Director of University Coaching and Mentoring (UCAM)

Southern Oregon University · Ashland · $60,820–$68,950 (stated in the posting)

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POSITION SUMMARY:

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:

• Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) a letter providing some detail of the applicant’s qualifications and interest in the position; and (2) current resume/CV. - PLEASE NOTE - during the application process, you will be prompted to attach these documents in the area titled "Resume." Please either combine ALL documents into ONE attachment, OR upload each item separately in this section. Failure to upload ALL of the required documents may disqualify application from consideration.
• For inquiries and additional information, please contact Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.
• To view SOU’s very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://inside.sou.edu/assets/hrs/Benefits/Benefit_Flyer/2024_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_012024.pdf
• Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://inside.sou.edu/hrs/comp-calc.html, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Director provides strategic, fiscal, and operational leadership for the University Coaching & Academic Mentoring (UCAM) program. This role is responsible for complete budget management, program sustainability, fee-for-service compliance, scholarship criteria evaluation, and long-term strategic direction. The Director serves as the primary external face of UCAM, driving recruitment initiatives, spearheading parent/family relations, designing marketing strategies, and leading public presentations to secure programmatic health and growth.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Education, Human Services, or other related field

• A minimum of three years of progressive administrative or supervisory leadership experience within a post-secondary, institutional framework, or other relevant setting.

• Proven competence in one or more of the following areas: fiscal administration, budget construction, fee-for-service, and/or nonprofit management. 

• Excellent professional public speaking, marketing execution, and multi-stakeholder communication skills. 

Preferred Requirements

Essential Functions

Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive:

(40%) Duties Include

• Oversee and reconcile the full UCAM operating budget, verifying fee-for-service billing accuracy, term fee postings, and collection holds.
• Establish criteria for, evaluate, and award UCAM programmatic scholarships based on financial aid indices, Student Aid Index (SAI), and documented need.
• Supervise and evaluate the Lead Academic Coach, providing top-tier oversight for the entire departmental workforce structure. Lead long-term strategic planning for UCAM in strict alignment with Student Life, Academic Affairs, and broader institutional targets. 

(35%) Duties Include

• Serve as the primary public representative and voice of the UCAM program across all campus, regional, and national frameworks.
• Design, curate, and update professional programmatic marketing materials, online interfaces, and promotional collateral.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute strategic regional recruitment trips to secondary schools, community organizations, and educational fairs.
• Deliver keynote presentations, informative workshops, and panel sessions at primary university milestones (Preview Days, Orientations, and Week of Welcome).

(15%) Duties Include

• Formally establish, manage, and facilitate a dedicated UCAM Parent & Family Support Group to enrich communication channels.
• Manage high-level, sensitive parent communications, navigating complex FERPA requirements, inquiries, and billing adjustments with discretion.
• Partner with University Advancement to cultivate relationship pipelines with program donors, alumni advocates, and institutional funding circles.

(10%) Duties Include

• Track, analyze, and report on core enrollment, student retention, and graduation metrics to refine program efficiency and demonstrate institutional value.
• Identify and pursue targeted grant opportunities to expand scholarship resources or enhance programmatic operations.
• Maintain programmatic agility by providing emergency overflow coaching support (0-5 cases) or high-level case intervention during crisis periods.
   

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist.
• Expressed ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, under pressure of deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
• Great ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information. Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Takes initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Expressed skill to independently analyze software functionality through technical documents, and design and document efficient/effective work processes; ability to independently analyze software problems, test probable causes, and recommend sound solutions.
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, online systems, social media platforms, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
• Willingness to and work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization and multiple outside agencies.
• Working knowledge or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to provide training and direction to student assistants.
• Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment utilizing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.
• Demonstrated ability to manage fee-for-service revenue models, reconcile operating budgets, and evaluate financial aid indices (such as the Student Aid Index) to accurately award scholarships and ensure overall program financial health.
• Leverages institutional knowledge and bureaucratic acumen to navigate complex university administrative processes, ensure policy compliance, and align UCAM goals with broader Academic and Student Affairs objectives.
• Translates university retention priorities into actionable long-term programmatic plans, monitoring operational benchmarks to drive sustainable growth.
• Directs, evaluates, and mentors the Coaches and Lead Academic Coach using clear performance metrics and ongoing feedback to build a cohesive, highly effective coaching unit.
• Establishes operational workflows and student care protocols, ensuring all coaching and administrative staff deliver equitable, high-quality support.
• Utilizes strong public speaking and storytelling abilities to deliver engaging keynotes, workshops, and panel sessions at major campus milestones (e.g., Preview Days, Week of Welcome) to drive prospective student interest.
• Uses marketing, web content design, and digital engagement strategies to create professional promotional collateral and execute recruitment trips to secondary schools and educational fairs.
• Exercises strict FERPA compliance, empathy, and administrative discretion when resolving complex parent/family inquiries and facilitating the UCAM Parent & Family Support Group.
• Collaborates proactively with University Advancement, alumni networks, and grant-making organizations to secure external funding, program donors, and scholarship opportunities.
• Translates deep theoretical knowledge of student development, growth mindset, and neurodivergent learning needs into evidence-based coaching practices and staff training models.
• Tracks, analyzes, and interprets student retention, enrollment, and academic success metrics to demonstrate programmatic value and implement continuous quality improvements.
• Applies clinical calm, de-escalation strategies, and coaching expertise during student crisis periods to provide direct emergency overflow coaching support (0-5 cases) when necessary.

Physical Demand

• Normal office activities such as sitting/standing at a desk, using a computer, answering phones, and communicating in person both in writing and via phone with others.
• Occasional off-site field trips.

Special Conditions

• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
• Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
• This position classification has been defined as exempt and is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• The person holding this position is considered a mandatory reporter under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
• This position requires driving for university business. Final candidates will be contacted by Human Resources to complete the university’s driver clearance process. Candidates who hold driver’s licenses issued outside the State of Oregon will be required to provide a certified driving record from their state of residence during the assessment phase.

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SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources.

Diversity Statement:
Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators, and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

SOU Land Acknowledgement
We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, the discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together – who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return, they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (www.ctsi.nsn.us) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.

Notice to Prospective Employees
Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the “Clery Act”), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.

An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR) can be accessed at the following link: https://cps.sou.edu/clery-act-annual-security-report/.  A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy, please visit the Office of the General Counsel located in Churchill Hall, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, Oregon 97520.  For more information, call 541-552-7095, or email clerycoordinator@sou.edu.

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