Academic Director

Position Summary

The Academic Director serves as an academic case manager and coach for students, providing individualized support and scaffolding to help neurodiverse students succeed in a post‑secondary learning environment. This includes providing structured plans to scaffold executive‑functioning support, supporting them to set holistic goals, develop self‑advocacy, and build executive‑functioning skills. It also includes coordinating support across families, referring professionals, staff, and campus partners.

The Academic Director plays a key role in integrating academic development into the overall holistic student experience at Mansfield Hall.

Case manager/coach‑level staff, as assigned.

• Supervise and develop team members (as designated), including onboarding, training, performance management, and ongoing professional development.
• Attend team‑based meetings to ensure staff alignment with each student’s academic support plan and Mansfield Hall’s mission, values, and goals.
• Provide leadership and training to direct support staff in cognitive diversity, learning and study approaches, academic development, executive‑functioning, and self‑advocacy strategies.
• Attend weekly Director and Community meetings and serve on relevant internal committees.
• Participate in the on‑call rotation to support after‑hours continuity of support for staff, student, and facility needs that can include student mental‑health emergencies and student conflicts.
• Provide limited support in recruitment, admission, and marketing initiatives in collaboration with the Vice President of Enrollment and Executive Director.
• Represent the academic program in public‑facing events and campus tours as needed.

• Support a caseload of students with executive‑functioning disorders and learning disabilities and who can find college success when offered appropriate scaffolding, instruction, and coaching.
• Caseloads are determined by student needs, team capacity, and available support structures and may vary each year, reflecting the overall complexity and support required.
• Conduct weekly 1:1 academic sessions with students to support organization, coursework management, academic goal setting, class registration, degree planning, scaffolded support plans, and skill instruction.
• Facilitate individualized student planning, goal setting, and assessment through a variety of annual and semester‑based tools and processes.
• Support students in developing social, emotional, and professional communication strategies, self‑advocacy, and decision‑making skills that support long‑term independence.

• Track and anticipate academic barriers including grades, assignments, attendance, and registration needs.
• Coordinate and collaborate with local college campuses, service providers, and internal staff to ensure student success in navigating post‑secondary academics.
• Advise students on course loads, registration planning, accommodation access, and graduation goals.
• Promote utilization of campus resources such as academic success centers and accessibility offices.
• Maintain accurate documentation and student planning tools.

• Maintain bi‑weekly communication with families and stakeholders to share progress, identify concerns, and collaborate on interventions, and provide more timely proactive communication as needed.
• Provide detailed updates regarding academic strengths, challenges, and support strategies being implemented to mitigate future academic challenges including potential failing grades, etc.
• Foster early detection and transparent communication to reduce surprises and strengthen the family partnership model.

In performing their duties, employees are expected to embody Mansfield Hall’s commitment to a supportive and encouraging living and learning environment. As a residential program, our work extends beyond traditional office hours and settings, requiring flexibility, presence, and a willingness to adapt to changing schedules and student needs. Team members are encouraged to…