Dean of Student Retention and Completion

Mesa Community College invites applications for the position of Dean for Student Retention and Completion - a highly experienced, extremely collaborative transformational leader with a proven track record of enhancing student success, improving student retention rates, and who will champion student persistence, eliminate equity gaps, foster a culture of holistic, data-informed student support, and promote institutional excellence.

This is a pivotal moment in the institution's journey to redefine student success. The Dean will serve as the chief architect of retention strategy, bringing vision, innovation, and collaborative leadership to create a lasting institutional impact. This role provides an exceptional opportunity to shape policy, lead cross-divisional partnerships, and directly influence the academic and personal outcomes of thousands of students.

*Role Summary*

The Dean for Student Retention and Completion is a strategic leadership position responsible for designing and implementing institution-wide strategic efforts to improve community college student retention, persistence, and credential completion. This senior-level role leads a portfolio of student-centered programs and policies, ensuring measurable progress toward outcomes across diverse student populations. Through visionary, innovative, and collaborative leadership across academic, student services, and institutional research teams, the dean will harness data, research, and best practices to proactively identify barriers to educational attainment and implement targeted interventions, policies, and programs and foster a data-informed, student-centered culture of success and advance Mesa Community College's strategic goals and objectives. This leadership position provides oversight for a strategic retention plan, as well as develops, implements, and assesses student-centered programs and services within Student Affairs under the direction of the Vice President of Student Affairs. This is an on-campus in-person position within a student-facing administrative office and serves in the best interests of the college on matters of student achievement, engagement, and institutional accountability. The ability to effectively work with a team of diverse faculty, staff and students is essential for success.

*Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership:*

● Develop and execute a comprehensive, data-informed student retention and success strategy aligned with institutional enrollment goals and student success goals.

● Lead cross-functional teams focused on retention initiatives to improve student outcomes through data-informed practices.

*Innovation, Program Development & Oversight:*

● Lead the design, continuous improvement, and strengthen the implementation of high-impact programs such as, but not limited to early alert systems, academic coaching and recovery, first-year experience programs, mentoring, learning communities, and faculty-staff training in student engagement.

● Coordinate initiatives that improve first-year experience, progression through programs, and on-time completion.

● Oversee initiatives for at-risk students, including academic probation support, re-entry programs, and targeted interventions.

● Close achievement gaps in retention and degree completion, with a focus on populations with lower student retention rates.

● Identify and address patterns of course withdrawal, failure, or stop-out.

*Institutional Collaboration & Communication:*

● Partner across academic affairs, faculty, advisors, financial aid, student support services, enrollment management, advising, etc. to ensure a holistic approach and unify efforts in retention, persistence, completion and student success.

● Serve as a liaison among departments to remove barriers to student persistence and coordinate outreach efforts.

*Data Analytics & Assessment:*

● Guide the use of institutional research and analyze data and predictive analytics to assess student outcomes, identify at-risk student populations, barriers to retention and completion, and evaluate program effectiveness to inform policy development.

● Use data analytics to track retention trends and progress on key performance indicators (KPIs), such as term-to-term persistence, course success rates, and graduation rates.

● Prepare and present reports to leadership and accreditation bodies as required.

● Use data to guide the design, implementation, and assessment of student success initiatives.

*Policy & Compliance:*

● Ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies regarding student retention services.

● Recommend policy changes that foster fairness and increase retention outcomes.

● Recommend and help implement policies that reduce attrition and promote degree completion (e.g., course sequencing, intrusive advising models, academic standing policies).

*Leadership and Professional Development & Staff Supervision:*

● Lead, supervise and mentor a team of professional retention and student success staff within the retention unit or office; foster a culture of professionalism, collaboration, excellence, and innovation.

● Provide training and development to faculty and staff on best practices for student retention and engagement.

*Ideal Candidate Profile*

The successful candidate will be a mission-driven, results-oriented leader with a proven record of effective strategies that increased student retention and success. The incumbent is visionary, innovative, collaborative and demonstrates the highest level of professionalism - with deep expertise in student development theory, organizational change, and data analytics.

