Academic Success and Events Coordinator

Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes Best Employers lists each year. Including:
2024 - Ranking in the top 8.5% on Forbes Americas Best Midsize Employers list, WCU was ranked 34 out of the top 400 employers across all industries.
2023 - Ranked in the top 20% on Forbes Americas Best Midsize Employers list, WCU was ranked 97 out of the top 500 employers across all industries.
2022 - Ranked 14th in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes Americas Best Employers by State list.
Western Carolina University is the UNC systems westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South.
Employees of WCU are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans - eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan.

Optional disability plans are also available.
Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employee may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year.

Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.
WCU offers an abundance of training and development programs, certifications, workshops and conferences - many of which are offered free of charge.

The primary location of this position is the Cullowhee, NC campus.

The Office of Student Retention implements targeted interventions to support student success, guided by evidence-based practices and institutional data and analytics. The Academic Success and Events Coordinator will play a crucial role in these efforts by providing individual student support, coordinating large-scale events, and offering program support to the Office. Specifically, the coordinator will offer academic coaching and implement targeted interventions for at-risk students, including teaching LC 101, an academic recovery course designed to improve academic and self-management skills.

The role involves assisting in the development and execution of programs to enhance upper-class student retention and persistence.

Additionally, the coordinator will manage the planning and execution of major annual events such as New Student Convocation, Chancellors List Celebration, and First Gen Celebration Week. Responsibilities also include creating marketing materials and overseeing the Offices social media presence, assessing and evaluating programs for continuous improvement, and performing office duties such as managing academic standing issues, processing appeals, and facilitating re-admission after suspension or dismissal.

This role is highly collaborative, and the selected candidate must be able to collaborate with student retention staff, faculty and staff in academic colleges, student affairs, academic support units, and athletics. The program coordinator will assist in the creation and implementation of cross-campus initiatives to support student retention and persistence. As part of a relatively new office dedicated to supporting students, the Academic Success and Events Coordinator will have the exciting opportunity to contribute creatively to the offices vision and to develop innovative student programming in collaboration with cross-campus partners.