Job Description

High-level Position Area Summary: 

• Lead wayfinding support for First year students
• Identity Focused FG support
• Outreach and communication

LSA First-Generation Commitment is searching for an energetic and action-oriented Assistant Director for the new and exciting department who will play an important role in the development, advancement, and expansion of our mission to provide targeted support for First-Generation and historically underserved students as they matriculate to and through their experience within the College of Literature, Science, and Arts at the University of Michigan.

Description/Position Overview: The First-Generation student population at the University of Michigan is growing, and this newly developed and expanding Commitment will provide students with proactive wraparound support to successfully and easily navigate and maximize key institutional resources, experiences, and programs to ensure their successful persistence. The College of LSA is an innovative thought leader and believer in the power of a liberal arts education. These engagement opportunities will support all First-Generation, economically marginalized, and historically underserved students within the College of LSA through structural wayfinding support and personalized student engagement and support. 

Areas of Responsibility
The Assistant Director for First-Generation Commitment's primary responsibility is to manage, coordinate, and lead the administrative, operational, and program activities of the First-Generation Commitment with a specific target on incoming first-gen college students. The Assistant Director will also oversee several of the administrative functions for the program.  The chosen candidate will collaborate with university/college leadership, faculty, staff, and students from across the entire College, both internal and external constituencies to understand and develop support to address key barriers for incoming First-Generation and underserved student populations. The Assistant Director will also assist with the development, implementation, and evaluation of the First-Generation Commitment, and broader University-wide student access, belonging, engagement, and success efforts, programs, and initiatives. 

The Assistant Director will report to the Director of First-Generation Commitment. 

Primary Job Responsibilities

Coordination of First Year First-Generation Commitment initiatives, including exploration and implementation of programs to scale support, and other student-related activities. (50%)

• Lead the exploration, development, implementation, evaluation, and scaling of commitment programmatic efforts to proactively support and engage first year, first time students within the College of Literature, Science, and Arts (LSA). 
• In partnership with the team, co-leads recruitment and outreach efforts for incoming First year, First-Generation students into the program(s).  
• Provides holistic academic and success coaching to current and prospective First-Generation and underserved students within the College of Literature Arts and Sciences (LSA). 
• Serves as the lead programmer for first year, First-Generation students efforts for the Commitment. 
• Develop, coordinate, and lead onboarding experiences for new First time, First-Generation students within LSA. 
• Assist or lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of general and targeted programmatic efforts and initiatives for First-Generation and underserved backgrounds and communities. 
• Provide holistic student success coaching support in one-on-one or group settings to First-Generation and historically underserved students in the College of LSA. 
• Maintain a working knowledge of emerging national trends and best practices in the areas of First-Generation student success, liberal arts and sciences pedagogy and best practices as it relates to supporting holistic student success. 
• Provide leadership, direction, and support to student employees.
  

Stakeholder Engagement (25%) 

• Identify, develop, and build internal (UM) and external partnerships to deliver program content and expand programming capacity, specifically for First Year students. 
• Co-lead and oversee the implementation and evaluation of all institute components including recruitment, onboarding, training, communicating, and evaluation. 
• Serve as the lead administrator of the institute, including serving as an instructor, curriculum and institute design, and other roles as appropriate. 
  

Communication and Outreach (25%)

• Lead designing, promoting, and disseminating information about the institute. 
• Coordinate all logistics and programmatic activities for the institute. 
• Develop an assessment and evaluation plan, leveraging appropriate resources to understand the institute's impact, reach, and opportunities for continued improvement. 
• Coordinate logistical and administrative elements of programs and events. 
• Assist with the recruitment, marketing/communication, and student engagement/programming efforts for the First-Generation Commitment. 
• Collaborate with college and university units to assess student needs and deliver appropriate academic, cultural, personal and professional development programming.
• Serve as a liaison to campus (university-affiliated boards, committees, task forces) community partners (organizations) throughout the University of Michigan. 
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned. 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
• 1-3 years' experience working with college aged, first generation, and/or studying and understanding the unique experiences, challenges, and opportunities related to first generation students and Student Affairs  
• 1- 3 or more years of experience advising students 
• 1-3 years of event management experience 
• Demonstrated investment in creating equity, equitable access, and inclusive engagement; commitment to furthering the development of antiracist practice
• Passionate about success of first generation college students  
• Exemplary public speaking skills 
• Strong organizational skills 
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously 

• Graduate degree in relevant field 
• 3+ years serving in a leadership role in Student Affairs focusing on retention-related initiatives on a college campus.  
• Previous experience as a success coach
• Experience in a newly developing initiative, and a demonstrated ability to adapt to change
• Previous experience working with historically First-Generation and/or underserved student populations in a higher education environment. 
• Experience in a liberal arts and sciences program.
• Working knowledge of academic units, structures and goals and demonstrated success engaging internal and external partners across academic settingsExperience with career related programs in a large university setting
• Familiarity with using technology or relationship building and strategy to scale relationships and tracking of connection. 

The statements included in this description are intended to reflect the general nature and level of work assigned to this role and should not be interpreted as all-inclusive. 
As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion in LSA, please visit lsa.umich.edu/lsa/dei . 

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision . 

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.

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