Vice Provost for Academic Success and Vocation

The Vice Provost for Academic Success and Vocation provides university-wide leadership for academic student success, retention, persistence, and post-graduation outcomes. This position leads the development and execution of strategic initiatives that integrate academic support, advising, career and vocational development, and co-curricular programming. This position serves on key governance and consultative bodies, advises senior leadership, represents the university externally, and advances a holistic, data-informed approach to academic success from pre-matriculation to post-graduation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provides strategic leadership for institution-wide student success and retention efforts aligned with the university's mission and strategic plan.
• Oversees and coordinates academic success, advising, tutoring, mentoring, career and professional development, and academic support programs for undergraduate and graduate students.
• Serves as the Provost's principal designee, responsible for leading, implementing, and ensuring the achievement of the university's Student Success Strategic Plan.
• Directs the implementation and assessment of the Quality Enhancement Plan and other institution-wide academic success initiatives.
• Collaborates with academic deans, dean's offices, Student Development, Enrollment Management, and faculty to coordinate cross-divisional efforts to ensure aligned policies, consistent practices, and effective academic student support.
• Chairs the university-wide student success team and guides integrated planning in partnership with key campus stakeholders.
• Coordinates with campus partners to align academic readiness and first-year experience programs in support of academic success goals (retention, persistence, completion, placement).
• Supervises academic success units and personnel, including recruitment, evaluation, organizational planning, and professional development.
• Develops and maintains the budget, ensuring strategic allocation of resources. Controls operational budgets and contributes to the University's cost-effective operations.
• Ensures compliance with accreditation standards, federal grant requirements, and institutional policies, including oversight of TRIO and other externally funded programs.
• Leads assessment, data analysis, and reporting related to academic success, retention, and post-graduation outcomes, including First Destination Survey reporting, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
• Communicates academic success and career development priorities, progress, and outcomes to executive leadership, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders.
• Advances and cultivates external partnerships, employer engagement, donor relations, and grant development in support of academic success and career outcomes.
• Builds and sustains a collaborative, supportive work culture focused on continuous improvement across areas of responsibility.
• Serves as an institutional leader on the Academic Council, Leadership Team, and Care and Intervention Committees, among others.
• Engages in national professional associations and best-practice networks to inform strategy, benchmarking, and continuous improvement.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Master's degree from an accredited college/university required; terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent) in a field aligned with student success or related field
• 5 years of demonstrated leadership experience in academic administration and/or student success within higher education, with proven success in leading institution-wide student success, retention, and persistence initiatives.
• Experience developing, implementing, and assessing strategic plans and complex, cross-divisional initiatives.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership and governing boards.
• Strong record of collaboration with faculty, deans, and senior administrators.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong public relations and customer service skills with an ability to implement diplomacy and discretion at all times; an ability to work effectively with communities across the university; Highly responsive to the needs of others.
• Demonstrated use of data, assessment, and student success metrics to inform decision-making, improve outcomes, and achieve goals.

Preferred:

• Earned terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent) in field aligned with student success.
• Experience overseeing federally or privately funded student success programs, including grant compliance and reporting.
• Advanced experience with data analytics, student success technologies, and reporting platforms.
• Knowledge of regional accreditation standards and quality enhancement planning.
• Background in career and professional development, vocational discernment, or employer engagement.
• Demonstrated experience with first-year experience programs, advising programs, or mentoring models.
• Record of successful grant writing, donor engagement, or advancement collaboration.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish with the ability to understand and to make oneself understood to Spanish-speaking individuals).

Other Requirements:

• Must clear and maintain a favorable background investigation and clearance.
• Must have a valid driver's license, motor vehicle liability insurance, and personal injury insurance, or have a self-reliant source of transportation to conduct business on a daily basis
• Must be able to travel and work extended hours or weekends during peak times and for special programs, projects, and events.
• Must be able to engage when needed evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Must have a high ethical standard and a strong sense of confidentiality; ability to prioritize and manage multiple deadlines; thrive in a complex work environment; displays solid problem-solving and interpersonal skills; works well independently and as part of a team.
• Must have the ability to demonstrate strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and be able to organize workflow, coordinate activities, balance simultaneous projects without loss of efficiency in a multi-tasked environment, and manage multiple priorities to meet deadlines
• Must have the ability to demonstrate intermediate to advanced skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, Outlook, Teams, and Zoom or similar platforms);
• Ability to initiate appropriate actions and make systematic changes to avoid problem situations and/or increase the probability of desired outcomes

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Working conditions are in an office environment and a university campus setting. Must be able to move across the university campus to conduct day-to-day business.
• While performing this role, the employee will be regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk and hear, both in person and by telephone; and use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and occasionally required to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Frequently communicates with others using approved technological resources; must be able to exchange accurate information through designated systems in a timely manner.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

St. Mary's University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Equal Opportunity Employer.