Samantha McRae
Sellersburg,IN
Summary
Proven, process driven, student services professional with 18 years’ experience in all aspects of the student experience from application to graduation. Team builder and change agent with an uncanny ability to cultivate and unify highly functional teams. Procedural minded, able to strategically streamline processes for efficiency. Well adept to working in fast-paced, multi-faceted environment with multiple responsibilities and tight deadlines. Personal and professional commitment to inclusion through continual learning, training, self-reflection, and implementation.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Academic Advising
Ivy Tech Community College
Sellersburg, IN
01.2018 - Current
- Lead a highly functional and goal driven team of up to 15 professionals.
- Responsible for the precise and comprehensive advising for 42 programs, 3,000 (+/-) students with 9 staff.
- Routinely monitored appointment availability and worked to ensure students could have timely access to their advisor.
- Managed wide-spread retention project, collaborating with several functional areas on campus.
- Selected as a "Campus Champion" to lead the campus staff in shifting from a 16wk offering institution to an 8wk offering institution.
- Vast experience monitoring data, identifying trends, and identifying areas of opportunity. Utilized Tableau and NewT.
- Serve as a data-lead on campus, being a main point of contact for data needs on campus, escalating to systems office team as needed.
- One of only three system administrators across the state for the CRM, Starfish; One of two campus leads to rolled out new CRM, Salesforce.
- Created and edited policy and procedure manual.
- Assisted with updating college-wide policy manual for relevancy.
- Launched and led cross-functional monthly meetings to share ownership of the entire student journey.
- Authored and executed strategic plan metrics.
- Serve Student Success Committee, managing big picture positive campus change to support students.
- Launched a successful new student orientation program.
- Provided professional assessment and recommendation of academic appeals to the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.
- Served on SAP appeals committee.
- Managed departmental budget of $600,000, making annual budget forecasts and requests.
- Created and delivered countless presentations at faculty in-service, staff professional development, and student classroom visits.
- Highly skilled in all campus technologies: Banner, Docusign, SignalVine, EdSights, Service Now, Canvas, Work Day, Salesforce, Microsoft Suite, Google.
Recruitment Coordinator
Elizabethtown Community & Technical College
Elizabethtown, KY
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Responsible for the leadership of the Recruitment efforts for a 12-county service region.
- Supervised four full-time employees under the TRiO Educational Opportunities Center grant.
- Authored and implemented a college-wide strategic enrollment management plan.
- Stationed at a new satellite campus at Meade Co. high school; establishing a presence, building trust, and creating a pipeline for our rural community.
- Primary point of contact for all high schools in the region. Attended college fairs and school visits. Set up meetings with students at their schools. Supported high school counselors with college resources.
Admissions Advisor
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Elizabethtown, KY
06.2015 - 01.2017
- Provided recruitment for a 13 county region and served as the singular point of contact for all the dual credit students in the region.
- Guided prospective students through admissions process, addressing inquiries and providing tailored support.
- Developed and implemented outreach strategies to enhance enrollment and increase awareness of programs.
- Conducted information sessions, workshops, and campus tours to educate students on academic options and financial aid availability.
- Certified Master Advisor.
- Set up process to maximize efficiency to get students through the enrollment process.
- Established relationships with local high schools, fostering partnerships to promote college readiness among students.
- Trained student ambassadors and staff volunteers to lead campus tours.
- Worked with financial aid office to verify student's' applications and discuss payment options.
- Monitor enrollment trends to identify deficits in recruitment and where improvements can be made, as well as what the campus is doing well and how those efforts can be strengthened.
- Elected as President of the Staff Council; served as the Staff Representative to the Board of Directors.
TRiO Program Counselor
Elizabethtown Community & Technical College
Elizabethtown, KY
07.2007 - 01.2018
- Provided comprehensive support for 180 first-generation, low-income, and/or disabled students.
- Offered a welcoming and supportive environment where students could come to study, get tutoring, a cup of coffee, and get their questions or concerns address in a nonthreatening environment.
- Prepared students for their first-year experience, covering topics including financial aid processes, buying textbooks, setting up student accounts, checking syllabi, advanced registration, time management, and student rights and responsibilities.
- Educated students on college procedures, curriculum, and resources so student can make informed decisions about their educational path.
- Walked students through FAFSA completion each semester, explained aid awards, worked with them to finish master promissory notes, and when needed assisted with SAP applications.
- Planned several cultural events each semester including trips to theater and museums, pitch-ins, and transfer college visits.
- Assisted with resume writing and career exploration.
- Awarded grant scholarships to eligible students.
- Assisted with writing a successful grant application for two renewal cycles.
Education
Master of Science - Community Counseling
Springfield College
Wilmington, DE05-2005
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology, minor in Justice Administration
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY08-2001
Associate of Arts - undefined
Elizabethtown Community College
Elizabethtown, KY12-1999
Skills
- Strategic planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Team development
- Strategic goal setting
- Budget management
- Change management
- Launch new initiative
- Onboard new technology platforms
- Culture manager
PRESENTATIONS
- New Student Orientation Presentations - Ivy Tech Community College
- Transforming New Student Orientation - One Summit Conference - 2024
- Academic Advising Basics for Online Faculty - Ivy Tech Community College - 2022
- Faculty Advising Presentation Series - Ivy Tech Community College - 2021
- Panelist on Virtual Advising, Holistic Student Success Conference - Achieve the Dream - 2021
- Advising Together: Collaboration to Student Success Panelist - NACADA - 2021
- Panelist on Required Advising, Student Success Summit - Ivy Tech Community College - 2020
- Poverty Awareness Advising Presentation - Ivy Tech Community College - 2019
- College and Transfer Information Presentations - Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Affiliations
- Director of Advising Leadership Circle (1 yr appointment) - Ivy Tech Community College - 2025-2026
- Board of Directors, Vice President - Falls of the Ohio Foundation - 2024-present
- Activate & Governance Committee - Falls of the Ohio Foundation - 2023-present
- Elevate Program Graduate - Leadership Southern Indiana - 2023
- Circle of Ivy, Women in Philanthropy - Ivy Tech Community College - 2023 - present
- Data Lead - Ivy Tech Community College - 2022 - present
- Board of Directors, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College - 2015-2018
- Board of Directors, Young Professionals of Hardin County - 2012-2014
AWARDS
Inaugural Staff of the Quarter - Ivy Tech Community College - 2023
Student Affairs Assessment Award - Ivy Tech Community College - 2022
4DX Award of Excellence - Ivy Tech Community College - 2024
Certified Advisor (40hr training) - Ivy Tech Community College - 2022
Senior Advisor (2nd tier promotion pathway) - Ivy Tech Community College - 2022
Master Advisor (23 majors, transfer, and undecided) - Elizabethtown CTC - 2010
Timeline
Director of Academic Advising
Ivy Tech Community College
01.2018 - Current
Recruitment Coordinator
Elizabethtown Community & Technical College
01.2017 - 01.2018
Admissions Advisor
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
06.2015 - 01.2017
TRiO Program Counselor
Elizabethtown Community & Technical College
07.2007 - 01.2018
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology, minor in Justice Administration
University of Louisville
Associate of Arts - undefined
Elizabethtown Community College
Master of Science - Community Counseling
Springfield College