Coordinator, Community Belonging

The Community Belonging Coordinator reports to the Director for Community Belonging and plays a vital role in advancing Austin Peay State University’s commitment to fostering a campus environment where every student feels connected, supported, and positioned for success. This role contributes to a comprehensive, student-centered strategy that strengthens students’ sense of belonging, engagement, and academic achievement

Characteristics of a successful candidate: 

• Demonstrates kindness, integrity, empathy, and sound judgment. 

• Brings creativity and initiative to program development 

• Motivation to create a caring and safe student experience. 

• Ability to serve with agility; important to lead, listen, and serve with empathy. 

• A commitment to practicing open communication and inspiring trust. 

• Desire to collaborate with colleagues. 

• Demonstrated sincere enjoyment from working with students. 

Key Focus Areas of the Role 

• Strengthening student sense of belonging and connection. 

• Enhancing academic belonging through collaboration and partnership with preexisting services. 

• Creating integrated co-curricular experiences that support creating a campus that celebrates its uniqueness and student populations. 

• Building campus partnerships that support student belonging to the APSU campus community. 

Responsibilities include: 

Community Building and Engagement 

• Develop and coordinate programs and initiatives that strengthen students’ sense of 

belonging and connection to the university. 

• Plan and implement campus events that foster engagement, community, and shared experiences. 

• Create opportunities for peer connection, student involvement, and meaningful participation in campus life. 

• Advise and support student organizations that contribute to campus engagement and belonging. 

• Partner with campus departments to deliver collaborative programs that enhance student experience. 

Academic Belonging and Student Success 

• Design and implement initiatives that support students’ academic engagement, 

persistence, and success. 

• Collaborate with academic affairs, advising, and student support services to connect students with resources that promote achievement. 

• Support programs that reinforce the connection between student engagement and academic outcomes. 

• Utilize data and assessment to identify trends, inform strategies, and improve student success initiatives. 

Department and Division 

• Maintain open communications with the Director for Community Belonging to share information and engage in issue-spotting and creative problem-solving to benefit the University community. 

• Work with the Director to coordinate the management of resources of the Center. 

• Under the direction of the Director, assist in the coordination and stewardship of departmental resources and budgets in alignment with university policies. 

• Collaborate with campus and community partners to expand opportunities and support for students. 

• Prepare reports and contribute to assessment efforts that demonstrate program effectiveness and student impact. 

• Stay informed and educate the University community and stakeholders as needed regarding issues, trends, and regulations impacting student belongingness. 

• Engage in ongoing professional development and remain informed of emerging trends in student engagement and success. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and related experience.

• Knowledge of best practices to support students in the university setting

• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement student programs and initiatives.

• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.

• Experience using data to inform decision-making and program improvement.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications: 

Complementing the required skills and qualifications: 

• Master's degree, and at least 2 years of related experience as a full-time professional or graduate assistant. 

• Experience supporting student engagement, retention, or success initiatives. 

• Demonstrated ability to lead collaborative efforts across departments. 

• Excellent presentation skills. 

• Excellent writing skills. 

• Experience with leading special initiatives, programs, and strategic planning. 

Physical Requirements:

-Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.