James Black

Experience

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  Susquehanna University

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2019

  ⋅ Restructured Support Services: Expanded service reach and increased client contacts and usage from 46% to 55%.⋅ Team Leadership: Hired and led a team of five professional educators; organized biannual strategy retreats and conducted weekly individual and team meetings to maintain goal progress.⋅ Committee Involvement: Served on the Committee for Teaching and Learning and the Advising Committee, collaborating with faculty to support pedagogical development.⋅ CARE Team Chair: Developed, implemented, and maintained policies and case management processes to support students of concern.⋅ Protocol Development & Faculty Training: Led the development of a student death protocol, designed training sessions for faculty and staff, and provided consultation for creating student support plans.⋅ Academic Standing Committee Chair: Managed academic policies, discussed student cases with faculty, and guided committee decisions on academic status.⋅ Academic Honesty: Facilitated the conduct process for academic honesty violations in close collaboration with faculty.⋅ Project Management: Served as project manager for the launch of the enterprise advising and student support platform EAB Navigate; developed and facilitated training strategies for faculty and staff Show less ⋅ Facility Establishment: Founded a new support services facility, boosting client contacts and service usage from 30% in 2012 to 46% in 2014.⋅ Committee Involvement: Served on the Teaching and Learning Committee, collaborating with faculty to enhance pedagogical development.⋅ STEM Mentorship: Co-mentored a 10-student cohort of underrepresented STEM students for four years as part of a National Science Foundation-funded project.⋅ Orientation Coordination: Led the planning and execution of summer and fall orientations for 600 students in 2015.⋅ Student Retention Initiatives: Promoted student retention through innovative programming, increasing sophomore engagement by 20% in the program’s first two years; developed and implemented the “Let’s Talk” speaker series to foster informal intellectual discussions between faculty and students. Show less ⋅ Program Establishment: Created a peer educator development program to train student workers, achieving external College Reading and Learning Association certification.⋅ Student Mentorship: Mentored a caseload of 30-50 students at risk of academic probation or suspension.⋅ Grant Acquisition: Secured annual competitive funding by writing and submitting successful grant proposals, providing academic support services for economically and educationally disadvantaged Pennsylvanians through the Act 101 Program (2002-2007).⋅ Data Analysis & Reporting: Compiled and analyzed departmental usage data to produce required annual reports.⋅ External Review Participation: Served on the external review team for DeSales University’s Academic Resource Center, evaluating services and recommending improvements for federal disabilities law compliance. Show less

  • Dean of Academic Achievement

    Jan 2015 - Jan 2019

  • Associate Dean for Student Engagement & Success

    Jan 2013 - Jan 2015

  • Director, Center for Academic Achievement

    Jan 2001 - Jan 2013
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  Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg

  Jan 2020 - Jan 2022

  Assistant to the Dean, Zeigler College of Business

  ⋅ Chief of Staff Role: Ensured alignment of staff and faculty with the Dean’s mission and vision, acting as the primary liaison for department heads, faculty, and students.⋅ Curriculum Development: Authored a report mapping prerequisites of the business core curriculum to streamline degree requirement fulfillment.⋅ Accreditation Projects: Managed projects supporting the Dean’s vision to create a student-centered and DEI-focused culture for Business majors.⋅ Data Compilation: Gathered and analyzed data for articulation agreements with Pennsylvania community colleges, drafting recommended course sequences for transfer students.⋅ Student Support: Coached students through the course registration process and mentored members of the LGBTQ+ student organization.⋅ Social Media Management: Administered social media accounts and developed a plan to promote content reflecting the diversity of student/faculty identities and majors.⋅ Program Facilitation: Supported and facilitated programming for the college’s Institute for Professional Development and the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion series. Show less

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  Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

  Jan 2021 - Jan 2023

  Director of Resource Management

  ⋅ Budgetary Oversight: Managed a $6M budget, directly responsible for $2M allocated to departmental project implementations supporting curriculum enhancements, student retention initiatives, and revenue growth.⋅ Training & Communication: Developed and conducted training sessions, facilitated problem-solving, and communicated critical information to a diverse range of stakeholders.⋅ Council of Deans Membership: Served on the university’s Council of Deans, ensuring appropriate financial support for the academic mission.⋅ Project Lifecycle Management: Oversaw the entire project lifecycle, including the intake and validation of business requirements, budget compliance, and project completion. Show less

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  Pensive Coaching & Consulting

  Jan 2024 - now

  Managing Member

  Strategic planning and problem solving for small businesses. Currently serving as Fractional Chief of Staff for Sync Solutions LLC and KinNect Senior Living.