The Director of Access and Engagement leads college-wide access, engagement, and belonging initiatives across the student lifecycle, from pre-collegiate awareness through graduation and alumni/community connection. Serving as the subject matter expert for access and engagement in the college, the Director partners with the Dean’s leadership team, School Directors, and key campus offices to advance the College of Communication and Information (CCI) priorities related to student success, excellence, and community engagement. The Director serves as CCI’s primary liaison to the university Division of Access and Engagement and leads a portfolio of initiatives that strengthen pathways into CCI, deepen student engagement and persistence, and expand mutually beneficial community partnerships. The Director reports to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Success and serves as a collaborative partner to the Director of Student Recruitment and Engagement and the Office of Professional Development/Director of Career Development to ensure coordinated messaging, programming, and outcomes across recruitment, access, student success, and career readiness.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree (Communication, Business, Education, or Related Fields)

• 5 years of experience with programming and outcome assessment and evaluation

• Ability to establish and foster strong community relations

• Working knowledge of strategic relationships

• Ability to oversee and engage in community outreach efforts

• Knowledge of higher education operations

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Demonstrated ability to develop trust with stakeholders of all levels

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Ability to practice discretion and judgment in handling confidential matters and information

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education

• Advanced knowledge of topics related to access in postsecondary education

Work Location: On site in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Compensation and Benefits: The anticipated starting salary for this position is $68,000 to $70,000 depending on the selected candidate’s experience, qualifications, and suitability.

Application Process: The anticipated start date for this position is as soon as July 1, 2026. For full consideration, applicants must provide a resume and cover letter. Finalists will be required to provide 3 professional references. All applicants must apply online to be considered for this position.

The College:

CCI is part of a Land Grant Institution embedded in communities to make those communities a better place. Our alumni, students, faculty, and staff strive to positively impact on the lives of people in our state through our teaching, scholarship, creative work, and through our engagement and service. CCI as a college is well poised to deliver upon all those areas to become the most nationally distinctive but locally relevant College of Communication and Information in the country.

Strategy, Access, and Assessment

• Oversee the strategic vision for K-12 outreach, transforming standard tours for precollegiate audiences into high-impact recruitment presentations and engagement models for instructors and students.

• Design and lead CCI’s access strategy with the Office of Flagship Communities and other pathway partners by setting shared goals and roles, aligning an annual outreach/program plan to CCI priorities, establishing KPIs and tracking, and using results to improve and sustain initiatives over time.

• Provide executive direction for the Lexus Living Learning Community, the Communication and Information Leadership Collective (CLIC), and college-level summer programs by developing the program plan and timeline, coordinating stakeholders and logistics, and ensuring deliverables, communications, and assessment are completed on schedule and aligned with CCI access goals.

• Establish outcome measures (e.g., participation, persistence/retention indicators, pathway conversion, partner impact) and use data-informed decision-making to prioritize initiatives and continuously improve programming.

• Lead and convene the CCI Access and Engagement Committee to coordinate planning, clarify roles, and drive implementation of strategic priorities.

• Represent CCI with university partners including the Division of Access and Engagement, Provost’s Office, Division of Student Success, Division of Student Life, and the UT Foundation to align efforts and leverage resources.

• Serve as a consultant to the college leadership team and academic unit leaders to identify needs, recommend scalable approaches, and align unit-level activity to college-wide goals and standards.

Academic Engagement

• Promote a culture within the College that provides a safe and enriching environment for faculty, staff, and students by establishing regular feedback and listening mechanisms; partnering with campus offices to address accessibility needs; develop shared tools, standards, and referral pathways that reduce barriers to participation; and translate emerging issues into coordinated, college-wide actions.

• Design and oversee engagement initiatives that connect students with faculty, staff, alumni, and partners, strengthening community and persistence.

• Partner with university offices to support equal opportunity and accessibility for students, faculty, and staff and help ensure CCI practices align with applicable university expectations.

• Provide leadership support for accreditation and assessment by coordinating and documenting evidence related to student engagement, outcomes, and community impact; aligning measures and timelines with college and unit leaders; and translating findings into continuous-improvement recommendations for CCI programs and partnerships.

• Identify emerging academic engagement needs across CCI and implement scalable, coordinated solutions—establishing proactive systems (e.g., shared planning rhythms, resource/toolkits, referral pathways, and assessment practices) that strengthen belonging and student success and reduce reliance on one-off, ad hoc programming.

Community Relations and Collaboration

• Develop and institutionalize a partnership framework (e.g., MOUs, points of contact, shared goals, annual check-ins) that supports continuity and measurable impact for CCI and community partners.

• Cultivate meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships with community organizations and schools that create pathways, experiential learning, and service/leadership opportunities for CCI students.

• Partner with CCI research leadership to support land-grant and community-engaged activities, connecting community needs with CCI expertise and student participation where appropriate.

• Serve as liaison between CCI and the university Access & Engagement office to align initiatives, reduce duplication, and strengthen outcomes