The following materials (submitted in a single document) are required for consideration for this position:
- Cover letter, not to exceed one page, addressing:
- Why you are interested in this position, outlining skills and experience that directly relate to supporting student programming and managing complex projects
- How you approach teamwork
- Current resume or CV
To be considered, please complete an application and upload all materials as a single document through the UM Careers website.
The Kessler Scholars Program is a cohort-based scholarship program for limited-income students who are among the first in their families to attend college for a four-year degree. The program operates within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) in the Division of Undergraduate Education and seeks a dynamic student affairs professional with strong communication and organizational skills to support first-generation, limited-income students as the Kessler Scholars Student Support Coordinator. The Kessler Scholars Program provides wraparound academic, professional, and personal support for roughly 160 students at the University of Michigan. The Student Support Coordinator will coordinate and execute key communication efforts for current and potential students and support the Director and Program Specialist with program planning, recruitment, tracking, and student support. Among other responsibilities, the Student Support Coordinator will produce the Kessler Scholars newsletter and other regular program correspondence with students; meet with students to support their overall growth; help coordinate space, food and other elements of programming; track student engagement and program feedback; coordinate reports and communication for tracking and student recruitment, and provide day-to-day administrative support for student leadership programs.
About the Kessler Scholars Program
The mission of the Kessler Scholars Program at the University of Michigan, College of LSA, is to assure that first-generation undergraduate students from lower-income households thrive as part of a connected, cohort-based community on campus. The Kessler Scholars Program combines scholarship awards with academic, professional, and personal support to help students navigate the University of Michigan with a clear sense of belonging and purpose across all four years of their undergraduate experience. With a focus on both student access and success for underrepresented students, the Kessler Scholars Program is helping to lead the College of LSA's commitment to building greater diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Michigan.
Students in the Kessler Scholars Program receive financial support through the Irene and Morris B. Kessler Presidential Scholarship Fund, established in 2007 and made possible by a gift to the College from the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation. This gift created LSA's largest scholarship cohort, with 40 entering students each academic year and up to 160 students across all four years. The Kessler Scholars Program at Michigan is part of the 16-institution Kessler Scholars Collaborative, dedicated to creating better support for first-generation scholars in higher education.
You can learn more about the Kessler Scholars Program at this site:
https://lsa.umich.edu/scholarships/kessler-scholars-program.html
You can learn more about the Kessler Scholars Collaborative at this site:
www.kesslerscholars.org
The Student Support Coordinator, reporting to the Director of the Kessler Scholars Program, will work collaboratively with the Kessler Scholars Program team to support unique opportunities for student growth and success. Key areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to, coordinating student communication, student support through email communication and one-on-one meetings, program implementation and tracking, and recruitment and outreach, through the following:
Marketing and Communications:
- Develop and execute strategic content and marketing initiatives for a weekly newsletter, website, email campaigns, social media, and event communications.
- Proactively identify and implement data-informed marketing strategies to expand outreach and deepen engagement with students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
- Manage marketing platforms such as Mailchimp to manage contacts and target audience.
- Manage and enhance holistic student recruitment marketing and refine outreach strategies.
Student Tracking and Reporting:
- Manage student records, which includes demographic information, academic progress, scholarship requirements, program attendance and feedback, and recruitment.
- Run queries on academic performance, manage communication, and follow up with students regarding successful ongoing completion of program requirements.
- Track students' community engagement with tracking software to monitor, approve, and report students' community service requirements.
- Support team in tracking student graduation and alumni information.
- Generate graphs, charts, and data summaries for program reports using internal tracking systems, simple statistics, and relevant software (e.g. Excel).
- Submit external data requests and compile and analyze data with direction from the supervisor.
Student and Program Support:
- Meet with students individually to assess academic and professional progress.
- Manage student engagement requirements and communicate with students as needed regarding ongoing completion of minimum program requirements.
- Support recruitment, review, and selection of scholars each winter semester
- Support the team's student leadership initiatives and provide day-of-event support for programming.
- Support student-led programming by coordinating efforts with student leaders and providing administrative support (e.g. ordering food, supplies, merchandise, etc.).
Project Management Support:
- Support the ongoing development, implementation, and review of academic, co-curricular, and community-building programs.
- Coordinate planning and logistics, such as food and supplies, for small events and meetings.
- Provide general administrative and project support for the team.
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent relevant experience and 2 years of experience in an education setting
- Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with students, faculty, and administrators, both individually and in a team setting.
- Strong writing, organization, communication, presentation/public speaking, and interpersonal skills.
- Experience developing communication materials such as flyers and mass emails.
- Record of experience and creativity in helping to launch and support new programs and projects.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality in the access and use of student data and program details.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, social media content and platforms, Google Workspace, and the ability to learn and adapt to upgrades and new software applications.
- Understanding of higher education setting and student college transition
- Experience creating, leading, implementing, and/or managing student-directed programming.
- Experience managing a team of students and volunteers
- Experience managing a project from start to finish
- Familiarity with using and creating content in Mailchimp, Canva, Canvas, or similar tools.
- Working knowledge
