Academic Success Coach
Forest Grove, OR - USA
Job Summary
Pacific University achieves excellence and distinction by investing in exceptional people to think care create and pursue justice in our world. We embrace discovery in a close and nurturing environment that leads to genuine transformation. Our community is diverse sustainable and dedicated to discovery and excellence in teaching scholarship and practice.
At Pacific University we thrive in an extraordinary environment surrounded by the beauty of the great Pacific Northwest with campus locations inForest Grove and Hillsboro. We humbly acknowledge and thank the original caretakers of the lands on which we live work teach and acquire and share knowledge.
Salary Range: $
Position Reports to:Director of Office of Student Support
Application Deadline: Candidates are encouraged to apply by Sunday May 3 for priority consideration. The position will remain open until filled. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1 2026.
Enrollment Management & Student Affairs at Pacific University is dedicated to fostering student development in support of a more just sustainable and caring world. Guided by our core valuesequity and inclusion care community and learningwe center holistic student wellbeing cultivate a sense of belonging and champion equitable practices.
As part of this area the Office of Student Support (OSS) is committed to continuous growth collaboration and innovation in service of students experiencing barriers to academic success wellbeing or belonging.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION
The OSS partners with students to address challenges that impact academic progress wellbeing and continued enrollment. Grounded in equity and access OSS provides coordinated student-centered support to promote persistence and success.The Academic Success Coach delivers centralized strengths-based academic coaching to undergraduate graduate and professional students. Through individualized coaching and skill development this role supports academic momentum resilience and persistence across key transition points academic recovery and advanced milestones such as licensure preparation thesis or dissertation completion and experiential learning readiness. Reporting to the Director of OSS the Academic Success Coach collaborates with campus partners to ensure coordinated developmentally informed academic support.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS / MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
- Direct Academic Coaching & Student Support
- Assess students academic needs and barriers using a holistic strengths-based framework and support students in identifying appropriate academic institutional and community-based resources.
- Provide one-on-one academic success coaching to undergraduate graduate and professional students focused on skill development goal setting accountability and academic self-efficacy.
- The structure of one-on-one academic success coaching may be ongoing (developmental coaching relationships that support sustained skill growth) and/or one-time or short-term consultations focused on specific academic strategies.
- Support students in strengthening core academic skills including:
- Study behaviors and learning inventories
- Learning and study skill development
- Time workload and energy management
- Organization planning and long-term project management
- Test preparation and test anxiety management
- Goal setting motivation accountability and persistence
- Classroom engagement and effective learning strategies
- Use of technology to support learning
- Managing burnout and procrastination
- Campus resource navigation
- Provide advanced academic coaching for graduate and professional students related to thesis or dissertation planning long-term project management licensure or comprehensive exam preparation and balancing academic professional and personal responsibilities
- Support students preparing for experiential clinical internship or practicum placements by assisting with planning professional skill development and navigation of academic expectations
- Promote growth mindset resilience and self-awareness to help students respond adaptively to academic challenges and setbacks.
Academic Success Workshops & Instruction
- Develop and deliver academic success workshops for:
- Classroom settings
- Student organizations and athletic teams
- Graduate and professional student cohorts
- Faculty and staff audiences as appropriate
- Design workshops or presentations to extend the reach of academic support and promote metacognitive skill development at scale.
- Contribute to or may serve as an instructor for undergraduate PACU 280: Unlocking Academic Success as assigned.
Proactive Outreach & Early Intervention
Promotes academic coaching through classroom visits campus events orientations communication channels.
Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Academic Persistence and OSS colleagues to engage students identified through early alert systems referrals or academic standing concerns providing structured intervention plans designed to promote recovery and continued enrollment.
Provide timely targeted coaching interventions during key academic transitions or periods of disruption.
Proactively support students from historically marginalized backgrounds including first-generation underserved graduate and returning students through intentional outreach and culturally responsive coaching practices.
Normalize academic coaching as a developmental non-punitive support resource.
