Director of Student Engagement and Success: College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies - UTK bei The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Student Engagement & Support

The Director of Student Engagement and Success leads efforts to foster belonging and student community through events and initiatives to meet well-defined strategic metrics. They: 

• Develop strategies to meet student engagement and success metrics. 
• Lead the development and implementation of CECS student organizations, clubs, competitions and other experiential learning activities, working with faculty and campus partners. 
• Lead the organization of CECS events and initiatives such as graduation ceremonies, career fairs, orientation sessions, and other event tasks as needed. They also represent CECS at campus events for students. 
• Develop and maintain the CECS Student Handbook and CECS Canvas Portal, ensuring updates are clearly communicated to students.
• Supervise the Student Advisory Council by overseeing the election process, facilitating regular meetings, and organizing events.
• Supervise Student Ambassadors, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, and performance development. 
• Identify and coordinate with partners, including student organizations and campus events, to ensure campus awareness of CECS offerings. 
• Act as the CECS liaison to UTK’s Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration (CCDAE), supporting career readiness and internship pathways, including annual participation in related career fairs. 
• Contribute to the RISE Mentorship program by supporting the RISE Base Camp events, managing student onboarding through RISE Climb, coordinating peer support through the RISE Team model, and leading the organization of the annual RISE Summit Showcase. 

Collaborative Recruitment Support

The Director of Student Engagement and Success is responsible for creating and implementing an annual strategy for collaboration and recruitment to meet well-defined strategic metrics. They: 

• Develop strategies to meet student recruitment and enrollment metrics. 
• Develop programs and products for prospective students and applicants in line with UTK policies and protocols, as well as all recruitment and promotional materials.
• Working closely with the Assistant Dean, and event coordinator, coordinate the planning and logistics for major recruitment events such as the Big Orange Preview (BOP), New Vol Admit Day, and other UT-wide onboarding and recruitment events.
• Collaborate with Enrollment Management and Admissions to support participation in high school visits, college fairs, and other recruitment efforts.
• Work with campus partners to ensure a sense of belonging in CECS programs for all students, particularly exploratory, transfer, veterans, and students from non-traditional pathways.
• Lead CECS K-12 outreach efforts and cultivate high school partnerships that align with CECS’s academic mission and future talent goals, including strategic initiatives and partnerships in this area. 
• Support CECS proposals that involve K-12 engagement, collect and present data, manage contacts as needed
• Support Assistant Dean in developing and implementing pre-collegiate curricular and co-curricular programs to support college-readiness.
• Build strong relationships and regularly engage with community stakeholders and educators, including high school counselors, alumni, community college partners, ensuring accurate and timely responses to inquiries from prospective students. 
• Plan events for prospective students and their families, such as open houses, high school visits, college fairs, and both in-person and virtual information sessions, creating infrastructure, assessing effectiveness, and revising approaches as needed. 
• Help produce communications and materials highlighting CECS programs for prospective and admitted students and their families, in partnership with the CECS Communications and Marketing team.
• Maintain a database of prospective student statuses and applicant information.

Event Leadership & Coordination

• The Director of Student Engagement and Success leads the planning of CECS student-facing events and activities with the CECS team. This role ensures CECS events are high-quality, accessible, and aligned with student engagement and recruitment goals.

Data, Planning, and Strategy

The Director of Student Engagement and Success contributes to annual planning by providing feedback on student engagement and recruitment goals, tracking metrics, and evaluating outcomes. They: 

• Maintain detailed records of student involvement, ambassador participation, and recruitment interactions to inform future initiatives for ongoing data tracking and reporting efforts by CECS Academic Operations.
• Maintain data on attendance, metrics achieved and return on investment for Collaborate with the CECS Team to align strategic messaging and ensure data-driven decision-making across student-facing programs.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in higher education, counseling, communications, or other field
• Or a Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of relevant experience.  

Experience

• 3–5 years of experience in student services, outreach, advising, or program coordination.
• Student worker experience or volunteer roles in higher education student support or recruitment will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD degree preferred.
• Experience working with diverse student populations.
• Familiarity with software platforms such as Slate, Banner, or CRM systems.

Work Location:

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits: 

• UT market range: MR 10
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions: 

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted. 

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Contact information for 3 Professional References

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. 

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.  

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.  

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.  

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!