Career Center

The University of Minnesota Crookston is seeking an Assistant Director to recruit students and coach them to academic success in our new NXT GEN RURAL SUCCESS program. This Assistant Director position reports to the Director of Institutional Effectiveness/Interim Director of Enrollment Management and will be responsible for both strategic development and direct student support. This is a full-time, annually renewable position with an aticipated starting salary range of $50,000-$60,000 per year with an excellent comprehensive benefit program. 

NXT GEN RURAL SUCCESS is designed to provide rural Minnesota residents and beyond with opportunities to earn a Baccalaureate certificate.   This certificate will provide both training in management and leadership in a rural context, as well as establishing the groundwork for further education.  This assistant director will work collaboratively and strategically to recruit new students to the NXT GEN RURAL SUCCESS program, focusing on outreach to rural communities, employers, and community entities. 

The position will also serve as the Student Success Coach for the inaugural cohort of students in this new program (<50), working collaboratively with the NXT GEN RURAL SUCCESS Faculty Program Director, Student Success advisors, and other UMN Crookston Admissions staff.  This Assistant Director will have access to UMN Crookston’s advising platform, a mechanism for student support and a source of student data. The coaching responsibility will focus on assisting students in navigating University processes, ensuring they successfully register, complete coursework, and remain in good standing such that subsequent registration can occur throughout the students’ collegiate careers from matriculation to graduation. Student success coaching extends beyond the traditional academic advising philosophy and is designed for an novel institutional model in which coaches are integrally involved with all facets of a student’s academic, personal, and future professional success.  Student success coaches participate in three major areas of responsibility: advising and student advocacy; teaching and management of coach resources and initiatives; and professional development and campus engagement. The position may also support other initiatives to enhance the development and support of an educated workforce in Minnesota. 

The inaugural cohort of the program is set to launch in August 2022 and will be supported by a newly developed high-tech platform, created by the University of Minnesota and their partner, Google Cloud. After the students in the pilot cohort complete their certificate programs, UMN Crookston intends to make evidence-based adaptations to scale the program.

Duties and Responsibilities

NXT GEN AG Recruitment — 50%

This position will work in partnership with the NXT GEN AG faculty and program leaders to develop and execute  a student recruitment plan: 

• Develop and implement a comprehensive admissions plan that effectively builds a consistent enrollment stream to the NXT GEN AG program;
• Lead the design and execution of NXT GEN AG recruitment plan;
• Strategize, coordinate, and execute a college recruitment plan that applies an effective mis of in-person and virtual recruitment, over-the-phone and email communication, and other methods of relationship building;
• Build and manage relationships with key external stakeholders, including prospective students, two-year academic programs, and employers looking to educate their workforce;
• Plan and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities, including:  attending open houses, regional presentation, orientation programs, regional and national college fairs, and scholarship days;
• Independently review applications and make admission recommendations based on academic requirements and program choice compatibility;
• Model and promote respect and effective partnerships in advancing campus efforts to build and inclusive and respectful community;

NXT GEN AG Success Coaching—50%

Provide advising in academic planning, career development, and personal development.

• Academic Planning and Academic Support 
  • Proactively mentor students through the process of formulating a personalized education plan, utilizing a variety of academic advising strategies including one-on-one and group advising with the NXT GEN AG students, noting the consistent curriculum for NXT GEN AG students.
  • Communicate and collaborate closely with NXT GEN AG faculty to monitor academic performance and form academic support plans for students
  • Coach students on goal setting, academic success skills, and utilizing appropriate academic resources.
  • Assist students in navigating university policies, procedures, and resources.
  • Monitor student progress towards graduation; extract, analyze, and report on student progress utilizing available databases and resources (e.g. APAS, PeopleSoft, UM Reports, Grad Planner, APLUS).
• Career Development
  • Mentor students on career exploration process throughout their enrollment by helping them discover and reflect on their personal skills, values, and interests through individual and group advising with the NXT GEN AG students
  • Encourage students to make important connections between the interdisciplinary curriculum and a broad range of rural-focused career paths
  • Advise on appropriate preparatory activities based on student’s intended career or educational pathway (e.g. certificate, professional or graduate school, career)
  • Help students develop a professional identity, including resume building, portfolio from the NXT GEN platform ,interviewing skills, job search strategies, etc.
• Personal Development
  • Encourage students to connect to and make meaning of community engagement activities.
  • Assist students in developing a deeper sense of self-awareness regarding values, strengths, and passions.
  • Challenge and support students in their personal growth and development throughout their time at UMN Crookston.
  • Meet individually and in small groups of NXT GEN AG students to address personal development.
  • Participate in efforts to improve retention rates, timely graduation, and student engagement

Days and Schedule

The full-time position requires occasional evening and weekend work.  This position is open to remote work, however travel within the state of Minnesota will be required, along with visits to campus as needed.

Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree and four years of related experience

Preferred Qualifications
● Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling or related area.
● Three or more years of relevant higher education recruitment or advising experience
● Experience working with rural populations
● Completed life coach training
● Experience with career enrichment programming
● Knowledge of mental and emotional health needs of adult college students
● Experience developing and launching a new program