The Assistant Provost for Student Success (APSS), a new position at Fort Hays State University, will provide vision and direction for a newly reorganized student success structure within academic affairs and collaborate extensively with university partners in student affairs and administration and finance to drive student success. The APSS will initiate and supervise strategy and innovation in academic and career development while enhancing the student experience and success for all students at Fort Hays State University.
The APSS serves all Fort Hays State University students regardless of modality: undergraduate and graduate students learning online, on-campus, or through cross-border international partnerships. Housed in the Fischli-Wills Center for Student Success, the APSS supervises the Career, Student Success and Retention, and Honors College areas of the institution. The Assistant Provost reports directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) and is the key leader and collaborative partner in university-level initiatives for student success. This position will be located on the FHSU campus in Hays, KS.
About Student Success at FHSU
Student success at FHSU means intentionally supporting students' academic journey, personal growth, and engagement in learning, while helping them reach their goals and contribute positively to society. While timely program completion, graduation, and gainful employment are important indicators, FHSU defines student success more broadly to include:
- Academic mastery in their field.
- Personal development and resilience.
- Active engagement in learning and university life.
- Social responsibility as engaged global citizens.
- A commitment to lifelong learning/Progress toward a student’s goals (personal, academic, and/or career).
- A positive impact on the region and beyond with regard to economic, social, and cultural growth.
Student Success at FHSU does not belong to one office/one person/one division/one goal theme. There must continue to be intentional opportunities and support for all students, whether online, on-campus and/or cross-border. Student Success at FHSU is a faculty, staff, and student partnership.
Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Vision
- Provide strategic leadership for student success initiatives across the University and in alignment with the University’s working definition of student success (see above). This includes co-chairing the Student Success goal (two) of the University Strategic Plan.
- Serve as the primary ambassador and lead for Student Success through building strong, effective, collaborative relationships with offices across the university. Develop and implement comprehensive communication strategies that create clear pathways for students to access support services, particularly for online learners. Ensure messaging about student success initiatives is consistent across all university platforms.
- Provide leadership, vision and direction in the administration of a comprehensive array of services, policies and initiatives related to student retention, completion, and success.
- Develop and implement systems for the ongoing evaluation of student success programs using quantitative and qualitive data and employ these systems to identify challenges and work collaboratively across the university to track progress and develop solutions.
Collaboration and Relationship-Building
- Coordinate planning with academic advisors, college deans, faculty (including Faculty Mentors) and staff to provide a comprehensive approach to student success.
- Strengthen collaborative partnerships with Enrollment Management, Student Engagement, Global Affairs, and Student Affairs, and other university areas to provide seamless student support.
- Lead and foster collaboration among offices and departments across the university to support student success.
Program and Policy Development
- Implement and execute new FHSU Student Success Plan which includes the facilitation of a FHSU Student Success Collaboration Team and co-coordination with Student Affairs of the One Stop Shop concept for students.
- Formulate student success goals and objectives and oversee achievement of those goals
- Design and implement a comprehensive program of services and activities to drive student success. This work will include a focus on strategic stopping, as well as strategic decisions and doing.
- Re-design and administer the academic suspension and probation processes for undergraduate students.
Student Support and Services Oversight and Operations
- Provide leadership, oversight, and support to the Careers unit head as they expand and reimagine their work and role in the student experience. This leadership, oversight, and support will include advising on technology and data needs, outreach needs, engagement of faculty mentors, employers, alumni as well as structural approaches to career advising.
- Provide leadership, oversight, and support to the Student Support/Success unit as it provides leadership for tutoring, success coaching, orientation, living learning communities, and implementation of parent communication along with EAB Navigate. Advising on technology and data needs will be critical in this area.
- Provide leadership, oversight, and support to the Director of the Honors College as that unit recruits scholars and supports student scholars’ learning and development.
- Plan, manage and evaluate operational, financial and personnel activities of the assigned area.
Data Analysis and Evaluation
- Lead the implementation of comprehensive data systems that track student success metrics to identify achievement gaps and develop targeted interventions.
- Analyze and evaluate data on students who are not retained. Produce reports with assessment about reasons for departure and provide recommendations for addressing gaps in the student experience.
