Coordinator of the Early Intervention Program & Student Success Coach

Description

The Coordinator of the Early Intervention Program (‘EIP’) and Student Success Coach is a part of the professional staff that supports student success and retention. Specifically, this individual supports specific student populations while managing alerts in Navigate and leading the Student Persistence Team. As a Student Success Coach, the person in this position will assist students whose struggles are identified through alerts and cases in Navigate or simple communications with staff and faculty. All the components of this position require this role to be on-campus and in close collaboration and effective communications with faculty, staff, students, and offices across campus.

At Westminster College, we believe in immersive and enriching experiences that inspire creative thinking and problem solving. We believe in creating opportunities for several different paths to success over a lifetime and the potential to make an impact from wherever you are. For our students, we do this by providing real-world, hands-on learning opportunities, small class sizes, and talented professors dedicated to the individual. Our employees often remark that our tight-knit community creates an atmosphere fostering campus involvement that adapts to all interests. As a result, Westminster continues to be recognized for its excellence in higher education as one of the best small liberal arts colleges in the Midwest.

Requirements

Essential Functions:

Student Success Coach

The person in this role will articulate and adopt a coaching / mentoring model aligned with the needs of student populations they serve in the areas of learning and studying, skills, motivation, development of a growth mindset, time management, life-work balance etc. They must be non-judgmental and passionate about making a difference in their students’ lives and guiding them to success. A general belief in human ability to grow, change, and improve will allow them to effectively support the students, regardless of their background. 

• Evaluate student learning preferences, skills, deficiencies, and goals; identify appropriate learning resources for them to use and facilitate their use of these resources through effective referrals
• Use different approaches (for example, appreciative advising) to help students identify their weakness and strengths, become goal-oriented, achieve self-efficacy, and build resilience
• Direct the students to engage with faculty in any area where they require extensive academic support
• Monitor student academic progress by communicating effectively with each student and intervene as necessary to assist those students having difficulties
• Direct students to set career goals and use career planning resources and services
• Use effective methods to help students develop accountability for their decisions and an understanding of how those decisions impact their success
• Provide students with practical advice on creating a lifestyle that facilitates their success and building a supportive personal environment
• Encourage students to engage in campus activities, organizations, or types of experiential learning that will help them feel connected and inspired to explore opportunities around them

Coordinator of the Early Intervention Program (EIP)

The EIP Coordinator manages the early alert system and interventions with the goal to assist students who struggle academically for different reasons. Through a combination of coaching and proactive advising, the person in this position helps Westminster students with developing academic survival skills and finding a balance between studying and other aspects of their lives (see above). 

• Manage the alert / case function in Navigate to identify students at risk for attrition, as well as track and process concerns
• Follow up with students, faculty, and staff until the issues are solved and the cases can be closed
• Maintain confidential documentation of action plans
• Prepare and lead meetings with the Student Persistence Team and coordinate efforts with the Student Success and Retention team in order to maximize the impact of the interventions
• Conduct student success meetings with at-risk students and make recommendations for academic review boards
• Attend weekly meetings with the supervisor to develop strategies for the success of the program and a student persistence framework that is cohesive, theoretically sound, and applicable to real life situations
• Contribute to developing and updating campus policies, procedures and documentation to improve workflow, which includes early alerts, concussion protocol, campus withdrawals, and non-returning student process
• Manage exit interviews and make appropriate campus referrals, as needed. Carefully track and report withdrawal and