Manager of First Year Success Rock Valley College - 4.1 Rockford, IL Job Details Full-time $64,552 - $68,552 a year 22 hours ago Qualifications Experience working with post-secondary students Staff supervision Faculty collaboration Academic institution experience Working with students from diverse cultural backgrounds

Full Job Description JobID:

2264

Position Type:

Technical/Professional Date Posted:

8/28/2026

Location:

Main Campus Position Title:

Manager First Year Success Division:

Student Affairs (STA)

Department:

First Year Experience (FYE)

Employee Status:

Full-time Group:

Professional Staff Association (PSA)

Grade:

N Salary:

($64,552-$68,552 annual)

FLSA:

Exempt ICCB Classification:

Professional/ Tech Issued:

October 2015

Updated:

05/19, 04/21, 7/21, 8/26

Employment Notice:

Rock Valley College does not offer sponsorship for employment-based visas for this position now or in the future. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.

Application Deadline:

September 13th, 2026 Reporting Relationships Reports to: Direction is received from the Dean of Advising and Retention.

Supervision Exercised:

Supervisor may be exercised over the Administrative Assistant, student workers and student peer mentors. Job Summary Assist Rock Valley College in developing and implementing programs that support the needs and success of first-year students. Lead and support student success and retention initiatives while contributing to the overall student development process. Facilitate first-year student success activities, services, and onboarding processes, and develop comprehensive new student programs and support services designed to promote student engagement, persistence, and success while positively influencing the student, faculty, and staff experience. Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Additional related duties may be assigned. 1. Develop, implement, evaluate, and assess Student Success programs and services that support student success and retention. 2. Create, plan, implement, and maintain comprehensive New Student Welcome programs. 3. Plan, implement, assess, and evaluate services that foster student achievement and support undergraduate students from enrollment through certificate/degree completion. 4. Coordinate Student Development (STU) 100, 101, and 103 courses; including selection, training, scheduling and evaluation of instructors, curriculum development, and course evaluation 5. Provide targeted support strategies for special populations, including first-generation students, adult learners, and underrepresented student groups. 6. Support retention and persistence efforts through data-informed interventions. 7. Develop, implement, and access College's Peer Mentoring program 8. Collaborate with College's grants office in developing grant proposals 9. Develop and maintain the department's and resource allocation 10. Serve on college committees 11. Ensure web materials related to Student Success and First Year programs are accessible and are effective measurements of course learning objectives. 12. Promote a highly collaborative work environment between academic and administrative departments. 13. Analyze student success data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement 14. Teach STU 100 Planning for College Success and/or STU 101 Career Planning and/or STU 103 Workplace Ethics as needed and appropriate. 15. Stay apprised of current policies, legal issues, and ethical concerns facing Student Success services, First Year programs and higher education. 16. Collaborate with Enrollment Services on transition and onboarding efforts 17. Supervise support staff and student workers 18. Regular attendance is expected. Evening and weekend hours as needed and appropriate. Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Minimum Qualifications 1. Master's Degree is required, preferably in one of the following fields: College Student Personnel, Counseling, Educational Counseling, Education, or Adult Education. 2. Supervisory experience. 3. 1-2 years post-secondary experience required. Required Attributes 4. Demonstrated ability to work with diverse students, faculty, and staff. 5. Strong oral and written communication skills. 6. Excellent interpersonal skills. Preferred Qualifications 7. Budget management experience preferred. 8. Student academic advising experience preferred. 9. Spanish fluency highly preferred. Work Environment While performing the duties of this job, the employee generally works in an office setting. Physical Demands Physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to stand, talk, and hear.