Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Student Success

The Student Success Specialist develops, implements, assesses, and promotes academic support programs aimed at improving retention, graduation, and academic achievement outcomes; engages and meets with students to make academic support referrals; identifies opportunities for intervention and designs strategies to achieve desired learning outcomes; fosters supportive, responsive, and engaging learning communities; collaborates with faculty to identify students in need of academic support and provides services including developmental courses, workshops, tutoring, and study groups.

• Meet with students to identify and respond to learning needs; refer students to academic support resources with the aim of increasing retention; monitor and coordinate support services; design methods to monitor academic progress
• Coordinate and provide services in a learning center including assessments and tutoring; deliver seminars and workshops to support student success
• Evaluate documentation to determine program eligibility for students; collaborate with faculty to implement services
• Develop and implement proactive retention programs and initiatives; develop strategies to increase student engagement, close achievement gaps, and reach desired learning outcomes; leverage assessment data to identify opportunities for intervention; create new learning resources
• Collaborate with faculty to design academic support programs aimed at providing students with tools and resources to succeed; define, measure, and report on desired outcomes; collaborate with faculty and learning partners to optimize course content
• Integrate research-based strategies and interventions; define, measure, and analyze outcome data; apply feedback to long-rang planning aimed at advancing program impact
• Develop communication strategies to identify and engage potential participants; promote available support services; create responsive and supportive learning communities that encourage student engagement
• Serve as a liaison to other departments and develop initiatives that improve the student experience across the University; collaborate with other academic services including advising and disability departments; foster partnerships with faculty, staff, and leadership in order to advance program goals
• May supervise full-time staff, student workers, tutors, and part-time employees

Level:

– Supervisor

Base Description:

– Supervises direct reports, but primarily completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates appropriate knowledge to perform own work; spends majority of time on tasks related to own job responsibilities. Demonstrates baseline planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills. Reviews completed work of others to verify accuracy and quality. Follows recommended approaches to assigned work. Supervises assigned staff and coordinates routine work activities. Monitors employee interactions and facilitates a productive working environment. Communicates instructions and policies in a consistent, effective and timely manner. Identifies and addresses concerns appropriately. Makes recommendations for possible solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Typically oversees at least 2 full–time direct reports or equivalent team of part–time and/or student workers (for Support track, performs work at Senior Support level or higher; for Professional track, performs work at the Advanced Professional level or higher)

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices
– May monitor/track budgets for specific area and/or grant(s)

Problem Solving:

– Encounters generally routine problems with progressively more complex and/or varied problems
– Typically follows standard operating procedures to resolve problems
– May apply specialized knowledge and skills to resolve complex and/or varied problems
– Applies proven and tries new approaches when solving problems

Independence of Action:

– Works with minimal supervision on difficult work assignments, conferring with manager on unusual matters
– Follows precedents and procedures
– Organizes work of direct reports and may set priorities within general guidelines established by manager
– Reviews the work of others to verify accuracy, quality, and conformance to required procedures and special instructions

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates internally within working unit and the University
– Communicates with external audiences for scheduling/coordination
– May communicate with external audiences for business purposes
– Collaborates closely with team members; may interact with other staff outside of area
– Utilizes a communication style that is appropriate for a given situation
– Interprets and communicates information, ideas and instructions clearly and accurately both verbally and in written materials

• Comp Grade – 7
• Minimum – $46,400.00
• MidPoint – $56,800.00
• Maximum – $67,300.00