Director of Advising and Student Success

Founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York, the University of Mount Saint Vincent is an academically excellent, authentically inclusive, Catholic and ecumenical liberal arts university. The University combines a strong core curriculum with a full array of majors in the liberal arts and, within the tradition of liberal education, selected professional fields of study.

At Mount Saint Vincent, a student’s education extends beyond knowledge, skills, and preparation for work. We seek the development of the whole person. In the spirit of Vincent de Paul and Elizabeth Ann Seton, we foster an understanding of our common humanity, a commitment to human dignity, and a full appreciation of our obligations to each other.

Job Description:

The Director of Advising and Student Success provides strategic leadership for the University’s advising and student success efforts. The role ensures all student populations—undergraduate, graduate, online, domestic, transfer, and international—receive proactive, high-quality academic and holistic support that promotes persistence, timely graduation, and long-term success. The Director oversees the Advisement Office, leads professional advisors, manages advising systems and technology, and advances data-informed strategies to improve student retention, satisfaction, and completion rates.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Supervision

• Lead the operations and strategic direction of the UMSV Advisement Office.
• Provide ongoing training, supervisory support, performance evaluation, and professional development for advising staff.
• Implement and maintain a comprehensive advising model that promotes equity, early academic planning, and sustained student engagement across all programs and modalities.
• Foster a culture of student-centered service, continuous improvement, and accountability.

Student Success & Retention

• Design and implement innovation-driven retention strategies and support programs.
• Maintain a student caseload for academic and psychosocial advising, including course planning, registration, financial aid navigation, and resource referrals.
• Create and update academic profiles, progress reports, and service referrals to ensure timely intervention.
• Lead re-enrollment and re-engagement efforts for eligible withdrawn students.
• Work collaboratively with Academic Affairs to support undecided students and promote major exploration.
• Identify high-risk student populations and coordinate proactive outreach plans to improve persistence.
• Design and execute new student registration, ensuring proactive advising, timely course enrollment, and successful onboarding.
• Develop and implement non-registration intervention campaigns for continuing students, using data insights and targeted outreach to reduce melt and drive semester-to-semester persistence.

Collaboration & Campus Partnerships

• Collaborate closely with the Dean of the Undergraduate College/Vice Provost, Dean of Students, Registrar, Senior Director for Admission, Director of Financial Aid, and other institutional stakeholders.
• Work in partnership with School Deans and Assistant Deans to ensure effective advising coordination and escalation pathways.
• Ensure strategic alignment between Academic Standing plans and SAP guidelines.
• Partner with the Dean of the Undergraduate College/Vice Provost on academic plans, withdrawals, and escalated student matters.
• Ensure grant-funded advising positions remain compliant and well-integrated into departmental operations.
• Coordinate cross-departmental responses to student concerns to ensure seamless handoffs and holistic support.
• Design and deploy an annual communication calendar that outlines advising messages by student population, channel, and timing.
• Participate actively in institutional committees, task forces, and retention-focused initiatives.

Systems, Reporting & Metrics

• Analyze data related to retention, attrition, persistence, academic performance, and student needs; communicate findings to institutional stakeholders.
• Serve on the leadership team for EAB Navigate and act as the primary point person for system training, reporting, and updates.
• Track and report on advisor utilization, student appointments, event participation, communication campaigns, and outreach impact.
• Prepare and present weekly departmental reports to senior leadership (registration trends, credit hour analysis, retention performance, advising indicators, etc.).
• Use data insights to inform decision-making, strengthen advising efficiencies, and improve student outcomes.

Professional Development & Compliance

• Stay current with best practices, policies, and emerging trends in acade