Career Center

POSITION SUMMARY:

This is professional work in the area of Student Services. The Student Success Coach supports the overall mission of Duquesne University, which entails a commitment to the educational development, growth, and future success of our students.  As such, the Student Success Coach supports and guides current students, and contributes to the recruitment of future Duquesne University students.

As a condition of employment, Duquesne University requires all new employees —full-time and part-time, including adjunct faculty—to get a COVID-19 vaccine and provide proof of their vaccination upon commencement of employment.

New employees requesting a religious or documented medical exemption from the vaccine must complete and submit a Duquesne University exemption request form for review and approval. To receive the appropriate exemption request form, contact [email protected] Employees with approved exemptions will be required to be tested on a regular basis.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Acts as the primary point of contact and first-line customer service representative to students and faculty (includes troubleshooting needs and resolving issues).

Addresses student issues with speed (typically within 24 hours), urgency and creativity while balancing policies and program requirements; seeks same-day resolution for any escalated issue.

Provides academic advisement to undergraduate students in the College.

Assists newly-admitted students in course registration and other transition issues.

Advises majors, reviews plans of study and progression toward degree, conducts degree audits, prepares students’ schedules, explains graduate programs, assists in registration, maintains files, and compiles records.

Oversees academic petitions and communicates with students on other advising issues.

Interacts with students through multiple modes of communication including, but not limited to, letters, e-mail, telephone calls, web-conferencing, and individual and group in-person meetings.
Communicates with students and as appropriate, parents, concerning academic requirements and standing.

Coordinates student transfer credit requests and ensure appropriate course equivalencies.
Actively contributes to the continuous improvement process within academic advising.
Collaborates with other University offices to improve students’ academic experience and support their overall well-being.

Ensures availability to students during high-impact periods in the student advising cycle (there will be black-out dates during which time-off cannot be requested).

Collaborates with relevant academic leaders to develop and maintain student services that help improve overall experience and retention of students and brings forward ideas for improvement.
Regularly monitors student academic progress through Starfish and other indicators.

Responds quickly with potential solutions and support service/resource referrals for students who are struggling academically or in need of well-being support.

Coordinates and delivers presentations and/or seminars, such as those pertaining to student orientation.

Reaches out to and works with students who have not registered for classes during the standard registration period.

Maintains regular ‘touchpoints’ with students to check in and offer support.

To ensure availability to students during high-impact periods in the student retention cycle, there will be black-out dates during which time-off cannot be requested.

Attends and participates in school recruiting and internal events, including evening and weekend events.

Makes public presentations to prospective students and parents, as needed.

Participates in the development of articulation agreements with other institutions.

Evaluates transfer credits.

Works closely with their School’s admissions team and advisors to facilitate undergraduate student transition into degree programs. This includes providing information to undergraduate students about special programs and other opportunities for graduate education at Duquesne.
Collaborates with career counselors at Duquesne to create academic pathways to various careers.

Assists students in choosing career-relevant programs of study.

Refers students to career resources, including career counselors and coaches, and professionals.

Supports career-related activities, including various networking events, company visits, and career fairs.

Ensures degree audit is current and accurate in RAPP.

Supports undergraduate study abroad programs, including potentially traveling with students internationally.

Participates and supports the development of articulation agreements and joint degree programs with other schools and universities.

Alerts College departments and centers to program requirement inconsistencies listed on department and center websites.

Assists in developing, distributing and interpreting exit surveys of students.

Completes other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in a related degree from an accredited institution.

Alternately, the successful candidate may possess any equivalent combination of experience and training, which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Knowledge of the techniques and procedures involved in academic advising.

Exceptional interpersonal skills; able to interact effectively with students of diverse ages and backgrounds.

Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Excellent customer service and problem-solving skills.

Self-motivated, energetic and able to work independently as well as part of a team; accepts responsibility with limited supervision; manages multiple tasks to completion.

Ability to work with students in a mentoring and service-oriented manner.

Ability to think strategically and creatively with respect to the operations and programs of academic advising and student recruiting.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students (current and prospective), parents, faculty, administrators, and others in the University community. 

Proficient in information technologies, and should display a willingness to learn new technologies relevant to the position.  These include Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel & PowerPoint), as well as querying and reporting of specialized databases.

Commitment to the University’s values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and recognition of the importance of treating each individual with dignity and respect consistent with the University’s Mission.  Demonstrated experience with, and understanding of, the broad diversity of the University community (students, faculty, staff and others).

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the University Community.

Ability and willingness to contribute actively to the mission of the University and to respect the Spiritan Catholic identity of Duquesne University.  The mission is implemented through a commitment to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Applicants are asked to submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.

Catholic in its mission and ecumenical in spirit, Duquesne University values equality of opportunity as an educational institution and as an employer. We aspire to attract and sustain a diverse faculty and staff that reflects contemporary society, serves our academic goals and enriches our campus community. We particularly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups and support dual-career couples through our charter membership in this region's HERC (http://www.hercjobs.org/oh-western-pa-wv/).

We invite applicants for this position to learn more about our university and its Spiritan heritage by visiting http://www.duq.edu/about/mission-and-identity/mission-statement. Those invited to campus for an interview may be asked about ways in which they see their talents contributing to the continued growth of our community and furthering its mission.