Programme Associate: Dell Young Leaders Scholarship

Duties/Pligte

**The Programme Associate will be responsible for delivery of student support on the Dell Young Leaders programme, on behalf of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Stellenbosch University. Specific duties will include**:
**Developing and delivering student risk mitigation and student retention strategy and interventions**:

- Identifying university transition concerns with new Dell Young Leaders students and supporting them to drive future throughput to see the Programme maintain at

least a 90% persistence rate;Regularly engaging with students on the Programme to understand any changing support needs;- Delivering persistence follow-up for high-risk Dell Young Leaders students identified through term
- based check-in processes;- Facilitating personalised advising that promotes retention by helping Dell Young Leaders students formulate goals and connecting them with key resources at the

University;Working closely with on-campus student services responsible for at-risk students to build referral pathways alongside the Programme Manager;- Developing insights and strategies that ensure first-generation university students get to graduation and into the world of work through leveraging the Foundation's

scholarship management tools;
- Driving the achievement of the target to ensure that at least 80% of Dell Young Leaders students graduate with a university degree.

**Developing a programme of academic, wellness, and career readiness advising to all Dell Young Leaders students**:
Building strong relationships and maintaining close contact with Dell Young Leaders students to help support them at university;- Ensuring that all Dell Young Leaders students receive timely academic, psychosocial, and career readiness assistance;- Managing all communications and queries from students on behalf of the Programme, referring to the Programme Manager or Foundation as required;- Building a structured academic advising workflow to ensure consistent and high-quality case management of student support needs and risks;- Designing and delivering a wellness offering for students on the Programme at Stellenbosch University to prevent/manage psychosocial risk factors;- Offering holistic consulting services with students, to discuss both academic and career success strategies, including delivering career advice and guidance

services where needed;Assisting with approval of contingent support requests and personalised scholarship disbursement plans based on Dell Young Leaders students' academic

performance and financial aid status;Acting as a resource to Dell Young Leaders students with special circumstances that require assistance and/or referrals to other services either on or off campus;- Responding tactically to students in trauma or in need of emergency support when required;
- Ensuring the timely update of information of all Dell Young Leaders students on the Programme's scholarship management technology tool.
- ** Supporting delivery of a communications strategy to drive brand recognition amongst the Programme's target audience;**:
- Ensuring that potential applicants are provided with information regarding the Dell Young Leaders Programme;- Participating in the interview process, with a view to selecting students that meet the Programme's eligibility criteria;- Delivering one-on-one onboarding for all students selected onto the Dell Young Leaders Programme and ensuring they have a clear understanding of the

Programme's support offering and technology toolset;Building strong relationships with each cohort of students to ensure Programme buy-in;- Supporting delivery of the Programme's annual launch event as required;
- Ensuring first-year students are matched to an Alumni Mentor as part of the first-year offering to manage their transition to university

**Maintaining contact with Dell Young Leaders students that have transferred to another university, been academically excluded, or have taken a leave of absence from Stellenbosch University**:

- Calling or meeting Dell Young Leaders students that are not active on the Programme at least twice a year, and capturing contact notes on the Dell Young Leaders

Programme's technology tool;Providing support to students that are not active on the Programme by providing details of how they can return to university or access other post-secondary school

opportunities;Liaising with the Programme team at other partner universities in cases where students are transferring to an institution within the Dell Young Leaders Programme's

partner network;
- Managing this process to ensure the Programme meets its outcome targets of 90% persistence and at least 80% graduation rate.

Job Requirements/Pos Vereistes
- A relevant degree;- A minimum of three years' relevant work experience;- Proven work experience of working with university students and/or young people;- Experience in supporting psychosocial challenges and the ability to manage students in trauma;- The ability to buil