Career Center

The Director of First Year Experience and Transition Programs reports to the Director (Senior Director) of Student Leadership, Involvement and Transitions. This role supports the goals of the Associate Provost of Student Affairs/Dean of Students. The position shares in the strategic development and management of the Student Affairs area and supports the mission of Student Success and Engagement and of The New School. 

This newly created position will engage a diverse student body and staff in fostering a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment that promotes student learning, academic success, personal growth, and connection to campus life. Creating a first-year experience at The New School is driven by the desire to promote a supportive, inclusive, vibrant campus community where first-year students are equipped with foundational skills and resources that support retention and persistence. The First Year Experience program to be created will be a co-curricular program centered around service learning. This is a high impact retention effort. 

This position will assist in developing and delivering New Student Orientation programming, develop and manage pre-orientation programs, and teach first-year orientation courses, assess all relevant programming, and monitor and provide additional support to students.

Additionally, this position works collaboratively with students, faculty, and administration to enhance the student experience for a population of 10,000 students. This position will have two direct reports. 

The New School is strongly committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and particularly seeks applications from members of underrepresented groups, as well as candidates who share this commitment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Direct the comprehensive development, implementation, oversight, and assessment of Orientation, First Year Experience and transitional programs, and peer leadership opportunities that engage students and support their continued learning.

• Lead collaborative campus-wide strategic planning initiatives and committees for New Student Orientation, including the management of a one-semester online course, Pre-Orientation, Orientation, and Extended Orientation activities with approximately 300 events in the Fall and up to 100 events in the Spring.

• Oversee the development of class-specific milestone events, curricular and outcome-based transitional programming along the undergraduate and graduate student lifecycle; work in close collaboration with Institutional Research and campus partners to align program development with Starfish retention modeling and other predictive data.

• Collaborate with the office of Institutional Research and Decision Support in data collection on student satisfaction and engagement; evaluate all programs in the portfolio.

• Oversee recruitment of first-year students for various retention programs for which this position is responsible.

• Serve as an advocate and liaison between students and campus departments to facilitate participation in University programs.

• Collaborate and co-program with FYE programs across the colleges

• Participates in university-wide events, including residence hall openings, Orientation, Welcome Weeks, Family Weekend, Discovery Days, Narwhal Spirit Week, Senior Week, Block Party and Commencement.

• Participate in weekly SLT staff meetings and serve on university-wide committees as assigned.

• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree and minimum of 5+ years of experience in Higher Education Administration or related field

• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and interact effectively with students, parents, faculty, and staff from various programs and disciplines.

• Demonstrated understanding of current assistive technologies.

• Ability to build trusting relationships with all constituencies, including faculty and academic deans.

• Knowledge of emerging issues in higher education, particularly in student services.

• Ability to adhere to University's COVID-19 Policy. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Masterâ™s Degree

• Involved regionally or nationally in professional development associations within higher education.

WORK MODE

• Hybrid/Split - Employees hired for this position have regularly scheduled, consistent percentage of time on campus (eg: 1-4x/week) and also work some of the time remotely.

SALARY RANGE

$80,000 - $90,000 per annum

About The New School

The New School, a leading university in downtown New York City, offers degree and nondegree academic programs in design, the social sciences, the liberal arts, management, the arts, and media. Students benefit from small classes, superior resources, and renowned faculty members who practice what they teach. Continuing education courses and public programs place the university at the center of New York’s cultural and intellectual life.

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