Student Success Lead
ABOUT ALU
ALU provides higher education for a higher purpose. Our students declare missions, not majors.
They develop the real-world skills to take on the world’s most pressing challenges. And they take ownership of their learning from day one through our peer and student-led approach – because ALU believes in the power and agency of young people to start shaping the future right now.
Together with a world-class faculty and staff, our students are igniting a ripple of positive impact across Africa and the world.
We are dedicated to fostering an open yet secure environment, balancing the safety of students, staff, and visitors with respect for individual rights, and safeguarding responsibilities.
HOW WE WORK
As a high-growth start-up, the ALU Team works in starkly different ways to traditional academic bureaucracies. We approach education from first principles, empower individuals to design, test, and implement creative new ideas, and work closely together to craft transformative learning experiences. We are deeply passionate about our students and excited by the challenge of building something entirely new.
The African Leadership University is committed to ensuring the safety and Well-being of all students under our care. As part of this commitment , we have a comprehensive safeguarding policy in place , which outlines our Zero-tolerance approach to any violation of safeguarding.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Academic Student Success Lead is responsible for implementing a high-quality student experience and student outcomes in all student success functions for ALU-Rwanda. This role is focused on competencies that are integral to student success in the ALU-Rwanda programs, which include language skills (writing and speaking), technical skills, research skills, and the like.
ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Planning and Vision:
- Implement a comprehensive student success plan that involves setting goals, identifying key performance indicators (KPIs), and outlining strategies to improve student retention, graduation rates, and overall well-being.
- Align student success initiatives with the institution's mission and strategic plan to ensure that efforts are focused on achieving the overall goals of ALU-Rwanda.
- Research and stay informed about best practices in student success.
- Data Analysis and Assessment:
- Collect and analyze data on student demographics, academic performance, and engagement to identify trends, patterns, and potential barriers to student success.
- Use data to inform decision-making and program development to ensure that interventions and support services are targeted and effective.
- Assess the effectiveness of student success initiatives.
- Collaboration and Communication:
- Build strong relationships with faculty, staff, and students to foster a collaborative environment where everyone is working together to support student success.
- Communicate effectively with stakeholders by sharing data, highlighting successes, and advocating for resources to support student success initiatives.
- Work closely with the overall student success strategy and design team to ensure effective implementation of those systems across both campuses, as well as to contribute to a continuous feedback and improvement cycle.
- Promote a culture of student success across the institution by encouraging faculty and staff to prioritize student success in their work.
- Program Implementation and Delivery:
- Implement programs and services to address student needs, which may include academic advising, tutoring, technical and financial literacy workshops, and written and spoken language development programs.
- In concert with the Student Success Experience Lead and other stakeholders, develop and implement early alert systems in collaboration with the academic team to identify students who are at risk of falling behind academically and providing timely interventions.
- Supervision and Leadership:
- Supervise and mentor staff members to provide guidance and support to those who work directly with students.
- Provide leadership in the field of student success.
- Stay current with professional development opportunities.
- Institutional Service
- As with all staff, the Student Success Lead will be expected to participate in institutional service, such as serving on committees, participating periodically in outreach activities, engaging in professional development and company retreats, and the like.
Ensure the safety and well-being of all young persons and vulnerable adults with whom we deal, by adhering to ALU’s comprehensive safeguarding policy, maintaining a zero-tolerance approach to any violations of safeguarding standards.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- A Master’s degree, preferably in fields related to education and learning support or English and communication
- A minimum of 2 years experience in working with students in a university setting, preferably in a teaching, tutoring, or mentoring role
- At minimum of 1 year managing others
- Ability to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity and the confidence to adopt an experimental and iterative approach finding new and creative ways of addressing student support needs
- Project management skills, particularly strong work planning, prioritization and stakeholder engagement and management
- Excellent written, verbal communication and research skills
- Based in Rwanda or willing to relocate
Preferred
- Experience with standardised frameworks for language proficiency.
- 3 or more year of experience leading student success initiatives
- Tech savviness: ability to quickly learn to use new technologies, software and tools.
- Experience working at a higher education institution in Africa.
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