Hesed Assistant Director & Student Success Coordinator

Concordia is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and in the world.

Position Summary

The Assistant Director & Student Success Coordinator plays a vital leadership role in the Hesed Program, providing holistic support to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as they pursue their educational and personal goals. This position is responsible for ensuring each advisees' academic, social, personal, and spiritual development through individualized planning, consistent mentoring, and comprehensive case management.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Student Success & Advising

• Develop and implement individualized student success plans incorporating academic, social, and spiritual goals
• Provide ongoing advising, coaching, and advocacy for students
• Monitor student progress, retention, and completion outcomes
• Facilitate the development of schedules, both Hesed courses and University courses, for the students and student support advisors
• Assist students with course selection and registration
• Encourage participation in chapel, Bible studies, and campus ministry
• Support students in connecting faith to decision-making and relationships

Recruitment, Admissions, & Onboarding

• Support promotional and informational campaigns directed at parents and students, individual and group tours, student shadow visits, curricular information sessions, parent to parent connections, and individual family conversations
• Organize and facilitate the admissions process, including assessment of students, interview, and conveying admission decisions
• Work within the community to develop referral sources by with and from school districts in the targeted regions for admissions
• Utilize university admissions software/programs to facilitate student applications and acceptances
• Collaborate with the Marketing Department to maintain and update recruitment materials
• Attend transition fairs and recruit at high schools or other community locations

Supervisory

• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise Student Support Advisors (student employees),
• Develop training curriculum focused on:
  • Academic support strategies
  • Social coaching and inclusion
  • Appropriate boundaries and student support roles
  • Disability awareness and best practices
• Assign Student Support Advisors to students based on needs, schedules, and strengths
• Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and performance evaluation
• Facilitate regular team meetings for training, reflection, and problem-solving
• Monitor effectiveness of student staff support and adjust assignments as needed
• Ensure student staff promote independence rather than over-reliance
• Participate in Hesed on-call responsibilities, crisis intervention, and conflict resolution

Family & Campus Collaboration

• Maintain appropriate communication with families/support networks
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and campus partners to ensure coordinated support
• Serve as a central point of contact for student concerns

Assessment & Reporting

• Track student progress and contribute to program evaluation efforts
• Maintain accurate student records and documentation
• Assist in deploying regular student assessment and review of student progress

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong advising, case management, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to navigate sensitive student situations with care and professionalism
• Commitment to faith-based student development
• Able to present a Christian and professional manner
• Ability to interact with a diverse set of students
• Knowledge of the needs of university students
• Successful participant in group work
• Able to deal with interruptions and work in a fast-paced environment