Assistant Director for New Student Success

The Assistant Director for New Student Success plays a critical role within Enrollment Management by supporting institutional goals related to new student yield, enrollment conversion, and first-year retention. Grounded in the Jesuit commitment to cura personalis—care for the whole person—this role integrates enrollment operations, student-centered programming, and data-informed outreach to support a seamless transition from admission through matriculation.

This position reports to the Assistant Vice Provost for Orientation, Transition, and New Student Success. Serving as a bridge between Admissions, Student Affairs, and Academic Affairs, the Assistant Director ensures that enrollment processes and new student programs are operationally sound, mission-aligned, and designed to promote belonging, academic engagement, and persistence.

Position Specific Responsibilities/Accountabilities

Supervision & Staffing Leadership

• Recruit, interview, train, supervise, and evaluate student staff and orientation leaders who provide critical support for new student programming, peer-support, and first-year success efforts.

• Develop and deploy a comprehensive, engaging student staff training program that prepares them for a multi-faceted, detail-oriented, and relational job.

• Oversee student staff scheduling to strategically manage student talent and maximize campus impact.

• Manage student staff hiring processes and approve timesheets in Workday.

• Manage the student staff communication plan, ensuring student staff receive a warm, guided onboarding process and remain motivated to contribute to the success of the program and new students on campus.

• Ensure staff are well-trained in institutional messaging, customer service, and FERPA-compliant practices.

New Student Programming & Experience

• Assist in the planning and execution of orientation and new student transition programs that support students in building key relationships and making a successful start at the university.

• Support operations and planning for large-scale welcome programming for 2000+ new students, including managing space reservations, supervising external vendor set-ups, monitoring catering arrangements, and submitting requests for required campus services.

• Manage student and guest accessibility requests.

• Design supplemental programs that deliver added value for students and families and offer an enhanced onboarding experience for all students.

• Track student attendance and participation for strategic assessment and outcome purposes.

• Develop and deliver innovative, thoughtful make-up orientation programming for students who miss the required new student events.

Enrollment Strategy, Registration & Yield Support

• Manage new student enrollment communication and processes, ensuring clarity, accessibility, and timely completion.

• Collaborate closely with Admissions and Enrollment Management to support recruitment-to-matriculation strategies.

• Support targeted outreach to deposited students to encourage engagement and reduce melt.

• Serve as a subject-matter expert on new student registration systems and enrollment timelines.

Student Outreach

• Support onboarding communication planning efforts in collaboration with Admissions and Marketing and Communications.

• Ensure messaging aligns with recruitment, yield, and onboarding timelines.

• Develop content that drives student action and engagement with university enrollment and matriculation tasks.

• Support segmented and targeted communication strategies based on student status, demographics, and engagement levels.

• Maintain accurate and accessible web and digital content related to onboarding and new student programs.

Retention & Student Success Collaboration

• Partner with Academic Advisors, the Office of the Registrar, and Student Affairs to support early institutional connections and academic preparedness.

• Identify early indicators of risk (e.g., non-registration) and coordinate interventions, such as call campaigns and personalized outreach.

• Support retention-focused initiatives that connect enrollment processes to long-term student success.

Assessment, Data & Continuous Improvement

• Collect and analyze data related to yield, registration completion, program participation, and retention.

• Coordinate and conduct focus groups on a regular basis.

• Prepare dashboards and reports for Enrollment Management leadership.

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