*Core Competencies:*

● Student Success & Retention Strategy

● Leadership & Management

● High-Level Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

● Assessment & Evaluation; Data literacy and analytics

● Change management

● Strategic thinking and planning

● Inclusive leadership and advocacy

● Effective communication and collaboration

● Student-centered and Data-Informed Decision-making

● Student-Centered Approach

● Technology Proficiency

● Policy & Compliance Knowledge

*Essential Functions

60% Leadership*

● Provide strategic leadership and oversight for academic advising, first-year success, and student engagement programs and functions.

● Provide direct supervision to the following: Director, Academic Advising, Success Programs, TRiO and other designated personnel.

● Design and operationalize an integrated and comprehensive plan that meets the needs of a diverse learner population and increases persistence and retention.

● Provide strategic direction for the development and continuous improvement of programs and services, ensuring data-informed decision-making aligns with MCC's institutional goals.

● Prioritize closing opportunity gaps that support student retention, academic success, and career readiness, with a particular emphasis on addressing the needs of at-opportunity student populations.

● Develop and implement targeted student success initiatives that promote access to essential resources, ensuring comprehensive support for all student populations.

● Design and implement student success programs and outreach and monitor the success of those programs.

● Consider ways First-Year Seminars can most effectively increase retention/persistence, and design effective co-curricular approaches to ensure students are positioned for success.

● Monitor student persistence, retention, and success metrics, using data to drive decision-making and improve student outcomes.

● Lead college retention and persistence efforts including academic recovery and adoption and the effective use of the Academic Alert system.

● Develop metrics, policies, and procedures and program health assessment for establishing and achieving objectives in retention, persistence, and student success.

● Develop and utilize a robust data strategy and other technological advances to create a model retention program for in-person and online students.

● Serve as a liaison for proactive and relational advising and outreach initiatives in partnership with and support of institutional academic, student success, and advising staff.

● Assist the Vice President, Student Affairs in the strategic review of data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for enhancing student success initiatives, with a focus on reducing disparities and increasing equity in retention and completion rates.

● Facilitate partnerships and programs that enhance students' access to academic, career, and personal development resources, both within and outside the college, with an emphasis on closing opportunity gaps.

● Collaborate with faculty to analyze, interpret and implement processes as they relate to student engagement, retention, persistence, academic advising, and student success.

● Collaborate with faculty to address first-year experience courses, orientation, summer bridge programming, and similar initiatives.

● Build collaborative partnerships with college departments to develop integrated student success strategies.

● Collaborate with faculty and academic departments to integrate student success strategies into the campus culture.

● Provide leadership to develop, plan, and operate retention communication plans.

● Maximize full utilization of student success software programs to enhance academic advising, degree planning, and tracking to improve retention and completion rates.

● Develop goals and objectives for areas of supervision. Collaborate with the Vice President, Student Affairs in the area of long-range planning and coordinate special projects and other initiatives with internal and external stakeholders.

● Communicate effectively, share vision, focus on people, initiate positive change, value differences and foster collaboration. Inspire others to achieve college, unit, and individual success. Challenge processes and willing to break from the status quo to improve individual and unit performance.

● Supervise, hire, lead, manage, evaluate, coach, train, and develop a high-performing team and build unit capacity to ensure that staff and unit operations are optimally aligned with the needs of the service population. Ensure high levels of retention, achievement of goals and quality results from all team members. Research and offer appropriate professional development to employees within the department. Manage the daily activities of the team and set retention goals for the team on a regular basis.

o Direct, supervise, and support all assigned areas to ensure students receive personalized guidance for academic planning and career pathways for persistence and credential/degree completion.

o Ensure compliance with federal grant requirements and students are receiving services as delegated.

o Lead, monitor, and manage Early Alert services and data to ensure practices are effective in addressing students who are demonstrating academic difficulty.

● Create a unit that thinks creatively and executes with precision and speed for the purpose of creating a climate of belonging and care for all students.

● Budget Management: Prepare, manage, and oversee budget expenditures. Engage in expenditure development and review. Maintain operating budget, including development of financial models, projection of expenses, and assessing financial needs. Develop, update and responsible for budgets for student support programs, ensuring efficient use of resources.

● Demonstrate self-awareness, self-control, motivation, empathy, social skills and group work skills. Trustworthy, understanding and helpful. Considerate. Work well and productively on committees.

