Assistant Director of the First-Year Experience (Grant-Funded)

Role Description

The Assistant Director of the First-Year Experience (FYE) is responsible for delivering integrated academic and co-curricular support to first-year students at Texas Wesleyan University. Serving as both instructor and mentor, this position teaches sections of the university’s first-year seminar course, while providing proactive, individualized mentoring, and structured engagement opportunities throughout students’ first year. The position supports student transition, belonging, academic momentum, and persistence through classroom instruction, intentional outreach, mentoring, and community-building experiences.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Teach designated sections of the first-year seminar course and ensure the delivery of a consistent experience in alignment with departmental and institutional goals.
• Assess student learning and engagement in accordance with departmental and institutional standards.
• Maintain an assigned caseload of first-year students connected to taught course sections.
• Provide mentoring, outreach, referral, and intervention support for assigned first-year students, including monitoring academic progress, attendance, and engagement.
• Conduct one-on-one mentoring meetings with assigned students and provide individualized guidance, accountability, and support.
• Coordinate referrals to campus resources such as academic advising, tutoring, counseling, financial aid, and student support services as needed.
• Plan and facilitate structured out-of-class engagement opportunities designed to support academic success, peer connection, and campus belonging.
• Track student participation in required engagement activities and follow up with students as needed.
• Supervise, train, and evaluate student employees connected to the First-Year Experience.
• Collaborate with the Director of the First-Year Experience, FYE staff, and campus partners to support consistent instruction, mentoring, and engagement across sections and cohorts.
• Support smooth student transitions beyond the first year by reinforcing connections to academic advisors, faculty mentors, and campus involvement opportunities.
• Maintain accurate records related to student meetings, outreach, engagement participation, and other program activities.
• Contribute to assessment, reporting, data collection, and documentation related to first-year experience outcomes.
• Participate in training, professional development, and regular staff meetings focused on student success and program improvement.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and other first-year experience initiatives.
• Represent the University on internal committees and in external professional networks related to first-year student success, persistence, and retention.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Experience

• Demonstrated experience working directly with undergraduate students in a mentoring, advising, teaching, or student success capacity.
• Experience teaching, co-teaching, or facilitating a first-year seminar, student success course, or comparable learning experience.
• Experience supporting first-generation and/or Pell-eligible student populations.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of first-year experience, student transition, persistence, retention, and student success practices in higher education.
• Knowledge of student development, mentoring, coaching, and referral practices that support first-year student success.
• Knowledge of academic and co-curricular engagement practices that promote belonging, connection, and persistence.
• Knowledge of resources, referral practices, and student support services relevant to first-year students.
• Knowledge of assessment, student progress monitoring, and early-alert or student success systems.
• Knowledge of engaging teaching practices appropriate for first-year students.
• Skill in maintaining accurate records, documentation, and student-related data.
• Skill in teaching and facilitating first-year seminar courses in an engaging, student-centered manner.
• Skill in building trust-based relationships with students from diverse backgrounds.
• Skill in mentoring, coaching, and supporting students through individualized outreach, accountability, and referral.
• Skill in managing a high-touch caseload with organization, responsiveness, and consistency.
• Skill in planning and facilitating structured engagement opportunities and co-curricular programming.
• Skill in monitoring student progress, identifying concerns, and responding proactively to student needs.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Skill in collaboration with colleagues and campus partners to support student success and program implementation.

Education

• Master’s degree, preferably in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Educational Leadership, or a related field.