Equity-Minded & Inclusive Practice
Deliver academic coaching using culturally responsive equity-minded approaches that recognize diverse identities lived experiences and systemic barriers.
Adapt coaching strategies to meet the needs of undergraduate graduate and professional learners across varied academic contexts.
Promote access to academic support by reducing stigma and increasing awareness of coaching and support services.
Coordination & Campus Collaboration
Collaborate with CLASS OAA Trio Programs and other campus partners to support a centralized academic success model that promotes consistency coordinated referrals and equitable access to academic support services.
Serves as a collaborative partner to faculty and academic support staff by providing consultation on academic skill development and referral pathways assessing student needs across programs and co-developing responsive initiatives that strengthen program-based student success.
Contribute to the development and maintenance of a centralized online academic support resource hub.
Participate in cross-campus initiatives that strengthen student persistence engagement and academic wellbeing.
Peer Coaching Support & Development
Collaborate with OSS leadership to design pilot and scale a sustainable peer academic coaching model serving undergraduate and graduate/professional students.
Contribute to the development of structures roles training expectations and assessment practices for peer-based academic coaching recognizing that this model is emerging and will be scaled based on capacity student need and available resources.
Support the exploration and coordination of multiple engagement pathways for peer coaches which may include credit-bearing practicum experiences work-study positions and/or student wage opportunities contingent on institutional approval and funding availability.
Assist with the creation of training supervision and quality assurance processes for peer academic coaches in alignment with existing peer education frameworks.
Provide mentoring guidance and functional supervision to peer academic coaches or student staff as the program is developed and implemented.
Data Documentation & Continuous Improvement
Maintain accurate timely documentation of coaching sessions outreach and outcomes in approved systems in accordance with FERPA and OSS guidelines recognizing the impact of accurate records on student success and institutional decision-making.
Designs and implements assessment protocols to evaluate student learning outcomes and tracks utilization trends and student success metrics to inform continuous improvement of academic coaching services.
Engage in ongoing professional development to remain current with evidence-based academic coaching practices student development theory and equity-informed approaches.
SECONDARY FUNCTIONS
Participate as a contributing member of OSS initiatives related to student success retention and academic persistence.
Engage in professional development opportunities to enhance coaching effectiveness and understanding of diverse student needs. Annual professional development stipend provided when budget permits.
Participate in the Student Affairs on-call rotation with other professional staff offering consultative or when necessary in-person after-hours response to urgent student situations.
Participate in university-wide Divisional or departmental committees task forces and hiring processes offering expertise to strengthen institutional systems and effective centralized operations that promote student success equity and engagement.
Contribute to strategic planning goal setting evaluation and assessment within the Division of Student Affairs supporting data-informed decision making and continuous improvement.
Support key University and Student Affairs events and traditions that build community and belonging.
Perform other related duties as assigned to support the mission and operations of the Office of Student Support and the Division of Student Affairs
JOB SCOPE
Scope of responsibility aligns with Essential Functions described above.
No budget authority.
Performs duties with moderate autonomy under the supervision of the Director of the OSS.
Exercises judgment within OSS procedures University policy guidelines and applicable laws and ethical standards.
Exercises discretion and independent judgment in supporting complex student situations involving academic risk or disruption.
This is an in-person position with limited remote work permitted only with prior approval.
Primary office location is the Forest Grove campus with consistent service or presence on the Hillsboro campus.
SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITY
Supervises Support-Level Staff: This position supervises support-level employees (e.g. student workers) and is responsible for hiring scheduling task delegation and performance evaluations.
Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelors degree in Higher Education Education Psychology Counseling Student Affairs or a closely related field completed prior to start date;
Minimum of one to three years of experience in academic coaching advising tutoring student success or related student support roles in higher education.
Demonstrated experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences
Demonstrated attention to detail and accuracy in work involving student records documentation or academic support systems.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Masters degree in Higher Education Student Affairs Counseling Educational Psychology or a related field.
