Position Title: Program Director, Student Support Services

Department: Academic Affairs

Advertised Pay: Upper $70,000's

Campus Location: Washburn University

Review of applications will begin the week of January 5, 2026

Position Summary: The Program Director, Student Support Services (SSS), provides strategic leadership, oversight, and day-to-day management of Washburn’s new federally-funded TRIO SSS program. The SSS program supports 140 eligible students evidencing academic need who are first-generation, low-income, or have documented disabilities. This role is responsible for critical program and grant management functions, including participant recruitment, selection, assessment, and engagement; delivering effective support services; maintaining compliance with federal regulations; and using data to drive continuous improvement. The Program Director oversees all aspects of program delivery, supervises professional staff, manages the program budget, assesses key services, and reports program outcomes data to the U.S. Department of Education. This grant-funded position plays a critical leadership role in achieving Washburn's institutional goals of increasing retention, academic performance, and on-time graduation rates for SSS participants and sustaining the success of the TRIO SSS program.

This position is funded in full by a grant award.

About Washburn University: Washburn University is a teaching-focused, student-centered, public institution located in the metropolitan setting of Topeka that has earned national recognition for its high-impact programs for first-generation students. Washburn has a student body of over 5,500 undergraduate, graduate, and law students, a significant and growing number of whom are first-generation and Pell-Grant eligible. The University has created educational pathways for all students to be successful and achieve their educational goals.

Washburn is dedicated to recruiting and retaining a dynamic faculty, staff, and student body and cultivating a robust learning and working environment and curriculum. We employ more than one thousand faculty and staff on our campuses throughout Topeka and strive to offer competitive wages, an excellent benefits program, and a supportive culture and a healthy work/life balance. Washburn seeks to create an environment that reflects our core values for creating positive IMPACT: inclusion, modernization, partnership, achievement, community and transformation. In 2024, Washburn was recognized as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, according to Great Colleges to Work For® program.

Essential Functions:
• Provide leadership for the SSS program to ensure strong student engagement, effective program services, and progress toward program outcomes.
• Administer all aspects of the SSS grant, including implementation, assessment, and programming.
• Oversee recruitment, selection, orientation, and continued engagement of 140 program participants annually, ensuring compliance with federal guidelines and supporting long-term student retention and success.
• Develop and execute assessments of all program components to monitor progress towards objectives, guide data-informed improvements, and adapt as needed to enhance outcomes for program participants.
• Ensure timely, accurate submission of compliance reports to the Department of Education, including documentation of student participation and budget expenditures, in full accordance with federal requirements.
• Actively participate in regional and/or national TRIO communities to ensure compliance with current SSS policies and federal regulations and serve as a knowledgeable resource to assist campus colleagues in understanding and meeting program requirements.
• Collaborate with SSS staff, the Center for Student Success and Retention, the Provost's Office, the Office of Sponsored Projects, faculty, and institutional leadership in support of project objectives.
• Collaborate with campus service providers to encourage program participants to fully utilize all available supports.
• Provide support to program participants, including basic academic, financial, and career counseling.
• Manage a small caseload of participants as necessary.
• Supervise and develop professional staff through clear goal setting, regular feedback, formal performance evaluations, and professional development opportunities, while fostering a student-centered, collaborative team environment focused on achieving program outcomes.
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs and the Center for Student Success and Retention on SSS project objectives.
• Teach one section of WU101 - The Washburn Experience, comprised of first-year SSS participants.
• Travel with participants as necessary as they evaluate career fields and opportunities.
• Some evenings and weekends may be required.
• Performs additional job-related duties as assigned or as appropriate.

Required Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in a relevant field (i.e., education, social work, counseling, social sciences, etc.).
• Minimum of four years of experience with federal TRIO programs, or similar programs that support college access, success, and improved academic performance for disadvantaged students.
• Minimum two years of postsecondary experience related to student success services or instruction.
• Minimum two years of experience developing or managing an SSS grant or similar project.
• Knowledge of the academic, economic, and other needs of low-income, first-generation, at-risk, and disabled students.
• Minimum two years of experience in budget and personnel management.
• Minimum two years of experience with program evaluation, reporting, and/or compliance with federal regulations.
• Proven effective organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record under Washburn's standards.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Doctorate in educational leadership, social/behavioral sciences, administration, social work, counseling, or relevant field.
• Four years of post-secondary experience related to student success services or instruction.
• Personal experience overcoming barriers similar to those of Project participants, or professional experience working with students similar to those in the target population.
• Four years of experience developing or managing an SSS grant or similar project.

Exempt, Full-time
Background check and driving history are required