Advising and Retention Coach

Overview

Advising and Retention Coach role at Northwest Mississippi Community College (DeSoto Campus). This is a full-time, 12-month position reporting to the DeSoto Center Manager of Student Services. It is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The Academic Advising and Retention Coach, within the Advising and Retention Center, supports the college mission by helping students draw upon cultural, communal, and identity-based ways of knowing to achieve educational outcomes. The role includes developing holistic academic success plans, assisting with course selection and planning, and meeting graduation requirements.

Responsibilities include working with students to develop course plans that support career choices and degree requirements, recommending and/or approving exceptions to registration and related policies, assisting students through college transitions and milestones, teaching and managing student success resources, and supporting students facing academic difficulties or learning, psychological, or physical challenges. The coach will partner with academic support professionals to train and mentor students in areas such as student success skills and utilization of campus resources.

The role supports NWCC strategic initiatives in enrollment advising, retention, student success, and student engagement.

Apply by attaching and submitting the required materials noted below.

Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications are listed in the sections that follow.

General Advising (60%)

• Apply knowledge of curricular options, requirements, policies, and academic planning to assist a caseload of 200-400 on-campus and/or online students in making registration choices that promote degree progress and engagement.
• Monitor and document student progress to proactively intervene, advocate, and connect students with resources and solutions to academic difficulties and barriers.
• Coach students through major and career decision-making processes in collaboration with faculty mentors to assist degree completion.
• Develop and utilize relationships with faculty and student affairs educators to deliver effective advising and support services.
• Use interpersonal techniques (active listening, empathy, questioning) to build trusting relationships and promote sense of belonging.
• Apply student development theories and advising practices to assess readiness and support students with diverse assets and goals.
• Review student records to certify degree completion and determine satisfactory progress status.
• Evaluate and act on requests for policy exceptions; consult with colleagues as appropriate for final decisions.
• Use technology and data interpretation to communicate accurate information about students and perform degree planning.
• Counsel students using independent judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Document meetings and communications with and about students in the learning management system (CANVAS).
• Assist in developing advising procedures for new student orientation and serve as advisor during all orientation dates.
• Offer new, creative approaches to advising goals, including the use of group modalities.

Student Success Coaching (20%)

• Collaborate on the development, implementation, and assessment of a comprehensive student success and retention plan with focus on theory-informed, inclusive, and data-informed practices.
• Participate in planning and implementation of student success initiatives, workshops, orientations, and programs.
• Collaborate with a small team to develop and modify student success and retention curriculum for new students.
• Provide student success coaching and mentoring from orientation through matriculation and onward to completion.

Leadership (20%)

• Stay current with professional associations and trends in student affairs.
• Provide input on development, evaluation, and continuous improvement of advising systems and processes.
• Contribute to program development and evaluation metrics.
• Leverage technology to improve outreach and promote timely academic progress toward a degree.

• Ability to research, comprehend, and interpret complex regulations, rules, and policies.
• Professional demeanor with consistent communication.
• Strong verbal and written communication, time management, and human relations skills.
• Ability to identify problems, think critically, and solve problems; sound judgment and decision-making.

• Talk, hear, view, and assist students; communicate in person, via telephone, Zoom, and live chat.
• Sit, use hands, and reach with arms; stand, walk, stoop, or kneel.
• Occasionally lift and/or move items weighing 15-20 pounds.

To apply, please attach and submit the following:

• Application thwestms.edu
• Resume
• Transcripts
• Three (3) Professional References (Name, Organization, and Phone Number)

• Mid-Senior level

• Full-time

• Other

• Higher Education

Referrals increase your chances of…