2339 Director, Darr College of Agriculture Student Success and Advisement Center

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Director, Darr College of Agriculture Student Success and Advisement Center

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 2339

GRADE 46

CLASSIFICATION Exempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Dean, Darr College of Agriculture

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Director, Darr College of Agriculture (DCOA) Student Success and Advisement Center directs, plans, implements, and coordinates the activities and operations of the Center. This position serves as a liaison between faculty and academic departments to foster college-wide communication and to support the mission and strategic initiatives of the College and University as they specifically relate to academic advising, student success, and retention. The Director, DCOA Student Success and Advisement Center manages the center’s budget and staff, hires, supervises, trains, and evaluates staff, and ensures advising resources are effectively utilized to provide comprehensive academic advising and support services for undergraduate students within the College. In collaboration with DCOA administration, this role establishes long-and short-range goals and objectives related to student recruitment and retention activities, including coordinating DCOA representation/participation in various student events, utilizes college-wide data to maximize student success practices and procedures, serves as a liaison between the College and University to proactively support and participate in campus-wide efforts to facilitate retention and graduation, and serves on the College leadership team.

EDUCATION

Education: A Master’s degree in a discipline related to education, higher education administration, or a related field is required. A working knowledge in the field of higher education agricultural programs is preferred. An equivalent combination of years of experience and education may be considered for substitution of educational requirements.

Experience: At least five years of experience is required in higher education, which includes academic advising and administrative duties. Teaching experience is preferred. Experience advising various student populations, including academically at-risk students, is preferred. Experience with federal, state, and higher education policies and procedures is preferred. Experience in the field of agricultural programs is preferred. Demonstrated success in student retention, program development, and collaboration with faculty and staff is highly valued.

Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, interpersonal skills (particularly in working with a diverse student population), and strong organizational and management skills are required. Computer literacy is required.

Other: The scope of the position occasionally requires work in the evenings and on weekends.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensures that the essential student service of quality academic advisement is provided to students in DCOA by establishing a student-oriented advising environment.

2. Ensures the success of the DCOA Student Success and Advisement Center through the development of policies, procedures, and advisement guidelines, the preparation of long- and short-range goals and objectives, setting priorities for meeting student advising needs, and evaluating progress toward accomplishment of those goals and objectives.

3. Assigns advisor training and development activities to ensure that academic advisors are provided with accurate information about campus resources, rules and regulations, and academic programs.

4. Ensures that faculty and primary role advisors are familiar with research on the importance of academic advising, different approaches to academic advising, and can develop appropriate advising relationships with all students.

5. Coordinates the services of the DCOA Student Success and Advisement Center with units within the College by regular communication with academic unit leaders, faculty, and staff.

6. Provides an essential student service of academic advising by being knowledgeable of academic policies and procedures unique to Missouri State University, assisting students in determining academic goals, choosing courses appropriate for those goals, supporting students in decision-making and learning how to accept responsibility for their decisions, assisting all students (not just advisees) seeking academic information, and directing students to resources within the University that provide further assistance in making career, major, and academic choices.

7. Develops a competent and effective advisement staff by providing opportunities and support for professional development, assigning appropriate academic advising responsibilities, and evaluating individual performance.

8. Manages funds by planning, developing, and controlling the DCOA Student Success and Advisement Center budget.

9. Ensures the effectiveness of the advising process by maintaining electronic advising files for all assigned advisees and using information from the University’s database to advise students appropriately.

10. Aids DCOA efforts in advising, student success, and retention events and activities such as Major’s Fair, Showcase events, SOAR, and career fairs/expos and workshops.

11. Consults and collaborates with recruiting and marketing efforts of the DCOA.

12. Coordinates the development and maintenance of partnerships with high school dual credit programs and community college programs and transfer agreements.

13. Participates as a member of the University community by serving on committees as requested by the DCOA Dean.

14. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses as directed by the DCOA Dean

15. Contributes to the overall success of DCOA by performing all other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION

The Director of DCOA Student Success and Advisement Center supervises professional, clerical and support personnel, graduate assistants, and student employees, as well as faculty advisors with assignments in the Advisement Center.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED JANUARY 2025

JOB FAMILY 4

Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery

Level 5.0 - 3300 Points: Knowledge of the principles and methods of an administrative, managerial, or professional field such as accounting or auditing, financial management, information technology, business administration, human resources, engineering, law, social sciences, communications, education, or medicine. Knowledge permits employee to supervise projects and/or departments using standard methods to improve administrative and/or line operations. Knowledge also permits employee to plan steps and carry out multi-phase projects requiring problem definition and modified techniques, to coordinate work with others, and to modify methods and procedures to solve a wide variety of problems. Knowledge at this level requires a Bachelor's or Master's degree with substantial related work experience, including up to two years of administrative or supervisory experience. Alternatively, this level may require a professional or clinical degree beyond the Bachelor's degree with moderate related work experience; knowledge requirements include significant levels of related work experience.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 4.0 - 470 Points: Supervision of (a) a moderate number of operative, administrative support, or paraprofessional employees who do not exercise a full range of supervisory responsibilities over other full-time employees, (b) a small number of professional employees who exercise limited supervision of others, or (c) large numbers of student workers or graduate assistants, or some equivalent combination of the above. The incumbent performs a full range of supervisory responsibilities including performance reviews of subordinates. The incumbent is responsible for training, planning, and directing the work of permanent employees, and generally controls hiring decisions. Supervisory responsibilities consume moderate amounts of work time and may include general work planning tasks.

Factor 3: Interactions with Others

Level 4.0 - 500 Points: Interactions with others are somewhat unstructured. The purpose may be to influence or motivate others, to obtain information, or to control situations and resolve problems. Interactions may be with individuals or groups of co-workers, students, or the general public, may be moderately unstructured, and may involve persons who hold differing goals and objectives. Individuals at this level often act as a liaison between groups with a focus on solving particular unstructured problems. Interactions at this level require considerable interpersonal skill and the ability to resolve conflict.

Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines

Level 3.0 - 500 Points: The employee operates under general supervision expressed in terms of program goals and objectives, priorities, and deadlines. Administrative supervision is given through statements of overall program or project objectives and available resources. Administrative guidelines are relatively comprehensive and the employee need only to fill in gaps in interpretation and adapt established methods to perform recurring activities. In unforeseen situations, the employee must interpret inadequate or incomplete guidelines, develop plans, and initiate new methods to complete assignments based on those interpretations. Assignments are normally related in function, but the work requires many different processes and methods applied to an established administrative or professional field. Problems are typically the result of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, or incomplete or conflicting data. The employee must interpret and refine methods to complete assignments. Characteristic jobs at this level may involve directing single-purpose programs or performing complex, but precedented, technical or professional work.

Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility

Level 4.0 - 1500 Points: Work involves the primary accountability for a smaller department, program, or process. Work activities involve managerial decisions that directly affect the efficiency, costs, reputation, and service quality of the department, program, or process. Work affects a limited range of professional projects or administrative activities of the University. Work activities have a direct and substantial impact on the department. While work activities do have some effect on the efficiency and reputation of the cost center, departments, programs, or processes at this level represent a relatively minor function within the cost center. Employees in jobs at this level may have responsibility for developing budgets, distributing budgeted funds, and exercising the primary control over a relatively small budget.