Director of Rise Academy

Job title: Director of Rise Academy

Company: Chicago State University

Job description: Posting Number S25235P
Posting Date
Closing Date
Title Director of Rise Academy
Working Title Director of Rise Academy
Salary Range $85,000 Annual
Employee Class Administrator
Department Rise Academy
Full-time/ Part-time Full-time
Specialization
Hours Per Week 40+
Standard Work Week Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm, some evenings and weekends
BenefitsThis position is eligible for health, dental, life insurance and other benefits through Chicago State University. Click here for a complete list of benefits:
Job SummaryUnder the supervision of the Dean of Student Success, the Director of Rise Academy provides strategic leadership for initiatives that promote student access, transition, persistence, and success, with an emphasis on academically at-risk and historically underrepresented populations. The Director is responsible for the oversight and execution of our signature, first-year student success programming, through the Rise Academy summer transition program, year-round support structures, and cultural and social cohort-based engagement efforts.Primary ResponsibilitiesProgram Oversight:
Lead, manage, and evaluate the Rise Academy summer transition program and its year-round wraparound services, ensuring alignment with university retention and persistence goals.Student Success Leadership:
Work collaboratively with other Student Success leaders on campus to design and deliver data-informed, academically focused outreach and transition initiatives for first- year underrepresented students, including those from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.First-Year Experience Support:
Provide leadership for first-year student initiatives, ensuring cross-collaboration with other departments (e.g., Academic Advising, Enrollment Management, Athletics) to support holistic student development and success.Staff Supervision and Collaboration:
Provide direct supervision to the Rise Coordinator and collaborate with the Director of Academic Advising to support and guide the first-year advisor assigned to Rise students.Data Collection and Reporting:
Collect, analyze, and report programmatic and student success data to the Dean of Student Success. Monitor key performance indicators (e.g., enrollment, retention, academic standing) to inform strategy and continuous improvement efforts.This position is one of six directors reporting to the Dean of Student Success, who reports to the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. While part of the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of Student Success (OSS) functions at the intersection of Academic and Student Affairs, fostering integrated support models that improve outcomes for first year and continuing students.
Job Description

• Coordinate the Rise Academy and serve as primary point of contact for students and parents/guardians/care takers of participants. Responsibilities include, but not limited to, coordination of student recruitment and application process and enrollment-related activities; reserving space for programmatic activities; coordinating schedule of transition courses and additional logistical support as needed;
• Program development to increase academic rigor of the program to include, confirming speakers, workshops, and materials, as well as confirming bridge courses for the participants, communication with professors and administrators engaged with the programs including those teaching the courses;
• Prepare and maintain reporting, information sheets, website related to Rise Academy in coordination with Office of External Affairs and Web support
• Identify trends in literature for best practices in the success of first generation, underrepresented and low income students;
• Maintain a historic record of changes regarding Rise Academy, including programmatic changes and rationale.
• Maintain retention and persistence data on Rise Academy scholars and comparison data from year to year.
• Support the development of external partners for the program.
• Monitor academic and personal progress of participants in Rise Academy throughout their matriculation at the University.
• Supervisory responsibilities for peer mentors, student workers and graduate assistants
• Assist in the selection of courses, instructors and workshop leaders for the program and evaluation of their effectiveness in the program.
• Evaluation of the policies and procedures for the program and provide recommendations on program structure.
• Coordinate with Enrollment Management, Financial Aid and IT to ensure services needed for successful implementation of the Rise Academy including but not limited to orientation, information sessions, application of scholarships, securing of technology resources.
• Teach at least one section of Freshman Seminar 1500 as a primary instructor.
• Direct outreach and recruitment for Rise Academy, services, and scholarship through presence at admissions events, as well as social media and other electronic or mail outreach and materials.
• Coordinate with academic advisors to assess support needs and collaborating with units within and outside of Academic and Student Affairs to resolve student issues, including referrals to campus or community-based services: Early Identification Program, Financial Aid, Admissions Office, Office of the Registrar, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Academic departments;
• Develop annual program outcomes, evaluations, and annual reporting for above stated programs, including relevant national, local, and campus-wide trends and needs for identified student populations. Alignment with learning and programming outcomes for the department as well as evaluations of those outcomes on a regular basis;
• Manage the budget for programs and purchasing of programming supplies, monitoring of work hours for supervised staff, as well as responsible management of funds. Work with University offices on opportunities for external funding for Rise Academy.
• Ensure adherence to university policies and procedures and maintain compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Maintain academic advising and other student records in compliance with University and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Develop and maintain appropriate relationships with students, parents, faculty, staff and community partners.
• Engage in behaviors that create a strong ethical culture and an inclusive environment in which all people are valued, supported, and respected.
• Actively participate in professional development opportunities and professional organizations, as well as university-wide committees, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in counseling, higher education, or related field at the time of hire;
• Four years direct work with first generation and first year college students in a college setting or experience with first generation students in a related, educational setting;
• The ability to engage diverse communities in college-readiness, cohort building, problem solving strategies, interpersonal and/or group conflict resolution skills;
• A commitment to student leadership development and learning through programming and data-driven strategies;
• The ability to apply qualitative and quantitative assessment protocol.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate degree (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) in higher education, student affairs, counseling, or a closely related field.
• Six or more years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, particularly in developing, managing, or assessing programs that serve first-generation, at-risk, or underrepresented college students.
• Experience in leading summer bridge or first-year experience programs with demonstrated positive outcomes in retention and persistence.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and supervise teams, including professional staff and student workers, within a student success or academic support context.
• Experience with data-informed decision-making, including the development and use of student success dashboards, predictive analytics platforms (e.g., Navigate360, Argos), and assessment tools to inform programming.
• Proven ability to build cross-functional collaborations across academic and student affairs units.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience with grant writing or securing external funding to support student success initiatives.
• Strong understanding of equity-minded practices and inclusive leadership, particularly with regard to serving students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Computer/technology skills to conduct academic advising duties and create/process documents. Attention to detail, ability to organize and prioritize work, and understand/interpret policies and procedures.
• Ability to collaborate with others, be flexible and adaptive, and handle numerous tasks with frequent interruptions.

Additional Applicant InformationNo offline applications will be accepted for this position.
Physical Requirement/ DemandsThis position requires working on a computer and sitting for extended periods of time, as well as walking across campus to various departments and may involve stairs or elevators.
Work EnvironmentThis is an in-person position located on CSU’s campus located at 9501 S. King Drive Avenue, housed within the Cordell Reed Student Union Building.

Expected salary: $85000 per year

Location: Chicago, IL

Job date: Sat, 07 Jun 2025 07:20:31 GMT

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