Director, Academic Progress and Retention

Director, Academic Progress and Retention

Hiring Department: Ac Engmt & Student Success

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1042260

Posting Close Date: September 9, 2026

Salary: The budgeted salary range for this position is $64,000 to $72,000. This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid Time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Position Summary:

The Director of Academic Progress and Retention provides strategic leadership for the College's student success, retention, progression, and licensure readiness initiatives across all academic programs. This position develops and implements evidence-informed strategies that promote student achievement and academic excellence. The position provides leadership for early intervention efforts, student success programming, assessment, and continuous quality improvement while fostering collaboration among faculty, staff, and campus partners to improve student outcomes. The Director exercises broad independent judgment in developing policies, allocating resources, supervising staff, analyzing institutional data, and advancing strategic priorities that support student persistence, degree completion, and NCLEX success.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership for student success, retention, progression, remediation, and licensure readiness initiatives across the College.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed strategies that improve student achievement, persistence, degree completion, and licensure outcomes.
• Lead the assessment, analysis, and reporting of student success data to support strategic decision-making, accreditation, and continuous quality improvement.
• Provide leadership, supervision, and professional development for student success personnel while fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and accountability.
• Provide strategic oversight of student success operations, systems, technologies, and resources to ensure effective and consistent service delivery across the College.
• Collaborate with faculty, academic leadership, and campus partners to advance student success priorities and improve educational outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies, accreditation standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Represent the College on committees and strategic initiatives and perform other duties as assigned.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in student success, advising, academic support, or related higher education roles
• Demonstrated experience using data to inform student success strategies and interventions
• Experience training, mentoring, or supervising staff or peer teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Nursing Education, or related field
• Experience working in nursing or health sciences education
• Familiarity with ATI, NCLEX preparation strategies, or clinical education environments
• Experience with early alert systems and student success platforms (e.g., iAdvise, LMS tools)
• Strong understanding of retention frameworks, student development theory, and inclusive practices
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion in complex student situations
• Strong leadership and staff development skills
• Data analysis and problem-solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and student-centered support

How to Apply:

Evaluation of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the positions are filled. To apply, please complete an electronic application, including a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and contact information for a minimum of three professional references. Questions regarding the search may be directed to Dr. Elizabeth Aquino, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Office of Academic Engagement & Student Success, at eaquino@uic.edu.

About the UIC College of Nursing:

The College of Nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago is one of the premier nursing schools in the nation, with four degree programs ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report and a research enterprise ranked No. 11 for NIH funding among all U.S. nursing schools. Our mission is to transform health, health care and policy through knowledge generation and translation, and also through education of future nurse leaders from diverse backgrounds. More than 1,800 students are enrolled in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs at six Illinois campuses: Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, Quad Cities, Springfield, and Urbana. We count among our current and emeriti faculty: nine members of the Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame; 35 fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN); 12 fellows of the American College of Nurse Midwives; nine fellows of the American Heart Association; and seven fellows of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. We also boast six former deans and professors named "Living Legends" of the AAN. All this at the University of Illinois Chicago, which has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine seven times since 2014. Learn more at nursing.uic.edu.

About the University of Illinois Chicago:

UIC is among the nation's preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent "Best Colleges" rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.