Experience supporting graduate or professional students including dissertation or licensure exam preparation.
Familiarity with student development theory retention theory and equity-minded academic support practices.
Experience collaborating with faculty and academic units.
Experience using Maxient or similar student support platforms.
Bilingual or multilingual skills particularly Spanish.
Experience contributing to assessment or continuous improvement efforts.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
Demonstrated commitment to equity inclusion and culturally responsive practice.
Strong interpersonal coaching and relational communication skills.
Ability to build rapport and trust with undergraduate graduate and professional students.
Knowledge of academic skill development learning strategies and student success frameworks.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated adherence to FERPA and ethical standards.
Strong organizational time-management and follow-through skills.
Ability to manage multiple students and priorities in a dynamic academic environment.
Proficiency with office technology and student information or case management systems.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work Setting: Full-time in-person on-site position based on the Forest Grove campus with occasional travel to the Hillsboro campus as needed.
Schedule Expectations: Standard weekday hours (MondayFriday 9:00 a.m.5:00 p.m.) with occasional evening weekend and on-call responsibilities.
Travel Requirements: Minimal; ability to travel between Pacific University campuses as needed.
Physical Requirements: Primarily sedentary office work with some lifting up to 20 pounds. Regular communication computer use and use of standard office technology required with or without reasonable accommodation.
APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply please upload your resume and cover letter along with your Paycom application. Persons who do not follow and complete the application process are not applicants and will not be considered for employment.
Only qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview. During the selection process we will strive to provide timely notifications. The selection process may vary from recruitment to recruitment but typically includes multiple interviews and may take several weeks depending on the position. All qualified applicants will be notified once the selection process has closed.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and continue to work without employer visa sponsorship now or in the future.
At Pacific University we are dedicated to offering experiences that are authentic holistic equity-minded and responsive. Our communal success rests on the recognition that complex problems and effective solutions are best approached by teams with a variety of diverse perspectives. and life experiences. As we continue to develop our equity practices we actively promote access to opportunities and equitable pay for all employees.
Studieshaveshownthat women and people of color are less likely toapplyfor jobs where they are unsure if they can perform everyfunction in thejobdescription. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for thejoband that candidate may come from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences. If you are interested inapplying we encourage you to think broadly about how your background and skill set may qualify you for the role.
We who make up Pacific University aspire to become a community of purpose where everyone is enabled to be wholly and comfortably who they are; accountable for inclusive behaviors and practices; built on trust civility care openness and honest conversations often around critical subjects. We know that these values are critical to prepare for a global world with complex problems through an asset-based mindset so that everyone is afforded an opportunity to succeed. We believe in fostering a workplace where every employee is respected their contributions are valued and they are provided opportunities to succeed.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
We offer a comprehensive benefits package for qualifying employees. Current benefits include:
- Generous paid time off (for vacation holidaysincluding winter breakand sick leave)
- Medical coverage with alternative care options (with in-network services covered at 100% after payroll deduction)
- Comprehensive dental and vision plans
- Generous retirement contribution after one year of service with no match required
- Free mental health appointments
- Tuition remission for employees and their dependent child(ren) who meet eligibility requirements
- On-campus benefits including free access to our sports facility and library
- Discounts on campus food bookstore purchases clinic services and outdoor program gear rentals (including kayaks snowshoes and bikes)
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT
Pacific University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to complying with all applicable laws including those concerning employment and workplace policies. We are committed to fostering a non-discriminatory and inclusive work environment. We are proud to encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds including those from historically underrepresented groups.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY
Pacific University makes all employment decisions without regard to race color national or ethnic origin ancestry age religion or religious creed disability sex gender identity and/or expression sexual orientation military or veteran status or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. Applicable laws include but are not limited to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the Age Discrimination Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Questions or complaints may be directed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs at 2043 College Way Forest Grove OR 97116 or via email at .
About Company
Pacific University is a diverse learning community offering a unique combination of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in the arts and sciences, education, business, optometry and the health professions.