The posting
Job Title
Assistant Director, Student Care and Advocacy
Agency
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Department
Student Success
Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate
Job Location
Kingsville, Texas
Job Type
Staff
Job Description
About Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Kingsville (TAMUK), the oldest institution of higher learning in South Texas and a proud member of the Texas A&M University System, stands as the region’s premier university. TAMUK offers the widest range of academic programs and degrees in South Texas, provides exceptional learning and residential facilities, conducts impactful research, awards substantial scholarships, and has awarded more than 80,000 degrees in the institution’s 100-year history. The university is recognized for its unwavering commitment to student success, meaningful research, and deep community engagement. With a welcoming campus culture and strong regional partnerships, TAMUK offers faculty and staff a unique opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of students and the broader South Texas region.
Location: The University is located in historic Kingsville, a friendly, safe city of 25,000 that is the home of the legendary King Ranch. Corpus Christi and its beaches are just 40 miles to the northeast, and the border with Mexico is 120 miles to the south at Brownsville or 119 miles to the west at Laredo.
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Position Overview
The Assistant Director of Student Care, Advocacy, and Wellness provides leadership for a comprehensive student support framework that integrates care, advocacy, case management, wellness promotion, prevention, and outreach. The position serves as a primary resource for students experiencing academic, personal, medical, mental health, financial, behavioral, or family-related challenges that may impact their success, retention, and overall well-being.
The Assistant Director coordinates proactive and responsive interventions designed to remove barriers to student success, facilitate access to resources, promote student well-being, and foster a campus culture of care. Through strategic partnerships across the University and community, this position leads initiatives that support student persistence, resilience, belonging, and holistic development while ensuring students receive timely and appropriate assistance.
This position reports to the Assistant Vice President for Student Support and serves as a key leader in advancing university-wide efforts related to student care, wellness, advocacy, prevention, and student success.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Student Care, Advocacy, and Case Management
- Provide individualized case management services for students experiencing personal, academic, emotional, medical, financial, or family-related challenges.
- Assess student needs and develop coordinated intervention plans that promote student success and well-being.
- Assist students in navigating university policies, procedures, and available support resources.
- Conduct outreach and follow-up with students identified through referrals, behavioral concerns, academic concerns, or other early-alert processes.
- Coordinate referrals to counseling, health services, disability services, financial assistance, academic support, community agencies, and other appropriate resources.
- Maintain confidential case records, documentation, and reporting in accordance with university policies and applicable regulations.
- Monitor student progress and provide ongoing support throughout the intervention process.
- Support students experiencing crises and collaborate with appropriate campus partners to ensure coordinated responses.
- Assist in the development and implementation of care protocols, intervention strategies, and best practices related to student support services.
Wellness Promotion and Prevention
- Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of a comprehensive wellness strategy that promotes student success, retention, and holistic well-being.
- Design and coordinate campus-wide wellness initiatives addressing mental health awareness, resilience, stress management, self-care, healthy relationships, substance misuse prevention, and student thriving.
- Develop programs that support preventive approaches to student well-being and reduce barriers to help-seeking behavior.
- Coordinate wellness campaigns, awareness events, educational workshops, and resource fairs throughout the academic year.
- Promote a culture of wellness through evidence-informed practices that support students' academic, emotional, social, and physical well-being.
- Collaborate with campus partners to integrate wellness concepts into student success initiatives, orientation programs, leadership development, and co-curricular experiences.
- Assess wellness needs and emerging trends among student populations and develop targeted initiatives to address identified concerns.
- Monitor participation, outcomes, and program effectiveness to support continuous improvement and strategic planning.
- Serve as a campus resource regarding student wellness, prevention, resilience, and well-being initiatives.
Outreach, Education, and Engagement
- Develop and implement a comprehensive outreach strategy that increases awareness of available support services and student resources.
- Coordinate educational programming and prevention initiatives designed to promote help-seeking behaviors, resource utilization, resilience, and student engagement.
- Present workshops, trainings, classroom presentations, and campus programs related to student support, wellness, advocacy, and student success.
- Collaborate with faculty, staff, student organizations, and university departments to increase visibility and accessibility of support services.
- Develop outreach materials, marketing campaigns, digital communications, and educational resources that support student well-being.
- Lead awareness initiatives during key campus observances and national awareness campaigns related to mental health, wellness, and student success.
- Coordinate outreach efforts for at-risk, underserved, and vulnerable student populations.
- Utilize assessment data, participation metrics, and student feedback to evaluate outreach effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement.
Campus Collaboration and Consultation
- Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships with academic and administrative departments to support student success initiatives.
- Consult with faculty, staff, students, and families regarding student concerns and available support options.
- Participate in multidisciplinary teams addressing students of concern and other student support processes.
- Collaborate with community agencies and external service providers to facilitate referrals and resource coordination.
- Serve on university committees, task forces, and working groups related to student care, wellness, retention, and student success.
- Support institutional efforts to create an inclusive, supportive, and student-centered campus environment.
Assessment, Strategic Initiatives, and Program Development
- Collect, analyze, and report data related to case management, outreach efforts, wellness programming, and student engagement.
- Develop annual goals, objectives, assessment measures, and outcome reports for Student Support programs and services.
- Identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement in student support and wellness services.
- Assist in developing policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives that advance the mission of Student Support.
- Support divisional and institutional strategic priorities related to student success, retention, persistence, and holistic student development.
