The George Mason University, Office of Undergraduate Education within the Provost Office, invites applications for the Director of Undergraduate Academic Success. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment.
About the Organization:
The Office of the Provost is the primary central administrative unit for the university's academic programs. Its range of interests includes curriculum, instructional personnel, assessment, accreditation, international initiatives, and oversight of the overall academic mission. The Office of Undergraduate Education, within the Office of the Provost, provides over 26,000 undergraduate students with a quality, engaging undergraduate education and gives them the tools to be Engaged Citizens and Well-Rounded Scholars who are Prepared to Act in a Diverse, Global World. Undergraduate Education manages the Undergraduate and Mason Core Curricula, Academic Advising, Fellowships, and Undergraduate Studies. Undergraduate Education supports our Mason Impact activities, including undergraduate research through the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research, and Civic Engagement through the Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning.
Undergraduate Education provides leadership for the university community by:
Creating transformational educational programs and initiatives;
Building campus and community partnerships;
Supporting student academic success;
Facilitating Mason Impact activities; and
Providing education and support for learning outcomes assessment.
The mission of the Office of Academic Advising (OAA) is to provide leadership for a consistent and quality undergraduate academic experience at George Mason University. The OAA consists of the Director of Undergraduate Student Success, an Assistant Director who manages a team of Exploratory Advisors, and two Advising Coordinators (one technology- and training-focused, and one coordinating pre-health advising). The OAA works collaboratively with academic units through the Academic Advising Liaisons Committee and the Mason Academic Advising Network to provide academic advising to students in programs across Mason, and with the Mason Care Network to provide holistic support for students. The OAA also directly advises exploratory, undeclared, and non-degree students, as well as coordinating pre-professional advising. The OAA collaborates broadly across Mason to support student academic success.
About the Position:
The Director of Undergraduate Academic Success is a collaborative leader who will implement Mason's vision of inclusive excellence by overseeing academic advising and contributing to academic success initiatives. The Director will have a key role in Mason's commitment to deliver consistent and high-quality academic advising and support to students. The Director will lead the Office of Academic Advising; coordinate academic advising practices across campus; and support efforts to improve key student academic success metrics. The Director will support development of policies and procedures to improve the quality of education experience, and serve in an advisory role for undergraduate curricular initiatives, including the Mason Core general education program. The Director will serve on a leadership team in Undergraduate Education to integrate advising and retention efforts with our other undergraduate programs, policies, and initiatives. The Director will be an advocate for a Mason academic environment that is committed to inclusive academic excellence, and that gives every student the opportunity to thrive.
Specific Duties include:
Manage the Office of Academic Advising, including supervising an Assistant Director, Advising Coordinators, and overseeing Exploratory Advising;
Establish Academic Advisors centrally in the Mason Care Network, collaborating with Student Success Coaching, Career Services, Mason Impact initiatives, Academic Support Services, and other partners as appropriate;
Convene the Academic Advising Liaisons Council to support high quality and consistent advising and student success initiatives across the academic units;
Lead retention and student success initiatives in collaboration with academic units, University Life, Enrollment Management, and transfer initiatives;
Improve communication with students, advisors, faculty, and staff about undergraduate academic advising and success initiatives;
Expand professional development and training opportunities for academic advisors in collaboration with the Mason Academic Advising Network;
Develop support for advising, coaching, and high-impact practice across disciplinary themes;
Partner with Career Services to infuse career readiness into academic advising;
Oversee the resolution of academic actions and appeals, as managed by the Assistant Director of Academic Advising;
Support developing, refining, and implementing a new advising/student success technology tool;
Work collaboratively with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning, Admissions, Registrar, Academic Units, and University Life to create, share, and act on student success metrics and assessment data;
Serve on the Policy Management Group, and collaborate with the Registrar's office to help the advising community to develop and implement policies that increase student academic success;
Expand student participation in Mason Impact activities: undergraduate research, civic engagement, entrepreneurship, study abroad, internships, and competitive fellowships;
Serve on the Undergraduate Education Leadership team;
Serve on additional task forces and committees as assigned;
Serve as an advisory member on the Undergraduate Council and Mason Core committees, and support the development of student-success focused academic curricula; and
Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
Master's degree in any discipline; or equivalent combination of education and experience;
Comprehensive knowledge of best practices in advising and student academic success;
Considerable (generally 5+ years) experience in academic advising or academic affairs, with increasing levels of responsibility;
Experience working successfully in a team environment, while also taking initiative in working towards shared goals with minimum supervision;
Demonstrated leadership, management, and supervisory experience in an academic environment;
Demonstrated experience successfully managing campus-wide projects and initiatives at a college or university;
Demonstrated commitment to the academic success of diverse students with a focus on inclusive excellence; and
Excellent oral and written communication skills;
Preferred Qualifications:
PhD in higher education, student development, or related field;
College-level teaching experience;
Experience in Academic Administration at George Mason University or a comparable college or university; and
Active participation in NACADA or other professional organizations.
