Special Instructions to Applicants:   

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues. 

Candidates must submit one PDF in this order: 

a cover letter (maximum one page)  a resume or curriculum vitae  names with emails and phone numbers for the three most recent direct supervisors to serve as references 

About Rice:  

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.   

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence. 

About Us 

Located in an urban environment on a 300-acre tree-lined campus, Rice University is a private, comprehensive research university located in the heart of the dynamic Museum District in Houston, Texas, the most diverse city in the country and home to vibrant Latinx, Asian-American, Black, LGBTQ+, and international communities.  Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the metro area is characterized by a robust civil society with top elected positions in the region held by a diverse group of officials—left, right, and center, and including Asian-American, Black, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ leaders. Rice offers undergraduate and graduate degrees across eight schools and has a student body of approximately 4,500 undergraduate and 3,900 graduate students. The university’s undergraduate population has no racial majority.  Rice consistently ranks among the top 20 national universities and the top 10 in undergraduate teaching (US News & World Report); its endowment ranks among the top 20 of US universities. 

We encourage everyone to apply, especially those individuals who have been historically underrepresented in academia: people of color, LGBTQ+ people, women, people with disabilities, veterans, and people of any age or family status. We strive to actively counter prejudice and to create a working environment that is inclusive and equitable. 

Position Summary: 

The Associate Director for Undergraduate Programs focuses especially on enrichment and support of first and second-year students who participate in the office’s RISE program. They collaborate with the Multicultural Center (MCC) and other key offices on campus, including Student Success Initiatives, Wellbeing, the academic departments, and others.   

The Associate Director is responsible for planning, executing, and assessing the components of a comprehensive summer and term-time program for incoming first-year humanities, social sciences, architecture, and business students at the university: RISE (Responsibility, Inclusion, and Student Empowerment Program). The associate director coordinates all elements of RISE outside of the classroom as well as provides leadership in the training and coaching of upper division students who serve as RISE student mentors. The associate director is a primary interface with the RISE scholars, providing comprehensive academic and student transition advising and support throughout the students’ tenure at Rice. 

The Associate Director provides guidance through research and assessment of best practices and innovations related to first-year and second-year transition programs in higher education. The Associate Director leads and organizes training, seminars, programs, and events pertaining to and analyzing transition initiatives in higher education. The Associate Director assists with strategic planning, budget responsibilities, and represents the department on various committees, task forces, and working groups. 

Workplace Requirements: 

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person on-campus. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change. 

Office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm with an hour’s lunch 

Frequent evening and weekend work. 

This is an exempt position. During some weeks, employees will be required to work more hours to meet their job responsibilities.  

Salary: $70,000 

Minimum Requirements: 

Bachelor's Degree  Three years experience in providing student support in a college or university setting  In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted 

Skills: 

Advanced knowledge of theories, including student development, learning, and identity development, and experience applying those frameworks professionally  Adept at problem-solving with experience supporting/advising students in personal and/or academic crisis  Excellent communication and rapport-building skills and experience collaborating with faculty, staff, students, families, and administration  Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines  Demonstrates understanding of the experiences of students in transition, the strategies necessary to facilitate their success, and the development of strategies and key interventions to support this student population  Proven track record of successful support of diverse student populations, including but not limited to first-generation college students, low-income students, and underrepresented student populations  Strong coaching and instructional skills, organizational abilities, attention to detail, and the ability to quickly assess the effectiveness of an intervention 

Preferences: 

Master’s degree (preferably in student affairs, college student personnel, counseling, or a related field)  Experience working with new or first-year populations  Experience in event planning and execution  Experience providing academic support, leadership development, and program development  Experience supporting student success/undergraduate retention initiatives  Experience working with URM populations (particularly in a liberal arts setting)  Demonstrated interest in humanities and/or social science approaches to a liberal arts education  Knowledge of Houston and opportunities for making use of the city to reinforce belonging and purpose in the university is a plus  Experience working with faculty  Experience/facility with data collection and analysis  Experience working in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment 

Essential Functions:  

Identifies and advises students needing additional support and provides sustained, individualized, holistic, developmentally appropriate advising to assist in their academic, social, leadership, and interpersonal development  Assists students in developing roadmaps for their success at the university, using varied strategies to facilitate the identification and implementation of their goals  Assists in the monitoring of student academic performance and their persistence towards graduation, preparing reports, and maintaining student files as necessary  Examines student data for trends in performance, academic courses or other factors which may impact student success  Maintains an awareness of best practices in proactive/holistic advising, student success advising, and the higher education/student affairs landscape, integrating these ideas into their advising practices  Develops and leads student success interventions, workshops, and other programs aimed at facilitating the transition to college  Develops and lead trainings aimed at educating student leaders, faculty, and staff about the populations supported by the office and the ways in which they can support student transition  Performs all other duties as assigned 

Additional Functions: 

Manages the planning, recruiting, and programmatic components of a comprehensive summer bridge program  Lead program advisor for the RISE Seminar—a summer and first-year experience for matriculating students with particular interests in the humanities, social sciences, architecture, and business  Provide in-depth term time advising (group and one-on-one) for RISE participants.  Assists in the summer and ongoing training of undergraduate student guides who will serve as mentors for the seminar  Assists in the design of modules for the summer seminar to ensure that students arrive at Rice more than ready to take full, critical advantage of orientation week. Assists in the design of term time experiences for further building group cohesion and confidence  Assist in the development of a plan for sophomore advising and experiences that parallel first-year support and help ensure a strong transition into the last half of the university experience. 

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview   

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University   

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. 

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and the full inclusion of all qualified persons in the workplace. This commitment includes providing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities. For applicants with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.  

If you have any questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.