Assistant Director, DEAP Program (Student Support Specialist)

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Job Summary

The Assistant Director is responsible for assisting with the management, administration, and implementation of the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the Indiana University (IU) Indianapolis DEAP program. This position provides leadership and coordination for all services and initiatives related to academic and career support offered by the DEAP program, and is closely aligned with the institutional priority of moving students toward on-time graduation. The Assistant Director serves as a liaison to IU Indianapolis departments, such as the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Office of Orientation Services, and Academic and Career Development; they also work with the Director to formulate and implement policies and procedures, program planning, decision-making, and the collection and assessment of data.

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Ensures the provision of excellent college academic counseling and oversight of the program's academic procedures and policies.
• Assists with hiring and supervising professional and student staff.
• Oversees academic services and support for the DEAP program by providing comprehensive academic coaching and support; managing academic policies and procedures; designing and implementing targeted student success interventions (e.g., probation and reinstatement); coordinating workshops, tutoring, and campus referrals; and leading data collection and analysis to inform retention and student success strategies.
• Manages the DEAP First-year Application onboarding process for incoming first-year students in collaboration with the Director, including planning, coordinating, and executing DEAP Summer Live sessions and the DEAP Pinning Ceremony to ensure a seamless, engaging, and student-centered transition into the program.
• Provides strategic leadership to the instructional team for DEAP First-Year Seminar courses by designing, implementing, and continuously refining an engaging, outcomes-driven curriculum and high-impact enrichment experiences during Bridge Week and the fall semester that promote academic readiness, leadership development, and a strong sense of belonging for first-year students.
• Plans, implements, and assesses large-scale DEAP signature programs: including Family Reunion, Networking Night, End-of-Year Celebration, and Senior Brunch, in collaboration with the Program Director, ensuring strategic alignment with program goals, high-quality execution, effective stakeholder engagement, and post-event evaluation to strengthen student engagement, community building, and program impact.
• Represents DEAP at campus meetings and serve as liaison to key IU Indianapolis offices, including Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation Services, and the University College Office of Academic and Career Development.
• Partners with the Program Director to implement policies and procedures, support participant selection and program planning, and contribute to data collection and assessment to inform strategic decision-making.
• Manages and coordinates the day-to-day operations of the DEAP Lounge, including monitoring and reporting usage data, implementing passive programming initiatives, and leading the hiring, training, and supervision of Program Specialists and Peer Academic Coaches.
• Oversees the development, production, and distribution of the DEAP weekly newsletter to ensure consistent, strategic communication and student engagement.
• Assists with student recruitment and performs individual intakes meetings with DEAP students.

General Responsibilities

• Develops and implements programs and initiatives that offer support for students in crisis, facing adversity or challenges, or who belong to an under-represented or minority student population.
• Interfaces directly with students by attending student programming events, advising student organization leaders, meeting one-on-one to discuss support needs, and gathering satisfaction feedback from student participants to implement into future student services initiatives and objectives.
• Places an emphasis on confidentiality of student concerns, university policy compliance, and a culture of care within all direct student interactions.
• Collaborates with staff in own department and other departments, as well as academic and campus leaders, on shared student support goals, often coordinating funding to sponsor student programs and initiatives.
• Projects outcomes for support services offered at the program, department/division, or campus level. Measures and evaluates effectiveness of student support initiatives against projected outcomes; regularly prepares reports on impact to students and budget and presents to stakeholders on effectiveness and to secure funding for initiatives moving forward.
• Serves on committees and performs student support research across the field of higher education and at peer institutions to identify and recommend best practices.
• Plans and coordinates communications for student support initiatives to ensure student participation, inclusion, and engagement.
• May provide guidance to other student support staff; makes process recommendations to manager for improved delivery of service.
• May serve on various campus or cross-functional committees to share student support best practices.