Director, Retention and Academic Advising

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The Director of Retention and Academic Advising is responsible for increasing retention and the leadership, administration, coordination, and delivery of academic advising across Bucks County Community College. The Director works across the college to lead retention initiatives, manages personnel and offerings of the professional advisors and support staff, coordinates advising provided by faculty advisors within the academic schools and personnel across all campuses, and leads development and revision of curricular content regarding advising, degree program and course selection.

The Director will foster a college-wide community of practice that focuses on retention and the accessibility and impact of advising, use of data to inform improvement retention and advising practices, implementation of effective practices and tools, and assessment of advising and student success.

The Director promotes student persistence through effective academic advising, educational planning, degree progression support, and timely connection of students to campus resources and services.

The Director works collaboratively with colleagues across the College to ensure that advising-related retention efforts are data-informed and effective, and that advising services and strategies effectively meet the needs of students at various stages in their academic careers and life paths. In particular, the Director ensures close alignment with the Office of Admissions, the Registrar, the Academic Success Center, the academic Deans, and the campus directors.

The Director works in close collaboration with the Director of Transfer & Prior Learning Assessment and the Director of Cooperative Education & Career Services to help position students for post-graduation success, the Director of Student Engagement & Leadership Development to provide out-of-class offerings for students, and works with instructors of COLL 101 Orientation to College and GUID 101 Introduction to Guided Studies on course content related to advising and degree program and course selection.

The Director serves as the subject matter expert and central point of contact for faculty, staff, and students regarding retention and advising; ensures advising programs, services, resources, and events are in close alignment with the goals of Bucks County Community College and national advising standards; and manages the unit budget and supplies.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Lead, administer, and coordinate retention initiatives and the delivery of academic advising across Bucks County Community College.

Manage professional advisors and support staff and evaluate their performance.

Lead the development and revision of curricular content regarding advising, degree programs, and course selection.

Oversee retention initiatives and advising operations at all three physical campuses and Bucks Online and coordinate advising provided by faculty advisors within the academic schools and personnel across all campuses to ensure the timely and effective delivery of advising.

Monitor advising-related student success indicators, including educational plan completion, registration progression, and retention outcomes, and recommend improvements to advising practices and student support processes.

Collaborate with colleagues across the College to ensure advising services and approaches meet the needs of students at various stages in their academic careers and points in life.

Ensure representation of Academic Advising staff at college functions for prospective, new, returning, and/or current students – including high school dual enrollment students – and participate in such functions.

Foster a college-wide community of practice that focuses on accessibility and impact of advising, use of data to inform improvement of retention initiatives and advising practices, implementation of…