<p>Job Summary</p> <p>The Associate Director of Student Persistence provides strategic leadership for university-wide student retention and engagement initiatives through data-driven planning, cross-campus collaboration, and targeted programming. This role designs, implements, and evaluates retention efforts in partnership with academic colleges and Student Success units, leveraging analytics to improve persistence and graduation outcomes. The Associate Director develops and coordinates student engagement programs, delivers training for academic and student success staff, and supports continuous improvement through reporting, professional development, and collaborative leadership in institutional retention efforts.</p> <p>Student Success will, from the time of early college outreach to graduation and beyond, support students in living a life of meaning and purpose. From a student-centered framework, our practice will be grounded in peer-reviewed literature, national best practices, and data-informed decision-making. Collaborating with the campus and community, Student Success will work through a holistic lens to support a community of learners in achieving success.</p> <p>Skills / Knowledge / Abilities</p> <p>Written and verbal communication skills</p> <p>Data analytics</p> <p>Collaboration</p> <p>Flexibility</p> <p>Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No Preferred Education/Experience Deadline to Apply 03/17/2026 Our University Community</p> <p>We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.</p> <p>The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.</p> <p>Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.</p>