Director TRIO Student Support Services

Description

Illinois College is an institution uniquely dedicated to helping students from diverse backgrounds receive a stellar liberal arts education.  The Center for Academic Excellence and the TRIO Student Support Services program are at the heart of that mission, and seek to ensure that all students strive for and achieve academic excellence and, ultimately, graduate from Illinois College. 

The Director of TRIO Student Support Services is an integral member of a team of professionals committed to student success.  The Director is responsible for administrative oversight of the TRIO Student Support Services program and for providing academic support to Illinois College students, particularly those who are first-generation, low-income, and/or have a documented disability. 

Essential Functions:
The following list of duties is meant to be representative of the work performed in this position. The omission of a specific duty or responsibility will not preclude it from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical extension of position responsibilities.

• Coordinates with SSS PC to provide 100% administrative oversight to the SSS project and to determine priorities for SSS academic support programs.
• Meets regularly with the Associate Provost; coordinates with administrators to promote increased participant persistence/graduation rates and graduate/professional school acceptance rates.
• Hires, trains, supervises SSS professional and support personnel and applicable student workers.
• Oversees SSS Summer Bridge program and teaches SSS-only section of the First-Year Seminar.
• Trains faculty members, supplemental instructors, student leaders/mentors, and academic tutors on best practices for supporting SSS participants.
• Primary liaison with the U.S. Department of Education. Attends state, regional, and national SSS conferences and meetings. Supervises annual programmatic evaluation.
• Represents SSS participants’ issues on committees, in the Core Retention Group, etc., and advocates with administrators, faculty members, and staff on participants’ behalf.
• Coordinates and leads presentations for SSS-eligible participants to inform about the SSS program and how its services can increase academic success.
• Maintains a coaching load of approximately 15 participants.
• Serves as faculty advisor for approximately 30 participants, undeclared FYS participants.

Qualifications

Qualifications 

• Master’s degree required in Higher Education/Education, Psychology, Sociology, Business, or other related fields.
• Experience in designing, managing, and/or implementing SSS or similar projects. Two years or more of previous experience in managing SSS programs is preferred.
• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive responsibility in higher education strongly preferred.
• Administrative experience (budget management, personnel management, etc.) in an equal opportunity educational office preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in program administration, student case management, personnel supervision, program reporting, and assessment.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, campus administrative officers, staff, community agencies, and students from diverse backgrounds demonstrating cultural humility.
• Persons from backgrounds similar to the SSS target populations and alumni of TRIO programs are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Candidates with previous experience in designing, managing, or implementing TRIO projects or similar projects are strongly preferred.

Additional Job Details:
Job Title:  Director TRIO Student Support Services
Department:  Center for Academic Excellence
Reports to:  Director of the Center for Academic Excellence 
Status: Full-time, Salaried, 12 month
Date Last Revised:  September 2025
Salary Range: $50,000 - $55,000
Benefits Information: To view benefit information related to this position, please visit this link.

About Illinois College:
Illinois College is a residential, private liberal arts college located in the heart of Illinois, 70 miles northeast of Saint Louis, Missouri, and 30 miles west of Springfield, the capital of Illinois. True to its founding vision in 1829, Illinois College is a community committed to the highest standards of scholarship and integrity in the liberal arts. The College develops in its students qualities of mind and character needed for fulfilling lives of leadership and service, fostering academic excellence rooted in opportunities for experiential learning while preparing students for lifelong success.

Salary : $50,000 - $55,000