Hawk Link Coordinator

access and retention at the University of Kansas.

The Hawk Link Coordinator will cultivate opportunities designed to facilitate a successful transition to college through graduation and beyond alongside a team of professional staff cross-trained to provide holistic support. Reporting to the Director, this position assists students with navigating campus, identifying campus resources, and accessing opportunities for academic and professional development.

Hawk Link is a campus-wide student support program designed to support the retention, academic success, and career pathway preparation of KU undergraduate and graduate students. Through holistic engagement and cross-trained support, Hawk Link provides student-facing services, programming, scholarship management and community building. Hawk Link is part of Academic Success Initiatives within Academic Affairs at KU, along with Academic Success Operations, the Military-Affiliated Student Center, and Academic Success Navigators.

Academic Success advocates for and strategically advances education at the University of Kansas. We work with students from orientation to graduation, providing them with high-quality, data-driven academic and career advising, targeted academic support systems and networks, and empowering and engaging experiential learning. We serve the university, coordinating with faculty, staff, and students throughout KU to further educational initiatives and strategic goals.

Job Description

60% - Student Support and Engagement

• Participate in targeted calling campaigns, each with a specific call to action, including campaigns that support students as they transition to college and campaigns that help mitigate barriers to progression.
• Make welcome calls and complete one-on-one onboarding meetings with students admitted to supported programs to assist students with account activation and familiarize them with KU systems, relevant apps, and resources.
• Deliver a defined communication strategy to students identified in KU's early intervention system and directly link students to support services offered through Jayhawk Academic Advising, Financial Aid & Scholarships, Student Access Center, Wingspan, Counseling & Psychological Services and other departments across campus as appropriate.
• Provide same-day responses to students using the Hand Raise feature in EAB (Jayhawk GPS/Navigate 360) to quickly and efficiently problem-solve by connecting students with information, providing referrals, and scheduling appointments as needed.
• Document and maintain all communication with students resulting from appointments, email, phone, and walk-ins using university-approved systems.
• Manage a defined caseload of students, utilizing proactive outreach to support their time at KU while striving to respond to all student-initiated communications within 24 business hours.
• Develop rapport and productive relationships with students by creating a community of care that allows students to grow and thrive.
• Work alongside a team of professional and student staff to provide a welcoming office environment that offers daily availability for walk-in appointments.
• Maintain the Hawk Link lounge - a communal space for all students that supports group study and student connection - and use the space to post important announcements about university deadlines, events, or opportunities.

35% - Programming and Event Support

• Participate fully in the planning, implementation and marketing of core Hawk Link events including Jayhawk JumpStart, First-Gen Week activities, and Tri-Alpha induction ceremony which require some weekend and evening availability.
• Collaborate on multiple events with campus partners each semester to maintain a strong and cohesive support network.
• Incorporate outcome measure tracking for all events including the collection of data from event registration, event participation, interest inventories, pre and post assessments, and satisfaction surveys.
• Attend Hawk Link Student Specialist staff meetings, training, and professional development in conjunction with other Hawk Link Coordinators.

5% - Other Duties as assigned by Academic Success Leadership

• Attend relevant staff meetings and trainings related to Academic Success Initiatives.
• Use University-approved systems for all student records and adhere to Academic Success technology use standards and FERPA guidelines.
• Serve on departmental and campus committees as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned by Academic Success Leadership.

Position Requirements

Travel is less than 25% for occasional required meetings with advance notice as well as event planning-related local driving. Some weekend and evening availability is required for events. This position is student-facing and requires working on-site at the Lawrence Campus. Limited hybrid work may be an option during breaks when classes are not in session.

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor's Degree with one (1) year of relevant experience OR Master's Degree.
2. One (1) year of experience working in an educational setting or customer service role.
3. Prior experience with technology systems (such as Microsoft Office suite, MS Teams, Google suite etc.) as clearly evidenced on resume.
4. Excellent written communication skills as demonstrated by cover letter and resume.
5. Excellent telephone skills as demonstrated by prior experience.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience creating and facilitating student events, workshops, or other student engagement opportunities in a higher education setting.
2. Master's degree in education, counseling, psychology, special education, social work, liberal arts, or related field.
3. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively on a team.
4. Experience co-leading projects.
5. Experience in academic support services, advising, or academic coaching services at an institution of higher education.
6. Experience with web-based student retention software such as EAB (Jayhawk GPS/Navigate 360).
7. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks to produce high-quality work by established deadlines.

Additional Candidate Instructions

A complete application includes:

1. Cover letter addressing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
2. Resume.
3. Contact information for three professional references (including at least one previous or current supervisor).
4. Completion of the online application.

Application review begins Thursday, October 8th and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.

Contact Information to Applicants

Jaime Appelwick
appelwick_jl@ku.edu

Advertised Salary Range

$44,100 to $47,500 commensurate with experience

Application Review Begins: Thursday October 8, 2026

Anticipated Start Date: Monday October 26, 2026