Director of Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) Program (Categorically Funded)

Established in 1959, the Barstow Community College District (BCCD) encompasses a vast service area, stretching from the Nevada border on the East to Kern County on the West, and from Inyo County in the North to the San Bernardino Mountain range in the South. BCCD serves the communities of Barstow, Lenwood, Newberry Springs, Daggett, Yermo, Hinkley, Ludlow and Baker. The institution also maintains a satellite learning center at the U.S. Army National Training Center in Ft. Irwin, California, which serves military personnel and their families.

Barstow Community College is committed to providing an equitable, accessible, and affordable education to its diverse student body, including local, military, distance education, and historically marginalized student populations. Through a variety of high-quality and comprehensive degree, certificate, and job skills training programs, we provide holistic student support with clear and diverse educational pathways that provide students with life-long learning and networking opportunities, critical thinking skills, and success in a globalized world.

Barstow Community College serves as a hub of innovation and educational excellence, fostering a culture of growth, partnership, and inclusion as the premier college of the California High Desert.

PRIMARY PURPOSE:
Under the direction of an Academic Administrator (as defined by the MESA Program Grant), the Director of Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program is responsible for day-to-day management of the MESA Community College Program (MCCP). With programmatic guidance from the Chancellor's Office State Project Monitor, the MESA Program Director maintains communications with STEM Faculty, Instructional Deans, the Chancellor's Office, and MESA related student organizations, professional societies, and college administrators. The MESA Program Director is responsible for coordinating with the appropriate college departments to help facilitate MESA specific academic and student support services, including admissions and program eligibility, financial aid and scholarships, student employment and internships, and academic and career services. Additional responsibilities include oversight of the MESA Program budget, maintaining program records, evaluating program activities and accomplishments, participation in MESA trainings and other professional development activities, and working with the Faculty Sponsor(s) to ensure successful program implementation.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:
The incumbent works under minimal supervision from an administrator and exercises independent judgment in daily operations. Provides directions, leadership, and evaluation to staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:
Examples of essential functions are interpreted as being descriptive and not restrictive in nature. The description below is intended to provide a summary of the typical functions of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the position.

1. Provides leadership in the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Barstow Community College MESA Program.
2. Coordinates with the Faculty Sponsor(s), Instructional Deans, and MESA related College Administrators to ensure program goals and activities are meeting the needs of MESA Program students.
3. Maintains effective communication with the Chancellor's Office to ensure compliance with program requirements (including reporting) are being met.
4. Oversee program budget, program review, and compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
5. In collaboration with the Teaching & Learning Support Center (TLSC), develops MESA specific tutoring and academic support activities for individual, small, and large group settings.
6. Designs and delivers Academic Excellence Workshops (AEWs)-for STEM faculty and MESA students-on effective teaching & learning strategies, problem solving, study skills and critical thinking activities that prepares students for success in all learning environments.
7. Manages the MESA Center, and recruits, hires, trains, supervises, evaluates, and schedules assigned staff, tutors, student workers, short-term employees, and volunteers.
8. Collaborates with the designated MESA Counselor(s) to monitor progress and update educational plans, maintain an early alert system that provides effective intervention strategies for MESA students experiencing academic difficulties, and coordinate efforts with the college's Career and Transfer Centers to facilitate career exploration and timely transfer to 4-year institutions.
9. Develops and coordinates orientation and training for MESA students and STEM faculty that promotes personal and professional development, provides career and pathways planning for STEM majors, presents an overview of industry and technical careers, and prepares students for timely completion and transfer.
10. Develops and maintains relationships with MESA related student organizations, professional societies, industry groups, and transfer institutions to provide opportunities for regional peer engagement, mentoring, work-based learning, and transfer/career exploration.
11. Collaborates with the Director of Career and College Access Pathways to develop and maintain dual enrollment pathways specific to the MESA program.
12. Prepares and contributes to internal and external reports, ensures proper maintenance of records and databases, and manages related website content updates.
13. Participates in grant proposal development and institutional planning processes to support STEM initiatives and the MESA Program.
14. Oversees a campus-wide MESA Council that is convened at least once a year to share program outcomes, solicit feedback for program planning and improvement, and integrate MESA into the campus community.
15. In collaboration with CTE and Workforce Development, maintain a local business and industry council that provides opportunities for internships, job shadowing, field trips, and exposure to industry and experiential learning.
16. Serves on participatory governance committees and task forces; attend meetings of the Board of Trustees and appropriate District, College and employee functions.
17. Attends and participates in meetings, trainings, workshops, conferences, and/or professional development opportunities related to the MESA Program.
18. Perform other related duties that support the overall objective of the position.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Individuals must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities or be able to perform the essential functions of the assigned classification, with or without reasonable accommodation(s), using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Knowledge of:

• District, college, division, and departmental organization, operations, goals, policies, procedures, and applicable local, state, and federal regulations, including the California Education Code, Title 5, and FERPA
• Principles and practices of academic and student support services, including tutoring, supplemental instruction, learning resources, educational plans, early alert, career and transfer, faculty training, administration, supervision, and general management.
• Budget development, basic accounting, purchasing, and financial recordkeeping related to program and office administration.
• Confidentiality requirements and best practices for handling sensitive information and records.
• Public administration, organizational structures, and the roles of public agencies, elected officials, and appointed committees.
• Office management, modern administrative procedures, and effective recordkeeping systems (both physical and electronic).
• Effective communication principles, including terminology, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and professional writing.
• Emerging technologies, educational trends, and software tools relevant to learning support, including computer applications, databases, ERP systems, and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).

