Education Specialist

Department: Intercollegiate Athletics

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On Site Required

About the Department:

George Mason Athletics unites communities by developing champions with a mission to inspire and transform lives through the power of sports. Mason Athletics serves 500 student-athletes in 22 NCAA Division I sports. We are a proud member of the Atlantic 10 Conference with over 20 Conference Championships, NCAA Championships in Women’s Soccer and Men’s Indoor Track, an NCAA Final Four appearance with Men’s Basketball, and over 30 individual National Champions. We are student-focused, education-centered, and committed to providing transformational experiences for our student-athletes and staff. Our five priorities are Student-Athlete Experience, Competition, Resources, Storytelling & Engagement, and Championship Culture.

About the Position:

The Education Specialist works directly with academically at-risk student-athletes to provide tailored academic support, skills development, and learning strategies. This role is essential in promoting academic confidence, independence, and success, while ensuring compliance with NCAA and institutional policies. The specialist collaborates with academic coordinators, tutors, and university resources to deliver a holistic and individualized academic support program.

Responsibilities:

• Designs and implements individualized academic support plans for at-risk student-athletes;
• Conducts one-on-one academic skill-building sessions focused on time management, reading comprehension, writing, test-taking strategies, and learning style assessments;
• Coordinates diagnostic learning assessments and support accommodations in partnership with disability services;
• Trains and supervises tutors in best practices for supporting students with learning challenges;
• Develops and leads academic workshops targeting learning strategies and executive functioning skills;
• Monitors and documents student progress and communicate updates with academic staff and coaches;
• Maintains current knowledge of learning theories, educational best practices, and relevant academic technologies;
• Maintains detailed records and provides regular reports to Academic Coordinators on individual student-athlete progress, engagement, and ongoing academic needs;
• Collaborates with Academic Coordinators to co-develop academic support strategies tailored to students' learning profiles;
• Offers training and guidance to tutors to ensure consistent delivery of learning strategies aligned with the academic coordinators' support plans;
• Flags and communicates emerging academic issues to Academic Coordinators to enable early intervention and holistic support;
• Conducts assessments of academic readiness with student athletes on all teams within Intercollegiate Athletics;
• Assists with the transition to college for all incoming freshman student-athletes on Men’s and Women’s Basketball and other identified athletes on campus during summer months;
• Partners to coordinate learning accommodations, facilitates psychoeducational evaluations, and advocates for student-athlete access to resources;
• Coordinates supplemental instruction, referrals, and workshop opportunities tailored to student-athletes’ schedules and needs;
• Refers student-athletes experiencing stress, anxiety, or learning-related mental health concerns and participate in cross-functional support teams when needed;
• Collaborates to integrate academic and career planning, particularly for student-athletes with learning differences or specific developmental needs; and
• Other administrative duties as assigned. 

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s/Advanced degree in education or work experience that equates to an advanced degree;
• Experience working with at-risk student populations;
• Experience working with academic support services for adolescents and young adult learners;
• Knowledge of academic support programs, including tutoring, study skills, time management, and reading comprehension strategies;
• Strong computer skills;
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to assess students’ academic strengths and weaknesses through informal and formal evaluations;
• Ability to develop personalized learning plans based on individual student needs;
• Ability to work effectively with students from diverse cultural, academic, and socioeconomic backgrounds;
• Understanding of learning theories, teaching methodologies, and instructional strategies tailored to various learning needs; and
• Familiarity with special education, learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia), and educational accommodations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous work experience with division one academically at-risk student-athletes;
• Experience teaching university transition course;
• Experience Teaching Academic Skill Enhancement Courses;
• Experience working with student-athletes;
• Some experience with career readiness;
• Ability to organize resources, plan events, and manage projects effectively;
• Understanding of NCAA academic eligibility rules and regulations;
• Capacity to maintain detailed records of student progress, accommodations, and program effectiveness; and
• Capacity to design, implement, and evaluate academic support programs and workshops.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Education Specialist at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: June 6, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  June 20, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes