Student Services Coach

Description:

The Academic Coach serves as the primary contact for students from participation in first courses through completion of the degree program. The Academic Coach manages a pipeline of students by coaching, motivating, mentoring, removing barriers, issue ownership through resolutions, strategies for completion, and progress. They help students clarify key decision points and identify solutions and alternatives which align with the learner's motivation and goals. Utilizing strong relationship building and influencing skills resulting in positive student behaviors and outcomes, contributing to overall student success and persistence. The coach is responsible for providing personalized interactions to assist students in successfully navigating the path to achieve educational goals. The academic coach will provide outreach at key milestones and based on identified behaviors throughout students program to help keep them on track and to assist with overcoming obstacles that are encountered, by offering personalized solutions to help prepare them for long-term success. The academic coach also partners with faculty and other university staff to address student concerns and collaboratively define available options to help students overcome obstacles and achieve academic success.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Academic Planning & Engagement.
Assist students in developing an academic plan that includes all program requirements to enable the most direct path to completion and align with their educational and career goals.
Leverage tools, systems, and software applications to optimize advising engagement.
Build a relationship with the student to encourage student success and engagement.
Utilize program analytics and outreach protocols to drive purpose-driven and transformational conversations.
Help students navigate changes in their programs and plans and understand and respond to Strayer-initiated changes.
Explore alignment of students educational and financial plans in relation to degree completion.
Provide resources and refer students to university support services.
Assess student needs to help them make fully informed decisions about their pathways as well as challenging them to make progress toward their goals.
Progress monitoring and academic risk mitigation.
Proactively reach out to students identified as at-risk, including but not limited to, lack of engagement, academic standing, the pace of progress, course completion, gaps in competency development.
Provide students with exceptional customer service.
Highlight and address potential barriers that may impact persistence, success, and completion.
Encourage students to develop skills and abilities indirect resolution of challenges and issues, coordinate with faculty, academic leadership, and student facing teams to seek resolution of student issues.
Coach students through disruptive life events.
Respond to the student via a wide variety of communication tools and systems including, but not limited to phone, voicemail, chat, email, casework, and social media.
Collaborate with faculty and other university leaders handling escalated student situations and supporting conflict resolution.
Communication and interaction.
Maintain appropriate and accurate documentation of all student interactions in accordance with departmental best practices.
Program, process, and policy subject matter expertise.
Serves and Strayer Universities subject matter experts concerning programs, processes, and policies in meetings, committees, and informal sessions.
Monitor and communicate trends impacting student persistence, success, and completion, discuss obstacles and challenges to the student.
Build trusted professional relationships across the business.
Participate in projects or initiatives that support departmental goals.
Support and participate in departmental and cross-functional training.
Research and stay abreast of issues and trends in other institutions of higher education.
Any other duties as assigned based on the needs of the business.

Job Skills

Ability to drive results in a team-based environment.
Ability to understand key metrics and utilize self-service reporting and tools to monitor and share data.
Ability to influence positive student behaviors and outcomes.
Thinking and judgment.
Fundamental understanding of business acumen to successfully balance student and university needs.
Ability to exercise keen discretion and ethical judgment in responding to complex student situations.
Ability to adapt quickly and thrive in a fast-paced, changing professional environment.
Ability to respond positively to consistent change.
Ability to think critically to build plans of action and personalized solutions.
Comfortable representing a complex program requiring in-depth, specialized knowledge.
Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information.
Ability to work with others.
Ability to prioritize the needs of the student, and committed to providing an excellent student experience.
Ability to quickly understand problems and provide proactive solutions.
Ability to form positive working relationships, foster an effective team atmosphere, and promote a collaborative environment with the student, faculty, staff, and leadership.
Ability to work effectively and efficiently with a diverse population.
Ability to manage conflict. Motivated and engaged by frequent and occasionally challenging interactions.
Ability to develop trust and hold others accountable to commitments.
Ability to access challenging situations and effectively communicating with leadership.
Ability to maintain department guidelines for interacting with and responding to students and SU stakeholders.
Self-management.
Ability to manage time effectively by prioritizing and evaluating work to manage a variety of daily activities.
Ability to juggle multiple tasks and handle competing priorities.
Ability to demonstrate resilience and respond appropriately to stressful situations.
Ability to be self-aware and behave appropriately with a commitment to continuous self-improvement.
Ability to self-direct and follow through on assigned tasks while working both independently and collaboratively.
Motivated in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment driven by deadlines.
Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.
Ability to manage multiple tasks at a time.
Ability to work autonomously.
Ability to maintain best practices for learner interaction: Each interaction involves discovering needs, understanding the situation, recommending options and customized solutions, determining a way forward, and always engaging and listening to the needs of the learner. 
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to communicate through a variety of channels/systems.
Foundational understanding of the advising discipline– both from an educational and career perspective.
Ability to evaluate and learn new computer software applications quickly.
Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Work/Location Requirements:
Must be able to spend significant time working at a computer and on the phone using a headset.
Must be flexible in work hours/schedule to accommodate learner needs.
Position may require work above and beyond 40 hours per week during peak periods.
High level of enthusiasm, drive, and determination is required in this role.
Strong attention to detail.
Must be able to learn, understand and apply new technologies.
Must have strong computer skills (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Excellent customer service skills.
Excellent presentation skills.

Work Experience

Prefer two to four years of professional experience using advanced coaching, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Experience working with adult students and/or faculty are preferred.
Ability to address customer's concerns in a positive tone.