● Act with integrity. Make the right decision even when that may not be the most popular decision. Poised. Coachable. Respect authority and the rights of others. Fair.

● Identify/address problem areas before they escalate into crises. Solve problems courageously and creatively, plan effectively and carry out those plans. Improve individual and unit performance. Manage ambiguity and align the unit and college values with performance. Productive, demonstrate a strong work ethic and sense of ambition. Make good use of resources. Accountable.

● Engage in other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Student Affairs, supporting initiatives that advance the mission of the office and the division.

● Ability to act in the absence of the Vice President, Student Affairs and assist with projects and program quality improvements.

*30% Program/Operation Implementation*

● Develop, direct, plan, organize, and implement long-range retention and student success strategies/programs that align with accreditation agencies, institutional policies, administrative regulations, and support research-based best practices for college-wide enrollment, retention and persistence efforts.

o Identify at-risk students, develop and implement intervention strategies, and coordinate efforts between faculty, advisors, and support services to ensure students remain on track to complete their degree.

● Participate in and support strategic enrollment planning activities at the system and campus level, and in partnership with the Vice President, Student Affairs, setting and implementing a strategic direction for SEM planning.

● Plan, organize, and conduct retention events, program sessions, and special events to promote the educational transition and awareness for new students, especially for at-risk student populations.

● Develop campus-wide enrollment and retention initiatives and programs for at-risk student populations to include faculty and multiple departments.

● Coordinate the early alert system for all students in the college identifying students at risk and implementing interventions to promote retention. Incorporate diverse technology systems for effective early alert and other retention and completion practices. Coordinate technology tracking systems, data collection, and analysis.

o Develop an early alert system to identify underperforming students in specific coursework, and collaborate with instructional aides and tutors to intervene.

● Co-chair the College Enrollment Management Committee.

● Work with Institutional Effectiveness to identify areas for institutional improvement regarding student success, retention, completion, and collaborate in project management of initiatives for success.

● Conduct workshops, seminars, and presentations to students, parents, faculty, employers, and community partners enhancing awareness and utilization of student success resources and emphasizing strategies to reduce opportunity gaps.

● Collaborate with faculty and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of programs and practices. Partner with department chairs, directors, and deans to create strategic pathways for student retention.

● Incorporate technology into academic advising and other departmental processes.

● Problem-solve and refine strategies, assistive technologies, and/or reasonable accommodations.

● Embed learning opportunities to develop student self-advocacy skills and foster autonomy.

● Connect students with relevant on- and off-campus resources and offer guidance and support in navigating dynamic, fast-paced learning environments.

● Demonstrate capacity, skill, and willingness to engage students and contribute to student success.

● Implement and continually develop best practices.

*5% Compliance *

● Ensure compliance, and follow, understand, and adhere to federal, state, District Office, and institutional regulations/laws/policies.

● Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by accreditation agencies, school policies, and administrative regulations.

● Utilize relevant, appropriate, and approved systems to communicate and monitor student interaction and progress.

● Monitor the compliance and reporting standards and remain abreast of district, state, and federal regulations. Maintain student confidentiality, including accurate and confidential records.

● Contribute toward creating a positive and respectful workplace. Use access to sensitive and/or not yet public college-related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of the position and exercise care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.

● Prepare accurate reports and documentation as required and requested. Track and monitor federal grants; prepare and monitor department budgets and other related budgets and operations.

● Ensure students equal access to MCC's curricular and co-curricular activities. Support students and counsel them to better understand their MCC experience.

*5% Other*

● Serve on various executive boards, college and district committees (including locally, regionally, and nationally) as designated and participate in meetings and conferences.

● Responsible for other reasonable related duties as assigned commensurate to the grade level of the position.

Minimum Qualifications

Master's Degree from a regionally accredited institution in education, student personnel, higher education administration, counseling, social work, student affairs, organizational behavior or field related to area of assignment and four years of progressively responsible management and/or leadership experience in student retention, academic advising, or student support services with demonstrated success with improved retention and degree completion that includes two years of supervisory experience.

Examples of student affairs academic support management/leadership experience includes: program management, project management, budget development and management related to programs or projects, staff supervision, policy development, administration, evaluation and compliance.

*Deadline to Apply:*

October 24, 2025