Job Description
The successful candidate must demonstrate experience, skills, and commitment to fostering an environment of belonging, diversity, equity and inclusion in students, faculty and staff.
Primary Purpose: Provide holistic, proactive coaching and support for a caseload of Delta College students, focusing on academic success, retention, career readiness, and equitable access, while gaining practical student affairs experience to complement graduate studies in higher education.
Student Support and Coaching
- Provide one-on-one coaching sessions with assigned students to support academic progress, career planning, life-balance, and personal well-being.
- Help students identify educational, personal, and professional goals; assist them to set realistic, attainable milestones and monitor progress.
- Collaborate with faculty, advisors, and other support offices to identify students at risk (academically, financially, socially) and proactively reach out.
- Serve as a referral point: connect students with academic support (tutoring, disability resources), financial aid, counseling, career services, community resources.
- Help students navigate institutional policies and procedures (registration, course scheduling, academic planning, withdrawal/leave of absence, etc.).
- Maintain a caseload of students; use early-alert systems or data (grades, attendance, advising referrals) to identify potential dropouts or struggling students and intervene.
Onboarding, Outreach and Engagement
- Participate in orientation, onboarding, or “first-year experience” activities for new students. Welcome first time students, explain available services, and help them transition to college life.
- Conduct outreach (email, phone, in-person, virtual) to maintain regular contact with assigned students. Outreach could include check-ins, reminders, support for registration deadlines, financial aid or scholarship reminders, etc.
- Assist in coordination of peer/student groups, workshops, or events (e.g., study skills workshops; career readiness sessions; transfer planning; community-building events).
Advocacy, Equity and Inclusive Support
- Provide culturally responsive coaching and support, with sensitivity to diverse student populations, particularly minoritized or non-traditional students, aligning with the MAHESJ (M.A. in Higher Education Administration and Social Justice) program’s social-justice orientation.
- Advocate for students’ holistic needs (academic, social/emotional, financial, accessibility), and help navigate institutional or community systems as needed.
Data Collection, Reporting and Continuous Improvement
- Maintain accurate records of student interactions, progress, outcomes, referrals, and follow-ups in institutional tracking systems.
- Work with institutional data (retention/graduation data, early-alert reports) to help identify patterns, highrisk groups, and inform retention interventions.
- Participate in departmental or cross-departmental meetings to review student support strategies, share outcomes, and refine practices.
Flexibility & Professional Development
- Graduate Assistants are encouraged to actively contribute insights from their MAHESJ coursework and lived experience to help shape coaching practices, program design, and continuous improvement efforts, while balancing flexible coaching responsibilities with their own academic and professional development.
- Engage in ongoing training: learning best practices in student development theory, equity/social justice in higher ed, institutional procedures, leveraging their MAHESJ coursework and GA supervision.
- Commit to working flexible hours as needed (e.g., evenings, weekends) to meet students’ availability, especially for non-traditional or working students.
Complete an on-line application and attach a cover letter with position title, resume, three current names of professional references, and copies of transcripts (official transcripts required upon hire) and/or certifications and licenses.
- Must be enrolled in the M.A. in Higher Education Administration and Social Justice program at Central Michigan University at the time the Graduate Assistant position begins.
- Must work 20 hours per week in person at one of Delta College’s locations, including the Main Campus, Downtown Midland Center, or Downtown Saginaw Center
