Student Success Counselor

These are the values which have created a tradition of excellence spanning more than six decades, and which are enabling Holyoke Community College to meet today's challenges.

Mission: Educate. Inspire. Connect.

Values: Kindness, Inclusion, Trust, Innovation & Collaboration

Kindness, inclusion and trust are the foundation of the work that we do together. Innovation and collaboration enable us to explore and implement the ideas that will shape our future.

Under the supervision of the Director of ALANA Men in Motion, the Student Success Counselor provides comprehensive, relationship-based student support through academic advising, success coaching, mentoring, and student navigation within the SUCCESS Initiative at HCC. ALANA Men in Motion is a student success program that fosters academic achievement, leadership development, cultural identity exploration, and a sense of belonging through mentorship, cultural pride, and community. The program centers the experiences and success of African American/Black, Latino/x, Asian, and Native American men while remaining accessible to all eligible students.

Using a holistic, culturally responsive, and student-centered approach, the Student Success Counselor works with an assigned caseload to support student engagement, academic progress, persistence, retention, completion, transfer, and post-completion success. The Counselor provides proactive outreach and relationship-based support; provides academic advising and educational planning, including course selection and transfer and career exploration; helps students navigate barriers and connect with campus and community resources; and contributes to program recruitment, leadership development, culturally responsive programming, and community-building initiatives.

• Provides academic advising and educational planning to assigned students, including assistance with program requirements, course selection and sequencing, registration, academic progress, and development of educational plans aligned with students' academic, transfer, and career goals.
• Provides individualized success coaching, mentoring, and student navigation to an assigned caseload through proactive outreach, relationship building, goal setting, accountability, and regular check-ins.
• Monitors student engagement and academic progress; identifies barriers to success, develops appropriate interventions, and connects students with campus and community resources to support persistence, retention, completion, and transfer.
• Reviews and responds to Navigate Progress Reports and other student success referrals; conducts outreach, coordinates appropriate follow-up, and maintains accurate documentation using EAB Navigate and other institutional systems.
• Provides transfer and career planning support, including exploration of transfer pathways, four-year institutions, career interests, and connections between academic choices and longer-term educational and career goals.
• Collaborates with staff across ALANA and SAMP, as well as faculty, academic departments, transfer and career services, enrollment services, financial aid, academic support programs, and other campus partners to provide coordinated student support within HCC's SUCCESS Initiative.
• Supports recruitment, onboarding, orientation, and ongoing engagement efforts for ALANA Men in Motion.
• Designs, coordinates, and leads culturally responsive programming, leadership development, workshops, community-building activities, and experiential learning opportunities that reflect ALANA's mission and the experiences of the students it serves.
• Uses student engagement, academic progress, and outcome data to inform outreach strategies, programming, interventions, and student support practices.
• Collaborates with and provides guidance to Student Ambassadors and other student peer leaders in support of peer mentoring, leadership development, engagement, and community-building efforts.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners.
• Participates in professional development opportunities that enhance academic advising, mentoring, coaching, culturally responsive practices, and student success.
• Occasionally works evenings and weekends to support ALANA programs, student events, and other College activities.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Education, Counseling, Psychology, Student Affairs, Higher Education, Human Services, or a closely related field;
• Three (3) years of professional experience in academic advising, student success, counseling, coaching, student development, academic support, or a related student-facing support area, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience;
• Demonstrated experience working with students from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds and supporting student engagement, persistence, and success;
• Demonstrated experience communicating and collaborating with students, staff, and/or other partners in a student support environment;
• Demonstrated experience managing a student caseload or providing ongoing support to an assigned group of students, including outreach, follow-up, coordination of services, and documentation;
• Demonstrated experience using culturally responsive and equity-minded practices to support belonging and success.

Equivalency Statement: We welcome and encourage applicants who do not meet the qualifications as stated above, to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them for the responsibilities of this position. It is preferred that this document be uploaded separately from the resume, cover letter, and references.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a community college or similar higher education environment;
• Experience providing academic advising and educational planning, including course selection, degree requirements, registration, and academic progress;
• Experience supporting the success, persistence, and engagement of men of color and/or students from historically underserved populations;
• Experience providing transfer and career planning support, including connecting students' academic plans with educational and career goals;
• Experience using student success management platforms such as EAB Navigate or similar systems;
• Experience developing culturally responsive student programming, mentoring, leadership development, or community-building activities;
• Bilingual or multilingual proficiency, particularly in English and Spanish.

Full-Time MCCC-Unit Professional Position: MCCC Title: Academic Counselor
Salary Range: $72,265.00 - $85,916.00 (Grade 5), actual salary will be commensurate with education and experience in accordance with MCCC/MTA Collective Bargaining Agreement. Full State benefits. Hours: 37.5 hours per week.
Funding Source: State.

Additional Details:
Please Note: a skills assessment or presentation may be required as part of the interview process.

Disability Accommodations:

Holyoke Community College is committed to the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and will ensure the availability of reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Office of People and Talent at (413) 552-2554.

Background Check:

• Employment is contingent upon the successful completion and review of a background check which will include CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) and SORI (Sex Offender Registry Information).
• All candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States. HCC is not sponsoring H1B Visa.