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The Executive Director, Student Retention and Success will be responsible for the management and organization of student retention and success. This position will work directly with senior leadership to develop new initiatives for student retention and success. The Executive Director will be responsible for evaluating the current structure, initiatives, committees, and reports in place and make recommendations that will provide strategic direction for creating a seamless structure to support retention and persistence practices. Willingness to travel to campus as needed.

Responsibilities:

The Executive Director will report to the Executive Vice President of Student Affairs and will be responsible for analyzing, monitoring, and improving the retention of the student population.
The Executive Director will collect, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data for the purposes of implementing innovative practices and strategies around retention and student success.
The Executive Director will work closely with Student Services, Student Affairs, Academy Resource Center, Institutional Effectiveness, Enrollment Management, and Financial Aid and will provide strategic vision and leadership to the University.
Monitor student advancement across careers toward degree completion and graduation rates to develop a comprehensive plan for improving student retention and graduation rates, and to report this information each semester to all units and personnel involved in retention efforts.
Serve as a liaison between Student Services, Enrollment Management and Academic Departments to build opportunities for collaboration and persistence partnerships.
Demonstrate and support outreach strategies that contribute to the engagement and development of students from a range of backgrounds, particularly those from minoritized populations (e.g., Pell-grant recipients, first generation college students, LGBTQ+ students, and International Students)
Collaborate with various constituencies on campus to create, support, and assess initiatives and programming designed to increase retention and graduation rates.
Establish targeted strategies, initiatives, and programming for first generation, underserved, and minoritized students, Pell-grant recipients, high achieving students, international students, such as mentoring, team building, navigating college sessions, specialized support, and other co-curricular activities.
Demonstrates and support effective intercultural engagement among employees and students and foster an inclusive atmosphere.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred.
Five to Ten years of directly related experience working with student retention and success.
Excellent organizational, communication, interpersonal, and creative problem-solving skills.
Ability to work individually and to collaborate well with high-level administrators, faculty, staff, and students.
Strong understanding of admissions, financial aid, registrar, student accounts, and student support services.
Ability to collect, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data for the purposes of implementing innovative practices and strategies around retention and student success.
Ability to appropriately budget for and monitor the financial cost of new retention initiatives.
Current knowledge AND PROVEN TRACK RECORD of evidence-based best practices related to retention and student success in a for-profit university.
Demonstrated commitment to a culturally and socio-economically diverse learning environment.
Align initiatives created and data reported to University Strategic Plan.

Benefits:

Compensation:

$100,000.00 - $135,000.00; based on experience & location.

Willingness to travel to campus as needed.

Application Deadline: September 30, 2025

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About Us

Academy of Art University, established in 1929 by Richard S. Stephens, transforms aspiring students into professional artists and designers. For three generations, the Stephens family has been devoted to the development of aspiring artists and has held the fundamental belief that with proper instruction, hard work and dedication, students can learn the skills necessary to become artistic professionals.

Academy of Art University jobs

Executive Director, Student Retention and Success