Associate Director of SOAR

Job Description

The Associate Director will assist in providing coordination and support to a holistic approach to student success for marginalized and underrepresented and under-served populations, through robust partnerships with Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Student Affairs.

This position has three main focus areas: coaching, student outreach, and serving as a scholarship/financial aid liaison.

The Associate Director will serve as a Coach, partnering with academic units across campus. In the coaching aspect of this position the Associate Director will meet with underrepresented students to help support their personal, professional, and academic success.

The Associate Director will be responsible to develop and implement programming and educational opportunities enhance student retention and sense of belonging. This position will design and provide resources that enhance students personal, academic, and social identity development with a comprehensive lens on historically marginalized populations.

This person will collaborate with other campus partners to create resources, programs, and services to address the intersectional nature of identities and support student’s academic achievement.

An emphasis will be placed on outreach to the Latinx community at Virginia Tech. As such, it is important to understand Latinx culture and have extensive experience working with Latinx students.
The Associate Director will be responsible for serving as a liaison to the Office of Financial Aid and managing scholarships associated with the SOAR program. The Associate Director will be responsible for assessing opportunities in the ongoing development of our scholarship program.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required. Extensive experience working with underrepresented and under-served students Experience in community development and program management with a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of race/ethnicity/class, college access issues.

Demonstrated ability to plan and implement educational and informational programs in a diverse cultural environment.

Strong interpersonal skills in order to communicate and collaborate effectively with a broad range of constituencies including students, staff, and faculty.

Have a working knowledge of student development theory, social justice training and diversity education.

Advanced computer skills involving databases, spreadsheets, word processing, web based interactive communications, social media and/or other applications utilizing software applicable to function.

Understanding of complex organizational structures, including student success. Experience in building professional partnerships with university departments, student groups, and community partners.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s Degree or significant coursework in Higher Education Administration, Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, Latin American and Latino Studies, or related fields. Bilingual in Spanish. Prior experience working with financial aid, banner, and other student progress monitoring software.

Familiarity with available campus and community resources and help students navigate these resources.

January 3, 2020

About Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world. Building on its motto of Ut Prosim (that I may serve), Virginia Tech is dedicated to InclusiveVT—serving in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. We seek candidates who adopt and practice the Principles of Community, which are fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion, and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members. Virginia Tech actively seeks a broad spectrum of candidates to join our community in preparing leaders for the world.