Director of Student-Athlete Support Athletics

Profile

The

University of Montana Athletic Department

invites applications for a

Director of Student-Athlete Support (MBB and Track)

. This position coordinates and manages all academic services for the sports of Men's Basketball and Cross Country/Track and Field. This includes arranging and managing tutoring services; arranging and managing mentor services; providing direct academic advising; arranging and managing study hall assignments; communicating directly with faculty and campus personnel regarding any issues involving those student-athletes. This position has supervisory responsibilities over graduate mentors and student interns. This position will report to the Senior Associate Athletic Director, Compliance and Academic Services and has a high level of autonomy in decision-making.

Administrative

In this capacity, the person assigned to this role must be responsive to the demands of several dramatically different worlds. The individual in this position interacts with Intercollegiate Athletics Department personnel; the athletic coaches are in close contact with the person occupying this position regarding student-athlete recruits, active student-athlete academic and study requirements/eligibility; the individual in this role strongly identifies with the academic community as an academic resource person for student-athletes.

The Director of Student Athlete Support will develop and coordinate an internship position that specifically addresses diversity and inclusion initiatives in the Athletics Department. This will entail developing the role description, priorities, and responsibilities for the intern; selecting an appropriate person to serve in the internship; and supervising and managing the work product of the intern. They will also coordinate with campus Career Services to establish the awarding of academic credit for the internship experience.

Academic Eligibility and Advising

The Director is a member of the academic eligibility certification team; serves as the primary advisor for all men's basketball and track & field student-athletes; tracks and reports student-athlete academic progress and reviews programs; and establishes effective communication systems with campus academic, administrative, athletic offices and NCAA representatives.

Academics

This position serves as instructor for both freshman student-athlete classes (one credit in the fall and one credit in the spring) within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. This involves curriculum development and teaching of the course. In addition, the person in this position will be responsible for developing the curriculum for a one-credit course for junior student-athletes. This will involve developing the curriculum and obtaining campus approval for awarding credit for the course. The primary focus of the course will be professional development and transitioning from being a collegiate student-athlete to becoming a member of the workforce and not a student-athlete. The person in this position will need to conduct extensive research in the areas of student-athlete identity and the issues with transitioning away from that identity when their sport is done.

This position also serves as the scholarship textbook coordinator. This involves close collaboration with the UM Bookstore to coordinate the purchasing of textbooks for student-athletes on scholarship.

Recruitment

This position collaborates with coaches to meet with potential recruits during their visits to campus. They will be responsible for exposing the recruit to all of the services and support provided to our student-athletes, as well as the campus resources and highlights to encourage them to enroll at Montana.

Mentoring and Coordination

The Director of Student Athlete Support will serve as coordinator of the mentoring program. This responsibility involves selection, training, supervision and evaluation of graduate student mentors. They will develop and deliver the training curriculum throughout the semester for the mentors. Mentors provide general assistance to student-athletes identified as at-risk, or in need of more in-depth assistance.

The academic image of the student-athlete is directly affected by the support and efforts provided by the Athletic Academic Services office. This position is crucial to the athletic and academic retention and success of student-athletes. Most importantly, the position determines what guidance and academic advice to provide to the student-athletes and what help must be provided to ensure that NCAA rules are being met and the students remain eligible. The position has the authority to make decisions for the program and the adherence to the NCAA regulations regarding academic performance. Therefore, the position is fully responsible for designing the academic strategies to fulfill the goals of his/her responsibility areas and requires a high level of independence.

Athletic Department employees and those University employees outside the Athletic Department with NCAA rules compliance responsibilities are subject at all times to NCAA Bylaws 10.1 and 11.1 regarding ethical conduct and the responsibility to positively contribute to a campus culture of NCAA rules compliance. Failure to conduct oneself as such will result in disciplinary or corrective action up to and including immediate discharge.

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action

: Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.

Position Details

Position is full-time, 1.0 FTE, Letter of Appointment and includes a comprehensive and competitive benefits package

including Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.

Salary for this position is commensurate with qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

Master's degree is required to serve as an instructor of academic courses

Experience in athletics or higher education

Experience in establishing and monitoring policies and practices related to academic success

Experience providing one-on-one advising to students

Ability to work with a diverse population of students and abilities

Must be able to handle stress, multiple tasks, and the ability to handle conflict

Preferred Qualifications

Direct advising experience in collegiate athletics setting

Experience working with men's basketball student-athletes

Experience developing diversity programming

About UM

and the Athletic Department

The University of Montana is flagship, research institution with more than 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It is located in Missoula, a culturally vibrant community of about 75,000, surrounded by mountains and three rivers converge. Abundant recreational opportunities in surrounding state and national forests and nearby Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park complement a thriving intellectual atmosphere.

The Athletics Department’s mission is to serve student-athletes, coaches, administration, university staff, and faculty by providing academic support and services within regulatory framework set forth by the University of Montana, NCAA and Big Sky Conference.

To learn more about the University of Montana, Missoula, and the State of Montana, please visit the links below.

University of Montana

Video: Mission First, People Always

UM on YouTube

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to Offer of Employment.

In accordance with University policy, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations.

ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran's Preference.

Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law.

References

*References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant.

Testing

Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions.

E mployment Eligibility.

All New Employees must be elig

ible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).

Company info

The University of Montana
Website : https://www.umt.edu