Associate Director - Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS)

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage all aspects of academic support services for football student-athletes, comprised of over 100+ student athletes.

• Serves as the deputy to the Associate Athletics Director for SASS and manages operations and employees in their absence.

• Direct and coordinate the structured study table program and peer mentoring program for all student-athletes.

• Advise and counsel football student-athletes regarding academic performance, including course/major selection, development of a graduation plan, time management, goal setting, career planning, learning and study strategies, test taking, note taking, and other skills necessary for academic success.

• Meet weekly with at-risk student-athletes to develop daily/weekly academic plans to assist with time management and ensure academic deadlines are met.

• Provide daily, weekly, and semesterly academic progress reports, as requested.

• Assist football staff in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes, by meeting with prospective student-athletes and their families during official and unofficial visits to provide an overview of available academic, career, personal and community service opportunities, as well as presenting to groups of prospective student-athletes and their families at major on-campus recruiting events (e.g., Junior Days, spring football game) and coordinating for faculty involvement at such events.

• Serve as a liaison with campus staff and units such as University Advising and Career Development Center, Disability Resource Center, Holman Success Center, MATH and STATS Lab, University Writing Center and further develop cross campus partnerships.

• Assist with continuing eligibility certification process in coordination with Registrar’s office staff, Athletics Compliance and faculty and professional advisors.

• Attend football staff meetings, as requested, to provide academic status and performance updates for the football team.

• Stay abreast of and ensure adherence to any and all NCAA, Mid-American Conference and Eastern Michigan University policies, rules, regulations and operational procedures

• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree is required.

• A minimum of three (3) years of experience providing academic support services to student-athletes is required at a Division I institutions.

• Demonstrated organizational skills, strong emphasis on attention to detail and continuous evaluation of new processes is necessary.

• Must have the ability to communicate effectively and accurately with key stakeholders such as student-athletes, academic advisors, coaches, administrators and University support staff.

• Ability to manage confidential information appropriately is required.

• Ability to work with diverse student populations and University personnel.

• Knowledge of Google platforms and Microsoft Office Suite.

• Familiarity with, and willingness to expand working knowledge of NCAA, MAC and Eastern Michigan Athletics governance rules and expectations.

• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Education, School Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counseling or related field is strongly preferred.

• Five (5) or more years direct and demonstrable experience in the implementation of a comprehensive academic support program is preferred.

• Experience with the NCAA Academic Performance Program (APP) is preferred.