Assistant Director of Student Services (2 Open)

About the role

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning invites applications for multiple Assistant Director of Student Services positions within the Office of Admissions and Student Services. These roles are critical to advancing a holistic, student-centered experience and strengthening innovative approaches to academic advising and student success. Reporting to senior leadership within Student Experience, the Assistant Director serves as a primary advising resource and advocate for undergraduate and graduate students across AAP's programs and locations. These roles are highly collaborative and student-facing, requiring creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking to support a diverse and dynamic student population. AAP is particularly interested in candidates who are excited to reimagine and design new pathways in academic advising, integrating proactive, inclusive, and data-informed practices that support student well-being, persistence, and success.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive academic advising to undergraduate and graduate students across AAP programs, supporting degree planning, policies, and co-curricular engagement
• Serve as a primary point of contact for student concerns, including those in distress or experiencing academic difficulty, and connect them with appropriate campus resources
• Collaborate with faculty, college leadership, and campus partners (e.g., Cornell Health, CAPS, Dean of Students, Student Disability Services) to deliver holistic student support
• Develop and implement creative, student-centered advising strategies that advance innovative pathways for academic success and well-being
• Analyze trends related to student performance and persistence, using data to inform proactive interventions and continuous improvement of advising practices
• Design and deliver student transition programming, including orientation, pre-enrollment initiatives, Family Weekend, and commencement-related efforts
• Create targeted communications and resources to support student success, particularly for first-year, transfer, and students navigating complex academic pathways
• Contribute to the development and delivery of student success programs such as academic support initiatives and peer mentorship programs
• Advise and support student organizations, including leadership development, training, and alignment with university policies and practices
• Promote a culture of inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing while advocating for students in college and university forums and contributing to collaborative initiatives across AAP
• Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree and 2 to 4 years relevant experience or equivalent combination.
• Demonstrated experience working with a broad array of stakeholders to craft and implement collaborative, high-quality academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular programming and events.
• Experience in program design, delivery, and evaluation.
• Ability to connect with students of all backgrounds and experience levels; experience advising them on academic, professional, and personal goals.
• Strong public speaking, writing, and editing skills.
• Demonstrated project management, organizational skills, and detail orientation. Must be able to balance significant complexity and competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to exercise a high degree of discretion in dealing with confidential information in accordance with University policies and FERPA regulations.
• Ability to attend meetings and events across campus.
• Ability to travel occasionally as needed outside of campus to attend conferences, trainings, and/or meetings with stakeholders and external vendors, although travel outside the university is expected to be limited to one or two times a year.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Requirements

• Master's in Higher Education 3-5 years of experience.
• Track record of success in a higher education environment and/or deep familiari

Benefits

Additional Information

About AAP: The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University (Cornell AAP) includes the departments of Architecture, Art, City and Regional Planning, the Paul Rubacha Department of Real Estate, jointly led by AAP and the SC Johnson College of Business, the multicollege Department of Design Tech, and the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities. The college spans three locations in Ithaca, New York City, and Rome, Italy, each with world-class facilities and cutting-edge technologies. Cornell AAP is about acts of transformation. We are committed to reimagining and reshaping the world in new ways, every day. A vital college at one of the nation's foremost research universities, Cornell AAP brings faculty, staff, and students together from around the world to take up some of today's most urgent challenges and advance research, inquiry, and collaborative approaches to designing, making, and doing that make a more just and resilient future.

Your Match

How well this role fits your profile.

Company Intel

What employees say

Worked at Cornell University? Share your experience