- Finalize and evaluate student success metrics; align metrics with state goals and mandates; report data to the administration, Kansas Board of Regents, and other pertinent stakeholders.
Leadership and Team Development
- Lead, mentor, and supervise the team of professional staff, fostering an environment of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Work closely with deans, professional advisors and faculty (including Faculty Mentors) within the colleges to design and provide academic advising and mentoring support and training to ensure the student support network is robust.
Other Duties as Assigned
Minimum Qualifications:
- Master’s Degree from an accredited institution
- Eight years of experience related to student success initiatives in academic affairs or student affairs
- At least five years of supervisory experience with professional/academic staff
Preferred Qualifications:
- Doctoral degree from an accredited institution
- Experience in both academic affairs and student affairs
- Demonstrated strong commitment to the focus on student success at a regional comprehensive teaching institution
- More than five years of supervisory experience with specific experience in building collaborative teams
- Experience with student success initiatives including, but not limited to career development, retention, tutoring, success coaching, advising and mentoring, academic probation and suspension processes, assessment, strategy development, and professional development
- Experience with university initiatives including partnerships (internal or external), internationalization/globalization, online learning, community engagement, and strategic planning
- Demonstrated commitment to building a strong culture and inclusive environment for faculty, staff, and students
- Demonstrated ability to cultivate donor relationships or grant development for student success efforts
- Demonstrated commitment to shared governance, consensus-building, transparency in leadership and management, and data-informed decision making
- Participation in professional development with and for the student success teams
Appointment Date: Negotiable – July 2025 is preferable
Priority Deadline: For full consideration, all materials should be received by May 11, 2025. Review of candidate will begin following the priority deadline and continue until the position is filled.
Salary: Negotiable.
Academic Rank: This position includes appointment with faculty rank as appropriate. Negotiable based on qualifications.
Benefits: To review our competitive benefit package, please visit
FHSU Benefits.
Application Process: To apply for this position, please visit
FHSU Careers. Only electronic applications submitted through the webpage will be accepted.
Required Application Documents: Applicants should submit a brief response to the six questions listed below (three (3) pages maximum), a resume/CV and names and contact information of at least three professional references. Applicant documents should be submitted in a single PDF.
Questionnaire (in lieu of a cover letter):
Describe a successful student success initiative you have led. What measurable outcomes did it achieve? How would you assess the effectiveness of a student support program? What key metrics would you prioritize? Describe your approach to collaborating with various stakeholders to enhance student success. How do you stay informed about emerging trends and best practices in student success and retention? This position serves all Fort Hays State University students regardless of modality. With that in mind, how do you think student success can vary depending on method of learning? Explain your vision for the role of faculty in promoting student success and how you/your division would support them in that effort.
If you have questions regarding the position or would like to nominate a potential candidate, please contact:
Name: Dr. Angela Pool-Funai, Search Committee Chair
Phone: 785-628-4241
Community of Hays
FHSU is located in Hays, a vibrant college town of approximately 20,000, located halfway between Kansas City and Denver on Interstate 70. Hays is the regional center for education, health care, professional services, shopping, culture, and recreation for the western half of Kansas. The community boasts excellent recreational programs and facilities, including the comprehensive Center for Health Improvement, Hays Aquatic Park, Smoky Hill Country Club, Hays Municipal Golf Course, and extensive walking, running, and biking trails. Hays is within 45 minutes of two large lakes that offer great opportunities for boating, fishing, and camping. The Hays Municipal Airport provides connecting service to Denver with several flights daily. The Hays community is home to excellent Pre-K and K-12, public and private schools. With over 60 restaurants, major retail outlets, a low unemployment rate, and very short commute times, the city provides a safe, welcoming, low-cost, high-quality living environment for the residents who call "Hays, America" home.
Notice of Non-discrimination: Fort Hays State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, color, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability or veteran status.
Background Check: Final candidate will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal background check.
Notice to KPERS retirees applying for a position: Recent legislation changes working-after-retirement rules for both you and your employer if you go back to work for a KPERS employer. Please contact your KPERS representative or
www.kpers.org for further information on how this might affect you.
