaiian Student Center (Kipuka) advances Native Hawaiian student success by fostering culturally responsive learning environments, programs, and support services. Grounded in the philosophy that Native Hawaiian-centered approaches strengthen success for all students, Kipuka welcomes and engages the broader UH Hilo community through its programs and initiatives.

Makamakalehua is Kipuka's comprehensive student support initiative, providing coordinated transition, engagement, and success programming from entry through graduation. The Makamakalehua First-Year Student Coordinator operates within a shared student success framework alongside the Makamakalehua Second-Year Student Coordinator and the Makamakalehua Student Development Coordinator. Together, the team collaborates to align program design, peer mentorship, assessment, and campus partnerships, while each coordinator maintains primary responsibility for their respective student populations and programmatic areas.

The First-Year Student Coordinator leads initiatives that support students' transitions to UH Hilo through culturally grounded practices rooted in Hawai'i values, 'olelo Hawai'i, relationship-building, and place-based learning. Through these efforts, the coordinator supports students' transition to UH Hilo and fosters belonging, engagement, leadership development, academic success, and meaningful connections to Hawai'i Island, community and place.

Duties and Responsibilities (
* denotes essential functions):

1.
* Plan, coordinate, and manage the Makamakalehua First-Year Student Program, including the development and implementation of a structured peer mentorship program that supports students' academic, cultural, and social transition to UH Hilo. Ensure program activities align with Kipuka's student success framework through the integration of Hawai'i values, 'olelo Hawai'i, place-based learning, and evidence-informed student success practices.

2.
* Administer and manage the peer mentorship platform (e.g., Mentor Collective or similar systems) including coordinating mentor-mentee matching, facilitating and monitoring communication and engagement, and training and supervising peer mentors in effective platform use; serve as the primary liaison with the platform provider and participate in regular coordination meetings to support implementation and continuous program improvement.

3.
* Recruit, hire, train, supervise and evaluate peer mentors supporting first-year student programming.

4.
* Coordinate and oversee peer-mentor-led workshops, events, and activities that promote first-year student success and foster connection to place, community, and campus through culturally grounded engagement opportunities, leadership development, and relationship-building.

5.
* Design and facilitate additional programming that integrates Hawai'i values, 'olelo Hawai'i and place-based approaches in collaboration with the Makamakalehua coordinator team to foster connection, belonging, and student success among first-year students.

6. Develop and facilitate ongoing training and professional development for peer mentors, including leadership development, communication skills, culturally responsive practices, Hawaiian values-based approaches to student support, and referral protocols.

7. Build partnerships with UH Hilo departments, faculty, student services, and community partners to support coordinated services and referrals for first-year students.

8. Maintain accurate records of student participation and engagement and assist with program assessment, evaluation, and reporting efforts.

9. Work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends as needed, and perform other duties in support of Makamakalehua initiatives and broader campus student success efforts.

10. All other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Professional Work Experience:

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Education, Hawaiian Studies, Indigenous Studies, Sociology, Psychology, Social Sciences, Human Services, or related field and 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience with responsibilities for…