Skills:

• Analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks to meet multiple deadlines.
• Detail-oriented.
• Active listening, engaging, and responsive communication.
• Effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
• Effective interpersonal skills including interaction with administration, management, faculty, staff, students, and other external contacts.

Ability to:

• Perform the essential duties of the position accurately, efficiently, and independently.
• Interpret, apply, and clearly communicate applicable rules, regulations, policies, and legislative updates (e.g., assembly bills, basic skills requirements).
• Manage multiple and shifting priorities while meeting deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Analyze situations, determine effective courses of action, and exercise sound judgment within defined authority.
• Plan, organize, and prioritize tasks while adapting to frequent interruptions.
• Compose, edit, and maintain written materials in compliance with District and college standards.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Understand and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Learn and integrate emerging technologies relevant to assigned responsibilities.
• Operate a wide range of software applications, databases, and related computer systems and equipment.
• Support and participate in District diversity, equity, inclusion, and student success initiatives.
• Foster and maintain an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming work and educational environment.
• Demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty and staff. The applicant must be able to demonstrate how their experience with these factors relates to successfully achieving the goals of the position.
• Establish and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with those encountered in the course of work.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS:
The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit, walk, and/or stand; speak or hear, using a variety of communication modalities.
• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a variety of computer and/or office equipment and peripherals.
• Bend at waist, kneel, crawl, and/or crouch.
• Move about the college and/or District site(s), as needed.
• Specific vision abilities required by this position to include close vision and the ability to adjust focus and view computer screens, printed documents, and instructions.
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 25 pounds unassisted and up to 50 pounds with assistance.

Mental Demands

• Perform detailed work and multitask effectively while coordinating multiple concurrent tasks.
• Use written and oral communication skills.
• Read and interpret data, information, and documents.
• Analyze and solve problems.
• Learn and apply new information and/or skills related to the area of assignment.
• Subject to frequent interruptions and interact with District and/or college faculty, staff, management, and students.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND CONDITIONS:

Work Environment

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The incumbent works under typical office conditions, and the noise level is usually quiet.

Working Conditions

• Primarily work in an office and/or indoor environment.
• Minimal safety considerations exist.
• Subject to frequent interruptions and shifting priorities to meet operational needs.
• Subject to moderate noise levels depending on the activities of the office.
• May require extended or irregular hours to meet the needs of the District and/or the area of assignment.

REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Master's degree from an accredited institution, preferably in Mathematics, Engineering or Science.
• One (1) year of formal training, internship, or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to and understanding the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college faculty, staff, and students.

PREFERRED

• Demonstrated experience supporting individuals from underrepresented and disproportionately impacted communities.
• Experience working with first-generation college students and understanding the barriers they may face while pursuing higher education.
• Established connections with regional STEM industry professionals, educational partners, or community organizations, or the demonstrated ability to build and maintain these relationships.
• Experience developing partnerships, programs, or opportunities that connect students with STEM education, career exploration, internships, mentorship, and employment pathways.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS, LICENSES, and/or CERTIFICATIONS

• Travel may be required for various off-site meetings, trainings, conferences, and/or events in support of the overall objective of the position.

LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Valid California driver's license (preferably a Class C license)

Application Details

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Interested applicants must submit the following to be considered:

• Completed District Application for Certificated Employment (Online Application)
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• **Unofficial copy of transcripts from a regionally accredited institution of Higher Education verifying educational degrees (official transcripts required upon offer of employment).
• List of at least 3 references to include at least 2 supervisors (contact information only).

Foreign Transcripts
**Applicants with foreign transcripts must have transcripts evaluated for U.S. equivalency by one of the following agencies. This evaluation must be completed and submitted prior to your application being included into the applicant pool. A copy of this evaluation must be attached to each application package. Please note there is a fee for the evaluation service. Individuals who contact any of these organizations assume all responsibility for the evaluation service:

AICE - http://www.aice-eval.org
NACES - http://naces.org
AERC - http://www.aerc-eval.com
ERES - http://www.eres.com
IERF - http://www.ierf.org

Application materials will be evaluated by a screening committee. Applications will be evaluated, taking into account the breadth and depth of relevant education, experience, skills, knowledge and abilities. A select group of candidates will be invited for an oral interview with the selection committee. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not assure the candidate an interview.

Applicants who are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act and who require accommodations for completing the application process or interviewing should notify the Human Resources Department by emailing hr@barstow.edu.

Please note: The District does not provide sponsorship for authorization to work in the United States. Work authorization should be established at the time of application submission.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Barstow Community College District is an equal opportunity employer. Barstow Community College District is committed to hiring a staff that is sensitive to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of community college students. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, disability, political affiliation, age, or veteran status.