Director of Student Retention and Engagement

Position Summary:

The Director of Student Retention and Engagement for the Vanderbilt Divinity School is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing strategies and programs that enhance student engagement and promote retention throughout the student lifecycle. This position plays a key role in developing and implementing policies that impact the overall student experience and collaborates with various departments to create a supportive and inclusive environment that fosters student success, persistence, and community involvement. The Director is responsible for leading the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of student life activities and programming, including New Student Orientation, to promote a sense of community. This position supports the whole student, providing pastoral care and spiritual formation, counseling referral services, academic support, leadership development, and vocational counseling. The  Director serves as the Divinity School’s chief retention officer to further the enrollment goals of the School. Through innovative programming and strategic partnerships, the  Director contributes to the overall mission of the Divinity School, the University, and the broader professional community, positioning the Vanderbilt Divinity School as a leader in student engagement and retention in theological education. The  Director generates a high volume of written material, conceives, initiates, and produces qualitative and quantitative research, and exercises independent judgment and leadership. The position is responsible for prioritizing, supporting, and managing complex projects, initiatives, and work streams that have a school-wide and/or university-wide impact.

This position requires pride of ownership, an unflagging desire to excel at all endeavors, situational awareness, creativity, and indefatigability in delivering and championing ideas, individuals, teams, and work products.

About the Work Unit: 

The Divinity School administrators and staff comprise a team committed to excellence in theological education. From different composite areas: admissions, community life, academics, special programming, communications, theological and religious library resources, and development and alumni relations, each person contributes to an innovative and collegial environment. The unit as a whole is committed to the mission of both the University and the Divinity School. We make equity, diversity, and inclusion a priority from a theological foundation of social justice, and we seek to lead the nation in the care, preparation, and professional qualification of our students to the religious and theological professions. 

In a global and multi-religious world, the Divinity school seeks to fulfill the following objectives: 

• to engage in theological inquiry; 
• to help persons prepare for the practice of Christian ministry and public leadership; 
• to encourage personal and spiritual formation; 
• to prepare agents of social justice; and 
• to educate future scholars and teachers, locally and globally. 

Key Functions and Expected Performance: 

Retention Initiatives – 50%

• Leads the development and execution of a comprehensive student retention and engagement strategy across all Divinity School programs, ensuring alignment with the school’s mission, enrollment goals, and best practices in theological education. 
• Collaborates with faculty, academic affairs, and student support teams to shape policies and strategies that enhance student engagement, persistence, and graduation rates.
• Conducts comprehensive analyses of retention data to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities for improvement, utilizing this data to develop interventions, inform strategy planning and foster collaboration with faculty and staff across all Divinity School programs to enhance student success and retention.
• Develops metrics to assess the effectiveness of retention and engagement initiatives.
• Provides strategic leadership for the VDS Retention Taskforce, co-chairing with the Senior Director of Strategic Enrollment Management, to develop, implement, and assess institutional strategies that drive student success, engagement, retention, and graduation.
• Establishes and directs the Retention Taskforce’s agenda, ensuring alignment with the university’s strategic priorities and long-term student success initiatives.
• Oversees the institutional framework for targeted intervention strategies and escalated cases involving at-risk student populations.
• Oversees academic advising programs to support students’ academic and career goals. 
• Serves as an escalation point for complex or policy-level student concerns and advocates for systemic improvements to enhance student success. 
• In coordination with the Office of Student Accountability, Community Standards, and Academic Integrity, adjudicates student conduct violations and determines appropriate action while maintaining confidentiality.
• Develops and maintains strategic relationships with the Office of Admissions and Enrollment, Academic Affairs, Career Services, and  Data and Strategic Analytics to ensure a sound and seamless student retention strategy.
• Oversees the strategic planning, budget, assessment, and evaluation of the department’s programs and services.

Student Programming – 25%

• Provides strategic oversight of community programming and evaluates effectiveness and impact. Advises senior leadership on student retention trends and collaborates with faculty to create academic interventions that support student persistence.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates student success policies within the Divinity School, ensuring alignment with faculty governance, accreditation standards, and the School’s strategic priorities.
• Provides oversight for the weekly Community Worship service to undergird spiritual support for the community. 
• Recruits and supports the Religious Liaisons Program. Connects with alumni, local non-alumni/nae clergy, and VDS faculty to invite them to lead student body groups of religiously affiliated or unaffiliated students. 
• Provides annual feedback to the Dean  on these groups regarding outcomes and successful strategies for the purposes of nurturing religious identity and understanding. 
• Oversees all programming related to the Practitioner-in-Residence initiative, often liaising with VIP’s and donors in the Nashville community to produce top-quality events that engage VU leadership, the broader university community, and beyond.

Strategic and Financial Planning – 10%

• Manages annual budget, processing expenditures and reviewing reports. Collaborates with the VDS Office of Finance and Administration to assure financial integrity through proper recording and procedures in accordance with university guidelines.
• Oversees the financial planning and resource allocation for student retention and engagement initiatives within the Divinity School.
• Identifies funding opportunities, including grants and donor contributions, to enhance student success programming and support services.
• Provides oversight of operational and administrative functions of the department, ensuring compliance with university financial and procurement policies. Maintains an understanding of university and departmental financial policies related to areas such as travel, procurement, expense, and time reporting to ensure compliance and proper stewardship of university resources.

Student Leadership Development – 10%

• Supervises the Student Government Association (SGA) to provide guidance around governance, leadership development, and programmatic funding. 
• Provides guidance to University-recognized student groups around compliance and programming to ensure compliance and organization of groups. 
• Coordinates meetings, workshops, and resources around student leadership to streamline the transition of information from year to year. 

Professional Development – 5%

• Establishes and maintains active involvement with professional associations to stay informed on emerging trends, best practices, and advancements in student development theory.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position has supervisory responsibility for  the Student Support Specialist and has supervisory responsibility over several graduate student workers (i.e. worship interns, coffee hour coordinators, and spiritual formation intern). This position reports administratively and functionally to the Dean. 

Education and Certifications:

• A Master’s Degree from an accredited institution of higher education is necessary. 
• A doctoral degree in a student affairs field from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.

 Experience and Skills:

• At least eight years of directly related experience is necessary. 
• At least twelve years of directly related experience is preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills are necessary.
• Knowledge of student success and retention principles and practices is necessary.
• Experience with student judicial procedure is preferred. 
• Grant writing experience is preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, along with the ability to build consensus and work effectively with a wide range of constituents in a diverse community is necessary.
• Related clinical or pastoral counseling experience is preferred.
• Knowledge of Christian religious traditions is preferred. 
• Experience in conflict resolution and/or restorative justice techniques is preferred. 
• Demonstrated ability and experience in networking, developing, and maintaining effective collaborative relationships with university and/or non-profit community organizations is necessary.
• Demonstrated financial and budget management skills are necessary.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to handle sensitive situations with tact and discretion is necessary.
• Demonstrated supervisory skills, along with the ability to engage, develop and motivate staff is preferred.

At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.