Student Success Advocate

The Student Success Advocate (SSA) provides SCC students with direct educational guidance and support services through a Guided Pathways conceptual framework. Guidance and support include one-on-one meetings, workshops, proactive career and academic goal identification, collaborative course and program advice, personal and social resource and referral assistance, academic support and other services or resources that empower students to progress toward and achieve their individual goals. A case-management approach is used to assign students to a respective SSA who works with them throughout their entire educational experience. SSA’s will be cross-trained with other Student Affairs staff as well as program-specific faculty to ensure they have the training and skills necessary to provide comprehensive academic guidance, cross-functional services and back-up support when necessary.

• • Learn and embrace the comprehensive community college philosophy and related Iowa Code.
  • Learn, apply, and role-model all SCC policies and procedures, including but not limited to the strategic goals and expectations of accountability within the Student Affairs Division.
  • Work with Director of Student Retention and Support Programs (DSRSP) and Guided Pathways Steering Team to implement overarching Guided Pathways framework into existing college operations.
  • Manage individual student advisee caseload to ensure: three (3) or more advocacy appointments per term and an individual Guided Pathway plan developed for each advisee.
  • Provide holistic, intrusive, and intensive advising and support interventions per the Guided Pathways framework.
  • Assist Director with the development of related GP materials, documents, and resources for use with individual students.
  • Collaborate and assist Admissions staff in transitioning students from the recruitment funnel into their designated guided pathway.
  • Embrace and support constructive change; work efficiently and effectively to improve student-centered services, processes, and related college operations.
  • Contribute toward building a positive team working environment within Student Affairs; treat others with respect and compassion as a representative of SCC.
  • Apply ethical standards to work situations; make work decisions in accordance with SCC’s values and goals; show respect and sensitivity for cultural differences and promote a harassment-free environment.
  • Keep student records/communication notes, work schedule/calendar appointments, and other reporting documents up-to-date.
  • Provide comprehensive educational guidance, registration and retention services including but not limited to:
    • assistance with career and skill exploration/re-direction;
    • developing personal and educational goals;
    • creating and monitoring individualized academic plans (pathways);
    • providing guidance in applying for and navigating financial aid/scholarships;
    • assistance in understanding placement standards, course scheduling options, co- and pre-requisites, degree requirements, course content and instructional expectations;
    • support in seeking transfer and articulation information;
    • informing students about College policies, processes, and procedures relevant to a successful educational experience, as well as possible consequences of alternate academic and personal decisions;
    • process student registrations, course schedule changes, adds/drops/overloads, and degree audits on the administrative student registration system; and,
    • facilitate proactive interventions with students at risk of non-progression (i.e. FA warning/probation/dismissals, D & F lists, academically underprepared and at-risk, DOD alerts, personal-social-economic challenges, etc.).
  • Maintain current operational knowledge of all degree and certificate programs, all online course offerings, policies and procedures of the ICCOC, transfer policies and program requirements at SCC.
  • Support and assist with admissions activities to support smooth transitioning for students accepted to SCC such as registration appointments, visit and orientation events, presentations and tours, group placement testing/visit events, and other enrollment strategies to matriculate students through the enrollment funnel.
  • Develop and maintain a bank of student support referral options throughout the College’s primary service area that can serve specific student needs as appropriate (i.e. child care, transportation, housing, food assistance, mental/physical/social/spiritual health, domestic issues, employment, etc.).
  • Develop familiarity and competency with various learning-success/retention-focused programs, applications, and technologies used by SCC.
  • Assist students in learning how to effectively navigate technological resources including but not limited to: HawkNet, Student Self-Serve, CANVAS, etc.
  • Collaborate with Student Affairs colleagues and other college departments (i.e. Academic Achievement Center, Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, Library, etc.) to develop and deliver various student-success focused workshops on topics such as, but not limited to: note-taking, study skills, test anxiety, time and financial management, and career exploration.
  • Document student interactions accurately and timely in appropriate SCC tracking systems as designated.
  • Provide referrals to specialized services inside and outside the college such as: Academic Achievement Center, Disability Services, TRIO & PACE, DHS, Community Health Center, Mental Health Associates, Domestic Violence Shelter, etc.
  • Participate as an active member of the CARE team and other college committees as assigned.
  • Attain and maintain certification in the following programs including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Mandatory Reporter, Life Coaching, Campus Safety Authority (CSA), etc.
  • Assist with recruiting, training and monitoring student peer advisors.
  • Assist with development and facilitation of college-wide New Student Experience (NSE) program.
  • Assist with organization, facilitation, and promotion of SCC’s Early Alert Retention System (EARS) tools and processes (i.e. Drop Out Detective [DOD], CARE Team, MAXIENT).
  • Keep the Director informed on all pertinent material relating to operational responsibilities.
  • Perform other duties as assigned and coordinated by the DSRSP and the Vice President Student Affairs.
    Specific Caseload Responsibilities:
    SCC operates with a team of Student Success Advocates all of whom have the same general responsibilities listed above, and each with the assignment of a designated group of individual students as their caseload.
  • Generally, students will be assigned to an SSA based on their chosen academic program (Pathway), and the SSA will serve as their primary point of contact and guidance for the duration of their experience at SCC within that Pathway.
  • SSA’s will develop a close working relationship with the faculty dedicated to the respective discipline(s) of the students assigned to them.
  • The optimum caseload per advocate will range from 150 – 250 students on average; however, some caseloads may be higher or lower than this range due to the size of particular academic programs.
  • Some SSA’s may have multiple disciplines represented across their caseload, as well as students that may be assigned based on type/characteristic such as High School-Concurrently Enrolled, Veterans’, Student Athletes, Online-only, etc.

• The Student Success Advocate must have the ability and mobility to coordinate and deliver services to both campuses and centers in respect to specific caseload assignment; travel to other areas within the state, nationally, regionally, and throughout the college district required. Must be able to work on a basis of “available as work demands” in addition to a fixed schedule, which will include evenings and weekends.
• The Student Success Advocate will abide by the employment contract and relevant policies and guidelines of the Board of Trustees.