GRADUATION & RETENTION ADVISING SPECIALIST

California State University (CSU) Northridge
Los Angeles, California 91330 United States
Posted: Aug 22, 2025
Education and Training
CSUN strives to be a destination workplace, where everyone understands that they belong to a community that is vital in advancing student success and providing exemplary service to all stakeholders. We foster an environment of success, both for our students and our employees. We have a relentless passion for celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as being an employer of choice. You will also have the opportunity to realize your own personal goals and be recognized for the work you do, and enjoy the unique value the CSUN community can offer. If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place. Learn more: https://www.csun.edu/about-csun .

QUALIFICATIONS

• Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in a related field. Upper division or graduate course work in counseling techniques interviewing and conflict resolution where such are job related, is preferred.
• Equivalent of three years of progressively responsible professional student services work experience; including one year in graduation and retention, preferred.
• A Master’s degree in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work, or a directly related field may be substituted for one year of experience.
• Additional specialized and relevant experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Knowledge of student retention, persistence, and graduation strategies, particularly for first-time freshmen and transfer students.
• Ability to apply student development theories and best practices to support academic progress, facilitate timely graduation, and enhance the student experience.
• Knowledge of university policies, procedures, academic requirements, and available student support resources to provide accurate advisement and resolve enrollment or graduation obstacles.
• Ability to establish supportive, culturally responsive relationships with diverse student populations and to guide students effectively through academic and co-curricular pathways.

Under general supervision, the Graduation & Retention Advising Specialist focuses on fostering student success through academic advisement, proactive interventions, and collaborative initiatives. The specialist applies equity-centered approaches to resolve obstacles, develops solutions informed by data, and engages with college-wide efforts to support retention and graduation.

• Targets first-time freshmen and first-time transfer college-based cohorts to facilitate two- and four-year graduation when possible
• Provides academic advisement and information on university policies, procedures, resources, and graduation requirements to assist students with the resolution of graduation or enrollment obstacles
• Confers with the SRC/EOP Director, Associate Dean, and Department Chairs on cases requiring additional support or exceptions
• Serves on all college-based committees related to student success, retention, and graduation goals

• Performs other duties as assigned.

• NOTE: To view the full position description, including all of the required qualifications, copy and paste this link into your browser: https://mycsun.box.com/s/6t45b1z0jja0flwl6xowmbjc79fzphqt