Dean, Retention / Campus Dean

Tidewater Community College has served South Hampton Roads – both students and employers – for 50 years.  It has grown from 1 campus into a regional educational and economic force.  TCC is the largest provider of higher education and workforce services in Hampton Roads, enrolling nearly 28,000 students in 2019-20. Founded in 1968 as a part of the Virginia Community College System, Tidewater Community College (TCC) services South Hampton Roads with 4 campuses in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, 7 regional centers and 2 important cultural institutions. The college had 3,203 graduates in 2019-2020, 40 percent of whom pursued degrees that would let them transfer to 4-year institutions. Of South Hampton Roads residents enrolled in higher education 36% enrolled at TCC. TCC’s institutional accreditation is affirmed through 2027 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The Dean of Retention/Campus Dean plays a pivotal role in fostering collaborative relationships with academic and student services departments, actively contributing to the holistic education, support, and retention of a diverse student population, including adult learners. In this capacity, the Dean provides overarching leadership for Testing Services, Early Alert, SDV 100 and 108, retention advisors, and broader operational aspects of this domain. This role also involves orchestrating a range of activities and programs that promote faculty and staff engagement in retention initiatives.

As a key liaison between faculty and student affairs staff, the Dean of Retention is dedicated to facilitating and bolstering student retention efforts. This includes coordinating academic support services and conducting workshops that empower students. Furthermore, the Dean offers individual and small group consultative and coaching services, with the explicit goal of equipping students with the skills and strategies needed to excel academically.

By embracing these responsibilities, the Dean of Retention actively contributes to the success of our students, enabling them to thrive and reach their educational objectives.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership and Administrative Oversight:

• Provide leadership and administrative oversight for service delivery, ensuring alignment with current, evolving, and future student and community needs.
• Supervise and, when necessary, provide personalized support to students, reinforcing study skills, and assisting with academic planning and organization.
• Help students leverage campus and community resources, including academic tutoring, advising, career services, and financial aid.
• Stay current in student success and academic coaching by participating in meetings, professional development, and reading relevant materials.
• Identify at-risk students and develop recovery plans.

Testing Support:

• Collaborate with faculty to develop and implement testing center procedures that enhance student success.

SDV 100 and 108

• Recruit, hire, and retain SDV faculty, providing support and professional development to enhance their teaching skills.
• Collaborate with SDV faculty to develop and review the SDV curriculum, ensuring it aligns with student needs and institutional goals.
• Regularly observe and evaluate the performance of SDV faculty, providing constructive feedback and support for their professional growth.
• Analyze student data, assess outcomes, and use data-driven insights to make improvements to SDV programs and student success initiatives.

Progress Monitoring and Data Analysis:

• Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of effective systems for monitoring and assessing service quality and outcomes.
• Oversee the process for documenting, tracking, and monitoring student academic progress, enrollment, participation, and outcomes.
• Prepare necessary reports as required.
• Collaborate with Student Affairs departments to conduct data analysis, producing records and reports on the effectiveness of programming.

Academic Support Services:

• Develop and conduct workshops and small group activities addressing academic success, and design related program materials.
• Assist in the implementation of college-wide retention strategies.
• Contribute to the preparation of departmental publications.
• Participate in the development of strategies, systems, and reports for retaining current students.
• Work independently and efficiently with minimal direct supervision on specific assigned programs or projects.

Educational Success Facilitation:

• Plan, implement, and evaluate short- and long-term strategies, goals, and objectives in areas such as Early Alert & Intervention systems, designed to identify struggling students, connect them with appropriate resources, and reduce academic probation/suspension instances.
• Enhance online student services and technology solutions to improve communication with students, increase retention rates, and support student recruitment.
• Develop post-admission student success initiatives and retention services tailored to populations at risk, including high-impact practices like peer-mentoring.

Program Review and Assessment:

• Review, assess, and evaluate assigned programs and services.
• Recommend and implement approved plans and policies to improve outcomes, operations, and programs.
• Emphasize data-driven decision-making.
• Assess student needs and provide support services in response.

Student Success Strategies:

• Develop and implement strategies to increase student completion, success, and access with a focus on retention.

