| Job Description: |
Do you thrive at the intersection of data, student support, and strategic innovation? The UF Online Student Success Specialist leads key initiatives to promote student retention, progression, and career readiness for fully online undergraduate students. Reporting to the Associate Director for UF Online, this role drives early alerts, targeted outreach, and experiential learning opportunities while also coordinating with academic advising partners to improve outcomes. If you’re a student-focused professional eager to make a measurable difference, this is an exciting opportunity to impact online learner success in one of the nation’s top online programs.
The UF Online Student Success Specialist is a student-focused professional who advances the academic, personal, and professional success of undergraduate students enrolled in UF’s fully online degree programs. Reporting to the Associate Director for UF Online, the Specialist leads retention and success strategies through data-informed outreach, early alerts, and targeted interventions—while also helping monitor the Pathway to Campus Enrollment (PaCE) transition process. This role is responsible for co-developing and maintaining key student and advising resources, as well as facilitating the sharing of best practices among academic advisors.
As the primary liaison to UF Online’s academic advising community, the Specialist fosters strong collaboration across advising units, academic support services, and faculty development partners to strengthen student outcomes and engagement. The role also drives career readiness initiatives and expands access to experiential learning—including research, internships, Quest, and international programs—by identifying and addressing participation barriers for online learners. In addition, the Specialist manages emergency aid review processes, leads assessment and reporting efforts, and develops strategic student communications that support persistence and academic momentum. This position plays a vital operational role in coordinating student success initiatives across campus and contributes meaningfully to UF Online’s mission of delivering high-quality, accessible education to online learners.
Opportunity
- Student Retention and Success Strategy
Lead data-driven initiatives to identify and support UF Online students at risk of stopping out or falling behind. Collaborate with partners to implement targeted interventions and stop-out campaigns that promote retention and graduation. Assess student readiness for online learning using LMS engagement data and develop programs to build essential skills like time management and digital literacy. Monitor progress through various data sources, including student information systems and institutional research, using tools like Tableau to inform strategies. Ensure academic milestones are tracked efficiently to support smooth transitions and sustained student success. Integrate belonging-focused elements within the broader student success strategy. Provide feedback about curriculum and seat management to the UF Online team to enhance program operations. Co-develop and maintain academic advising manual and student handbook.
- Academic Support Coordination
Serve as the primary liaison responsible for coordinating academic support services tailored to the needs of UF Online students. Act as a leader and point of contact for the UF Online academic advising community, including those supporting Pathway to Campus Enrollment (PaCE) students, to ensure strong collaboration, consistent practices, and aligned student support. Coordinate training opportunities and promote best practices for academic advisors to enhance the consistency and quality of advising for UF Online students. Help monitor the PaCE transition process and ensure transition policies are applied consistently across advising units. Build and maintain partnerships with academic advising teams, tutoring resources, writing support, and the Center for Faculty and Teaching Excellence to engage faculty in student success efforts. Co-develop and maintain the UF Online Academic Advising and Student Success Handbooks to ensure clear, up-to-date guidance for staff and students. Launch and promote outreach initiatives that connect students proactively with academic resources, thereby enhancing engagement and academic outcomes. Utilize data to identify service gaps and barriers and apply effective practices to strengthen and expand the network of academic support available to online learners.
- Career, Experiential Learning, and Financial Support
Collaborate with the Career Connections Center to provide comprehensive career readiness programming tailored to UF Online students. Promote opportunities for career exploration, job readiness, internships, and credit-bearing experiential learning, including undergraduate research, international programs, and Quest. Identify barriers that may prevent online students from participating in experiential learning and work collaboratively to expand access and availability of these opportunities when possible. Coordinate outreach to increase student participation in high-impact practices and support meaningful learning outcomes. Manage the review and awarding process of emergency aid applications to ensure timely support for students facing financial challenges. Integrate career, experiential, and financial support efforts into the broader student success framework.
- Assessment and Reporting
Lead the collection, analysis, and reporting of key student success metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and support continuous improvement efforts. Prepare detailed reports and presentations for UF Online leadership and institutional stakeholders to inform data-driven decision-making. Champion operational excellence by fostering accountability, transparency, and evidence-based enhancements to student support services.
- Communication and Outreach
Develop, draft, and distribute targeted communication campaigns to UF Online students focused on academic success, retention, and persistence. Utilize CRM case management systems to respond promptly and effectively to student inquiries related to academic support, advising, and resources. Collaborate with campus partners—including academic advisors, faculty, and student services—to ensure consistent messaging and tailored outreach to special student populations. Support storytelling and reporting efforts that highlight academic achievements and student success outcomes within UF Online.
- Perform other duties as assigned to support the mission and strategic priorities of UF Online. These may include participation in university-wide initiatives, task forces, or committees; support of special projects; assistance with accreditation or compliance efforts; and providing leadership coverage or cross-functional collaboration as needed. Flexibility, initiative, and responsiveness are essential to maintaining the ongoing effectiveness and innovation of UF Online.
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| Preferred: |
- Master’s degree with experience in academic advising, student success, or related areas, preferably with online students and leadership responsibilities.
- Direct experience supporting online student success initiatives, including advising or coaching online learners.
- Strong analytical skills with experience using data from systems such as PeopleSoft, Canvas, Salesforce, and Tableau to inform strategy and guide student support interventions.
- Proven ability to design, implement, and assess student support programs that improve retention, persistence, and graduation outcomes.
- Familiarity with UF’s academic policies, standards, and student-facing offices, including academic advising and career services, is strongly preferred.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
- Experience with CRM systems, student data platforms, and case management tools.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, take initiative, and work independently in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
- Commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence in support of student outcomes.
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