Assistant Director, Learning Services

Department: University Life

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On-Site Required

Salary: Salary range starting in the mid $60k's; commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Learning Services addresses the needs of students in the general student body and in specific populations including those in academic difficulty, in high-risk courses, culturally diverse groups, traditionally underprepared groups, and students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. In addition, Learning Services provides support to faculty and staff in their efforts to improve student learning. Learning Services provides a variety of free, experience-based learning opportunities for the Mason Community through one-on-one academic coaching, academic success workshops, and online resources.

About the Position:

Reporting to the Associate Director, the Assistant Director, Learning Services specializes in the coordination and development of learning support to serve all students across a top-tier research institution with a minority-serving designation. The Assistant Director works to provide direct student service, staff supervision, operational oversight, and management of learning support programs within Learning Services, which are vital to student retention, completion, and overall success. These programs include:

1. Academic Coaching: Providing students one-on-one support for effective time management, goal setting, and study techniques
2. Workshops & Outreach Presentations: Designing and presenting workshops on study strategies to small groups of students.
3. Academic Recovery Efforts: Implementing an academic recovery program for students with academic difficulty.
4. Knack Tutoring: Promoting the Knack tutoring program for undergraduate students and coordination of campus-wide tutoring resources.
5. Campus Partnerships: Supporting existing campus partnerships and developing new partnerships to support student learning.

With a commitment to continuous improvement, the Assistant Director collaborates closely with numerous universities partners-including Academic Affairs, Academic Advising, Colleges and Schools, and University Life division colleagues-in implementing a broad spectrum of program initiatives and conducting outcomes assessments for a comprehensive organization serving the needs of a diverse population.

Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Collaborates with the Associate Director to create, develop, and implement comprehensive learning support services;
• Develops partnerships with academic units to develop programs that support student learning;
• Develops and implements new initiatives for Learning Services, including the launch and continued development of the tutoring platform for UG students; and
• Attends professional meetings and maintain active memberships in salient professional organizations.

Supervision

• Recruits, trains, and supervises student employees including graduate professional assistants, peer academic coaches, and marketing assistants.

Assessment

• Administers assessment of programs and prepare reports for decision-making and program improvement. This includes but is not limited to assessment of effectiveness of tutoring services at the university that are offered centrally, learning outcome assessment for academic coaching and workshops, and retention/persistence analysis for student groups using services.

Direct Service

• Provides academic coaching to students seeking academic assistance and deliver workshops on study strategies. This includes provision of various learning strategies in a 1:1 setting, group setting, and workshops;
• Employ a diverse set of strategies focused on academic performance, time management, study strategies, how to read in college, notetaking, exam strategies, and academic anxiety; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Prior professional experience working in tutoring, teaching, academic coaching, or other learning assistance programs;
• Experience developing partnerships;
• Experience with supervision, training, and development;
• Experience in developing workshops and presenting content;
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, program development, and administrative skills;
• Demonstrated working knowledge of learning processes and study strategies;
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing student service and support;
• Exceptional interpersonal, oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate with a variety of constituents and departmental stakeholders;
• Ability to meet deadlines, work accurately and quickly with attention to detail, and be able to manage multiple complex programs, projects, and high-level, intricate student cases simultaneously;
• Ability to competently interact with a culturally and ethnically diverse population of students, faculty, and staff;
• Ability to speak publicly and clearly present information;
• Ability to relate to people from diverse backgrounds;
• Ability to work independently, self-motivate, and take the initiative;
• Ability to occasionally work evening and weekend hours; and
• Demonstrated commitment to the practice of open and effective communication with students, staff, and faculty to build and maintain collaborative relationships.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a community college, college, or university setting;
• Experience with assessment; and
• Experience with Microsoft Suite, Blackboard, Canvas, Zoom, Salesforce, Qualtrics, and other education technology tools.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Assistant Director, Learning Services at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: September 12, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  September 26, 2024

Open Until Filled:  Yes