Support the Vice President:

• Collaborate with the Vice President of Student Affairs to gather, interpret, and present data on students, student progress, and student success indicators, enhancing instructional effectiveness and supporting enrollment management efforts.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

• Provide leadership in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion at the college, promoting an equitable and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff, especially in service delivery, policies, and procedures.

Student Contact Campaign:

• Develop, manage, and facilitate a student contact process to assist with college transitions and provide support throughout the year.

CAMPUS DEAN RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Campus Safety and Security – Collaborating with the Department of Public Safety and Facilities

• Oversee campus parking operations.
• Manage interactions between employees and contractors.
• Address access control issues.
• Implement safety enhancements.
• Respond to power outages effectively.

2. Student Issues

• Resolve or refer student conflicts as appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Dean of Student Life and Conduct

3. Employee Issues (Supervisor)

• Select, train, motivate, and evaluate staff. Establish and monitor employee performance objectives and conduct employee performance reviews.
• Support staff’s continuous learning through attendance at conferences, online opportunities, and key off-campus meetings to share information about promising practices, compliance issues, policies, and procedures.

4. Emergency and Crisis Management

• In consultation with the Director of Public Safety, assist in handling student crisis situations and emergencies.

5. Forms, Approvals, and Processes

• Maintain appropriate records and correspondence related to the Dean’s office.
• Evaluate processes and make recommendations for efficiency.
• Manage various computer-based systems for activity tracking and assessment as appropriate.

6. Physical Space Management

• Review and approve facility use agreements/rentals.
• Assign space for classes and offices as appropriate.

7. Community Responsibility

• Support and expand collaboration with groups and organizations in the community.
• Develop relationships with local high school districts, delegates, community service agencies, businesses, educational, and governmental organizations as needed.

8. Budgeting

• Develop and monitor budgets for all units under the Retention Department.
• Document, track, and report on departmental expenditures and practice appropriate fiscal resource management. Make budget recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs based on departmental goals and anticipated areas of growth or change.

9. Campus Morale

• Employ best practices to develop a strong sense of teamwork, equity, and investment in the college’s mission.
• Develop strong relationships with students, staff, and faculty; promote availability and visibility to the student body through active participation and presence on campus, as well as attendance and involvement in campus programs and events as appropriate.
• Generate enthusiastic and active faculty/staff support for retention activities, programs, and initiatives.

10. Planning and Assessment

• Develop strategic plans, goals, and recommendations for retention activities, programs, and services.
• Compile and analyze data related to student participation and program evaluation.
• Develop organizational work processes that facilitate the attainment of established program goals and objectives.

11. Reporting and Recommendations

• Report findings and make recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs regarding retention activities and strategies.

KSA’s/Required Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in Educational Administration, Student Personnel Administration or a related field from a regionally accredited college or university; doctorate preferred.
2. Progressively responsible higher education work experience in student services.
3. Proven leadership in a large, complex organizational setting, preferably within a community college.
4. Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary theories and practices affecting student services and academic programming.
5. Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the community college philosophy and student development.
6. Ability to coordinate the division’s service programs with other college divisions and offices so as to be responsive to the needs of a diverse student population.
7. Proven ability to work as a team player, appropriately exhibiting a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and the ability to tolerate and flourish in an environment characterized by multiple complex factors, competing priorities, ambiguous situations, and resource challenges.
8. Ability to supervise and evaluate assigned staff while building a highly effective working team.
9. Excellent skills in oral and written communication.
10. Ability to interpret and apply college policies and procedures; ability to resolve issues, resulting in mutual respect and tolerance for varying points of view.
11. Knowledge of and ability to utilize administrative applications of information technology.
12. Demonstrated skill in managing budgets, equipment, and other institutional resources.
13. Demonstrated skill in developing relationships with community stakeholders and organizations.

Additional Considerations
As delineated in the Required Qualifications section.

For full description and to apply, please go to https://jobs.vccs.edu/postings/66641

Virginia’s Community College System, an EEO employer, welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and recognizes the benefits of a diverse workforce. Therefore, the VCCS is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications. We prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, mental or physical disabilities, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, political affiliation, veteran status, gender identity, or other non-merit factors.