Director of Student Engagement and Success: College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies - UTK

The College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, invites applications for a Director of Student Engagement and Success. Reporting to the Assistant Dean, this position plays a pivotal role in building meaningful connections with current and prospective students, fostering a vibrant college culture, and supporting students on their academic and professional journey.

The Director of Student Engagement and Success works closely with CECS faculty and staff to promote student-facing initiatives—including events, mentorship programs, and experiential learning opportunities—while also serving as a knowledgeable resource to those exploring CECS offerings. This position will be responsible for building the student engagement and success infrastructure for CECS to meet student recruitment, experiential learning, professional development, and placement metrics for in-person and online students. This will require a commitment to student success, inclusive engagement, and collaborative partnerships across campus. This position will involve strategic thinking, ongoing problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, and lots of enthusiasm. This position is ideal for a candidate who is looking to move into the next phase of their career by bringing their insights, experiences, and energy to a new college looking to innovate. 

Student Engagement & Support

The Director of Student Engagement and Success leads efforts to foster belonging and student community through events and initiatives to meet well-defined strategic metrics. They: 

• Develop strategies to meet student engagement and success metrics. 
• Lead the development and implementation of CECS student organizations, clubs, competitions and other experiential learning activities, working with faculty and campus partners. 
• Lead the organization of CECS events and initiatives such as graduation ceremonies, career fairs, orientation sessions, and other event tasks as needed. They also represent CECS at campus events for students. 
• Develop and maintain the CECS Student Handbook and CECS Canvas Portal, ensuring updates are clearly communicated to students.
• Supervise the Student Advisory Council by overseeing the election process, facilitating regular meetings, and organizing events.
• Supervise Student Ambassadors, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, and performance development. 
• Identify and coordinate with partners, including student organizations and campus events, to ensure campus awareness of CECS offerings. 
• Act as the CECS liaison to UTK’s Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration (CCDAE), supporting career readiness and internship pathways, including annual participation in related career fairs. 
• Contribute to the RISE Mentorship program by supporting the RISE Base Camp events, managing student onboarding through RISE Climb, coordinating peer support through the RISE Team model, and leading the organization of the annual RISE Summit Showcase. 

Collaborative Recruitment Support

The Director of Student Engagement and Success is responsible for creating and implementing an annual strategy for collaboration and recruitment to meet well-defined strategic metrics. They: 

• Develop strategies to meet student recruitment and enrollment metrics. 
• Develop programs and products for prospective students and applicants in line with UTK policies and protocols, as well as all recruitment and promotional materials.
• Working closely with the Assistant Dean, and event coordinator, coordinate the planning and logistics for major recruitment events such as the Big Orange Preview (BOP), New Vol Admit Day, and other UT-wide onboarding and recruitment events.
• Collaborate with Enrollment Management and Admissions to support participation in high school visits, college fairs, and other recruitment efforts.
• Work with campus partners to ensure a sense of belonging in CECS programs for all students, particularly exploratory, transfer, veterans, and students from non-traditional pathways.
• Lead CECS K-12 outreach efforts and cultivate high school partnerships that align with CECS’s academic mission and future talent goals, including strategic initiatives and partnerships in this area. 
• Support CECS proposals that involve K-12 engagement, collect and present data, manage contacts as needed
• Support Assistant Dean in developing and implementing pre-collegiate curricular and co-c