Posting Details Posting Information
Posting Number S416P
Working Title Student Success Coach - Orientation and New Student Programs
FLSA Non-Exempt
Pay Grade 4
Advertised Salary Beginning at $20.51/hr.
Position Status Full Time
Appointment Length 12 Months
Department Student Success
Job Summary/Basic Function The Success Coach - Orientation and New Student Programs supports student success, persistence and engagement through individualized coaching and the coordination of orientation, transition, leadership and student engagement initiatives that support student success and retention. The position assists students in their transition to college by providing guidance, support and access to campus resources while overseeing programs designed to foster belonging, leadership development, student success, and campus involvement. The coach serves as a primary coordinator for orientation and new student programs and collaborates with campus partners to create meaningful student experiences that contribute to retention and degree completion.
Minimum Qualifications - Bachelor's required.
- Experience in orientation/new student programs, student engagement, leadership development or student affairs programming.
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate large-scale student programs and events.
- Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
- Ability to build productive relationships with students, faculty, staff, and campus stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications - Master's degree preferred.
- Demonstrated knowledge of best practices related to student engagement, transition programs, leadership development, retention and student success initiatives.
- Experience planning, coordinating, and assessing large-scale student programs and events.
- Experience supervising student employees, peer leaders, or student organizations.
- Understanding of student development theory, coaching practices, and current trends in higher education.
- Experience working with diverse student populations including first-year students, student-athletes, transfer students, non-traditional students and students experiencing academic challenges.
Posting Date 08/03/2026
Close Date Special Instructions Summary Appointment to this position will be contingent upon a satisfactory background check.
We believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. Shepherd University offers generous
employee benefits , including:
o 13 paid holidays
o 15 days annual leave (vacation) per year
o 18 sick days per year and the flexibility to use that time to care for immediate family members
o Wide range of health insurance and other benefits
o 401(a) retirement savings with 6% contribution match; eligibility to continue health insurance post-retirement, and other retiree perks
o Tuition waivers for employees and their dependents
Job Duties
Description of Job Duties Success Coach (50%) - Support cohort-based support programs including Shepherd Success Academy, academic probation initiatives, student-athlete support programs, and other retention-focused efforts.
- Maintain an assigned caseload of students and provide individualized coaching focused on student success, goal setting, campus engagement, and persistence.
- Develop personalized plans for success and assist students in overcoming barriers to academic achievement and degree completion.
- Utilize knowledge of student success strategies to assist students in developing skills related to time management, study strategies, goal settings, test/exam preparation, and self-advocacy.
- Monitor and respond to Early Alert referrals related to first-year transition, engagement, attendance, and adjustment concerns for assigned students.
- Conduct proactive outreach to students experiencing transition, engagement or adjustment challenges and connect them with appropriate campus resources and support services.
- Develop and facilitate workshops, presentations and educational programming and materials that promote student success and campus engagement towards first-year students.
- Assist with Student Success Center's engagement initiatives and campus-wide programming.
- Develop communication and outreach campaigns designed to increase student participation in orientation, leadership programs and Student Success Center engagement initiatives.
- Develop, maintain and assess student success resources designed to support student learning, engagement, transition and persistence.
- Collaborate with faculty, staff, and campus partners to connect students with institutional resources and opportunities.
- Assist in data collection, assessment, reporting and program evaluation for Student Success Center initiatives.
- Serve in relevant committees and represent the Student Success Center at campus events and meetings.
- Support departmental initiatives and perform other duties as assigned.
Orientation and New Student Programming (50%) - Design, implement, assess and continuously improve large-scale new student programs and initiatives, including Orientation, Shepherd L.E.A.D.S., Rising Leaders and other programs that promote student belonging, engagement, transition and success, utilizing current best practices and emerging trends in higher education.
- Develop and maintain collaborative partnerships with key campus stakeholders, including but not limited to the New Student Taskforce, Admissions, Academic Affairs, Dining and Hospitality Services, Residence Life and other campus partners to support the planning and implementation of orientation and other engagement programming.
- Coordinate and facilitate New Student Taskforce meetings, including agenda development, meeting facilitation, documentation of meeting minutes and the identification of emerging trends, opportunities and recommendations related to the new student experience.
- Develop and coordinate ongoing first-year engagement initiatives throughout the academic year that support student success and retention.
- Create structured programming that supports student adjustment to college life.
- Lead planning, coordination and implementation of new student orientation programs including content, schedules, and engagement experiences.
- Design, implement and facilitate a grant funded program, Rising Leaders and a first-year early arrival immersive program, LE.A.D.S..
- Coordinate summer and spring orientation sessions, facilitate convocation and participate in open house info fairs, honors orientation, accepted students day, and other new student onboarding activities.
- Recruit, train, supervise and evaluate student leaders as applicable.