Salary: Commensurate with education and experience
Location: Fairfax, VA
Mason Ad Statement:
Great Careers Begin at Mason!
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. Mason holds a top U.S. News and World Report
George Mason University is a public, comprehensive, research university established by the Commonwealth of Virginia located in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. Mason was initially founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1949, and became an independent institution in 1972. George Mason University is an innovative and inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world.
George Mason University has 37,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries and a residential population of more than 6,000 students. Mason is a vibrant and dynamic community of scholars. 80% of our students are employed within six months of graduation. Nearly two-thirds of the 140,000 Mason alumni live and work in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Mason is a young university that, in just a short time, has made impressive strides in size, stature and influence. Today, as Virginia’s largest public research university, we are setting the benchmark for a bold, progressive education that serves the needs of our students and communities. To that end, we have 10 schools and colleges devoted to a variety of study.
Mission.
We prepa...re Mason students for the demands of work, social responsibility, and life in an ever-changing global society. University Life's mission statement is core to our work. We support every student at Mason, from orientation through graduation.
George Mason: Patriotism Personified.
George Mason, for whom our university is named, was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a model for the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.
We Are in Virginia. But We Serve the World.
Mason is committed to creating a more just, free and prosperous world. Located in one of the most important political, economic and intellectual hubs in the world, we accept our responsibility to serve others: to help our students succeed, enrich the life of our community, and contribute to solving some of the most complex global problems of our time.
Washington, D.C.: Land of Opportunity.
Mason’s main campus is in Fairfax, Virginia, just 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is easily accessible by car or public transportation.
At Mason, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a beautiful wooded residential campus and outstanding college experience, as well as numerous internship and recreational opportunities that only a world-class urban setting like D.C. can offer.
You can intern with National Geographic or the Justice Department, visit the numerous museums with your Art History classmates, take a selfie in front of Lincoln Memorial, catch a Nationals baseball game, kayak along the Potomac, or check out the many neighborhoods where you’ll discover lots of great shopping, places to eat, art galleries, music venues, and much more. You can attend events and hear nationally recognized speakers. You’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do.
There’s more to explore. Students participate in a field trip to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., organized by the Office of International Programs and Services.
In just a short drive, you can be hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains or walking the boardwalk in either Ocean City, Maryland, or Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Our closest airports are Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan National Airport, and Mason is easily accessible by public transportation. Free shuttle buses help you get to the nearest Metro station in Vienna, Virginia, just a short distance from our Fairfax Campus. The Arlington Campus is within walking distance of the Virginia Square-GMU stop on the Orange Line.
Enriching Work Environment.
We will invest in recruiting, retaining, and developing talented and diverse faculty and academic and professional staff. We will create a vibrant campus life in which all members can grow and thrive.
Diversity.
Diversity is one of our core values; everyone is welcome here. Mason was recently named the most diverse university in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.
We bring together a multitude of people and ideas in everything that we do. Our culture of inclusion, our multidisciplinary approach, and our global perspective makes us more effective educators and scholars.
While at Mason, you’ll be making your own decisions and forming your own view of the world. Engaging with diverse groups of individuals, including students, faculty, and staff, will enrich this experience. You will learn from them, and they will learn from you.
We have a variety of communities here, and you're sure to find a group of people who are like you. The great thing is you'll also be embraced by communities of people who are not like you. At Mason, you'll be in a place where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds will:
•Widen your outlook of the world,
•Show you how to work and collaborate with people of differing views,
•Expose you to new perspectives from people with disparate life experiences, and
•Give you the social skills to interact with all kinds of people.
Diversity also enhances learning and creative thinking by prompting the study of new material and the awareness of fresh viewpoints. The power of many perspectives will boost your capacity to explore original ideas and solutions. Seeing issues in a new way heightens your creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Another benefit: As our nation becomes more diverse, students who learn in a diverse environment will be more competitive in an increasingly global economy. You’ll enhance your critical thinking skills and improve your ability to develop nuanced solutions to real-world problems.
Campus-Wide Accessibility.
Accessibility @ mason provide information regarding the physical access of all campuses and online accessibility of programs and services. Information for disability related services and resources available to all employee, students, and visitors the entire university include physical access to buildings, parking policies, and emergency evacuation procedures.
Accessible.
We are an open and welcoming community. We partner with public and private organizations in our region and around the world. We proactively engage with our community. We define our success by how many talented students with potential we serve, not how many we leave out.
Social and Cultural Venues.
Our venues bring world-class performances to the community through vibrant concerts and events. Community members are invited to take part in many artistic and cultural offerings at Mason. Spaces are also available to rent for your next event.