Director Academic Success Center at Cizik School of Nursing

The Director of the Academic Success Center (ASC)

Cizik School of Nursing 

Position Summary:

The Director of the Academic Success Center (ASC) at Cizik School of Nursing (CSON) provides strategic leadership, vision, and operational oversight for all Academic Success Center programs and services. This position is responsible for advancing student success by developing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive academic support initiatives that promote academic achievement, retention, progression, graduation, and professional development among undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

The Director oversees the administration of academic success programs and the delivery of institutional resources designed to support students throughout their academic journey. Through collaboration with faculty, academic leadership, student affairs, and campus partners, the Director identifies barriers to student success and develops innovative, evidence-based strategies to enhance learning outcomes and student engagement.

This role also provides leadership and management of the CSON Ambassador Leadership Program and the BSN Tutor Program, fostering leadership development, peer mentorship, and academic support opportunities that contribute to a positive and inclusive learning environment. The Director is responsible for program planning, assessment, budget oversight, personnel management, and continuous quality improvement to ensure programs align with the mission and strategic priorities of the Cizik School of Nursing.

Position Key Accountabilities:

• Manages the responsibility for the growth and continuous improvement of the undergraduate and graduate academic advisement program including provision of academic skills and success strategies to students.
• Advises and mentor BSN nursing students targeting academic skills and success strategies to include time management, organization, active retrieval/study skills, prioritization, critical thinking, and test taking strategies.
• Provides appropriate referrals to UTHealth Student Health Counseling as needed and act as a ¿referral source¿ for faculty with advisees requiring additional assistance.
• Manages the BSN peer tutoring program which includes hiring BSN peer tutors each semester, hiring BSN Pathophysiology Tutor and Graduate Tutor as needed, collaborating with BSN faculty, coordinating tutoring sessions for a variety of BSN courses, completing Tutor Orientation, managing the Tutor Recognition Program, and fundraising to support the program.
• Coordinates and moderates the BSN Orientation & Boot Camp and oversee the MSN/DNP orientations each semester which provides an overview of the BSN program and success strategies to incoming baccalaureate nursing students.
• Provides academic success skills seminars to the incoming BSN students at the beginning of the first semester to identify academic skills that may impede success and strategies to facilitate success in nursing school.
• Engages in activities targeting NCLEX preparation including coordination of the NCLEX Review course each semester.
• Monitors NCLEX pass rate for each cohort to determine estimated pass rates and trends.
• Collaborates with BSN course faculty to facilitate respective course success and HESI test success.
• Provides employment services to BSN students to include a seminar each semester for BSN nursing students addressing resume writing, interview skills, and employment opportunities; and disseminate additional employment information to students as needed. Collaborate with the Graduate Academic Success Coach and an outside entity in the management of the Cizik School of Nursing job site which lists current employment opportunities throughout the United States for newly graduated undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni.
• Mentors and supervises the Graduate Success Coach to include oversight of all Academic Success Center programs/resources for graduate students, Graduate Tutors, and the Writing Specialists targeting achievement of programmatic goals.
• Serves as Lead Faculty Advisor for the Cizik School of Nursing Ambassador Program including ongoing development, management, and assessment of the program. Serve as PI for the Deborah Garrett Adams Leadership Development Fund and Emily and Jordan Marye Leadership Development Fund to support the Ambassadors program.
• Coordinates and serves as course lead faculty for the Power of Nursing elective at the Cizik School of Nursing.
• Collaborates with UTHealth Development to procure funding for the Academic Success Center and Ambassador Program, identify external donors, complete annual endowment reports, and provide other donor reports as needed.
• Participates in accreditation surveys including SACS and CCNE surveys, meeting with surveyors and providing data as needed.
• Serves on the Baccalaureate Council, Graduate Council, and other councils as needed.
• Manages Human Resources activities for direct reports in regards to: recruiting and selection; hiring and termination, training, development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning.
• Responsible for the design, execution and effectiveness of a system of internal controls which provides reasonable assurance that operations are effective and efficient, assets are safeguarded; financial information is reliable and compliant with applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Certification/Skills:

• Ability to counsel, mentor, advise, and coach students with academic, social, psychosocial or other issues which affect academic success
• Ability to become a facilitator for the Power of Nursing course
• Work may involve handling biohazardous, chemical, and radiological materials, as well as operating associated equipment. Required safety training and appropriate engineering and administrative controls including the use of personal protective equipment must be followed.
• Registered Nurse (RN) State Licensure or Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) by Texas Board of Nursing (BON) preferred upon hire

Minimum Education:

Doctorate Degree in Education, Psychology, or Nursing with a focus on nursing education and academic success required

Minimum Experience:

7 years of experience working with nursing students and at-risk students required

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive:

This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code §51.215 and Texas Government Code §411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code §117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position. Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R. §791.4.

Residency Requirement:

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.