- Participate in budget planning, program evaluation, grant opportunities, and resource development initiatives as assigned.
Other Duties
- The above represents the major duties, responsibilities, and authorities of this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. Other duties may be assigned
Qualifications
Required Education
Master's degree from an accredited institution in Counseling, Social Work, Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, Psychology, Public Health, or a closely related field.
Required Experience
Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in case management, student affairs, counseling services, student support, wellness programming, or related higher education settings.
Preferred Qualifications
- Licensure or eligibility for licensure as an LPC, LMSW, LCSW, LMFT, or related helping profession in the State of Texas.
- Experience working in higher education student affairs or student support services.
- Experience developing and implementing wellness, prevention, and outreach programming.
- Experience utilizing student success, retention, and assessment data to inform program development.
- Experience with behavioral intervention teams, students of concern processes, or crisis response protocols.
- Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of student development theory and best practices in higher education.
- Knowledge of case management principles, crisis intervention, and student support services.
- Knowledge of wellness promotion, prevention programming, and student success initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex student situations with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to develop and assess educational, outreach, and wellness programs.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
- Proficiency with case management systems, student information systems, and Microsoft Office applications.
Other Requirements
- This position is security sensitive
- This position will require export-control authorization prior to starting employment.
- Commitment to Caring Campus principles, with the ability to provide exceptional customer service, foster positive relationships, and promote a welcoming, responsive, and student-centered environment for internal and external constituents.
- This position requires compliance with state and federal laws/codes and Texas A&M University System/TAMU policies, regulations, rules and procedures
- All tasks and job responsibilities must be performed safely without injury to self or others in compliance with System and University safety requirements
- Occasional evening and weekend work may be required to support outreach events, student programs, and university initiatives.
- Ability to travel occasionally for professional development, conferences, and community partnerships.
- Position requires frequent interaction with students experiencing distress, crisis, or complex personal circumstances.
Why Join the Javelina Nation?
Texas A&M University–Kingsville offers a supportive, mission-driven culture focused on excellence in teaching, research, and service. All employees enjoy:
- A welcoming campus community
- Opportunities for professional development
- Competitive benefits through the Texas A&M University System
- A rewarding experience of helping students achieve their academic and career goals
Shared Values: TAMUK employees uphold the Shared Values of Care, Integrity, Pride, Innovation, and Excellence, which form the foundation of the University’s culture and guide its strategic plan. More information on TAMUK’s Strategic Plan and Shared Values can be found here.
4DX: TAMUK employees actively engage in Franklin Covey’s 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) activities within their departments. TAMUK utilizes 4DX as the framework for pursuing strategic goals by creating a culture of high performance. This requires participation from all faculty and staff. More information on 4DX can be found here.
Caring Campus: TAMUK employees embody the Institute for Evidence Based Change’s Caring Campus mindset, maintaining a collegial and caring attitude towards students and each other to foster student engagement and a positive, collaborative work environment. More information on Caring Campus can be found here.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation: Commensurate with experience
Texas A&M University-Kingsville offers a career filled with purpose and opportunity in addition to competitive wages. In addition to base pay, TAMUK provides eligible employees a comprehensive Total Rewards package designed to support employees’ well-being, professional growth, and financial security.
BENEFITS (rules, policies, eligibility apply)
With our generous benefit package, robust professional development opportunities, strong retirement programs, and dedication to service excellence, TAMUK is a truly engaging and rewarding place to work.
Insurance:
- Medical$0 - $30 per month for Employee Only coverage after university contribution ($920 value). Up to 83% of premium covered by the university:Employee and Spouse Employee and Children Employee and Family coverage
- Dental & Vision
- Life Insurance, Accidental D&D, Long Term Disability, Flexible Spending Account and Day Care Spending Account
On-Campus Wellness Opportunities:
- TAMUK’s Wellness Program is designed to enrich lives through health and wellness programming that is meaningful and impactful.
Work Life Solutions:
- Counseling, Work Life Assistance, Financial Resources, and Legal Resources
Tuition Benefits:
- Employee Tuition Assistance Program
- Book scholarships
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Retirement:
- Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) or Optional Retirement Plan (ORP), dependent on position
- Voluntary Tax Deferred Account/Deferred Compensation Plan
Employee Leave:
- 8+ hours of vacation per month
- 8 hours of sick leave per month
- 8 hours of paid Birthday leave
- 12-15 paid holidays per year
Additional Information
A federal proclamation issued on September 19, 2025, imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025. Texas A&M University-Kingsville will not pay this fee. If immigration sponsorship may be required for employment, consult with private immigration counsel, at the individual’s expense, is recommended to determine whether the individual’s current immigration status would make a potential offer of employment from Texas A&M University-Kingsville subject to this fee.
In addition, on January 27, 2026, Texas Governor Abbott issued a moratorium on the filing of any new H-1B petitions unless approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. Accordingly, if sponsorship for employment visa status is required now or in the future, this moratorium may affect the university’s ability to employ the selected final candidate. TAMUK will adhere to applicable regulations regarding visa opportunities.
Application Instructions
During the application process applicants have one opportunity to enter the requested information, upload documents and submit the application. Applicants will not be able to make changes or add additional documents once the application materials have been submitted via "Submit" action.
Employment applications must include:
- Completed online application
- Cover Letter/Letter of Interest addressing qualifications
- Curriculum Vitae or Resume
- Contact information for 3 professional references
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.
Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.
