Young Harris College invites applications from qualified candidates for the position of Coordinator of the First Year Experience. A key member of the YHC Success Center, a modern one-stop facility in the state-of-the-art Rollins Campus Center that brings together FYE, counseling, disability support, tutoring, and registration services, the Coordinator helps lead the College’s efforts to support first-year students’ inclusion, belonging, persistence, and success by administering the first-year seminar course along with the Faculty Director of First-Year Experience and collaborating with other offices to deliver co- and extra-curricular programming.
The College has begun the process of reconceptualizing its first-year seminar course and programming in response to the evolving needs of today’s undergraduate students. In summer 2021, YHC was one of 61 colleges and universities nationwide selected to participate in the AAC&U’s Institute on High-Impact Practices and Student Success. A five-person team of faculty and staff members worked collaboratively to construct a new intellectual framework for the course designed around four intertwined literacies (institutional, information, community, self) integral to student success. The Coordinator will work with the Director to continue building out the course and its new framework while working with faculty members to integrate the course into a new general education core.
In addition to serving as a lead instructor, the Coordinator is responsible for recruiting, retaining, and supervising course-embedded peer mentors, who also serve as orientation leaders; for serving on the First Year Experience Committee, Orientation Committee, and the Retention Committee, and for serving on ad hoc committees as required; for collaborating with the Director of First-Year Experience, Assistant Director of Academic Support, the Director of Academic Advising, and other staff and faculty members to plan and deliver spring/summer pre-orientation events and the August orientation event; to coordinate the collection and use of data to inform first-year programming; and to carry out other relevant duties as assigned. The Coordinator reports to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Support, who reports to the Provost.
Required qualifications include an earned master’s degree, preferably in College Student Personnel, Student Affairs, Higher Education Administration, or a similar discipline; experience in college student success initiatives, programming, peer education, teaching, and/or persistence efforts; and demonstrated effectiveness as a communicator, collaborative team-and system-builder, and planner.
Applications must include a cover letter, current CV, and contact information for at least three professional references. Applicant must apply online using the College’s HR portal. Review of applications will begin immediately. The position’s expected start date is 1 June 2022 but may be negotiable.
Applicants who would enrich the diversity of the campus community are strongly encouraged to apply.
EOE M/F/D/V