"Director of Rising Scholars"

Full Job Description

Management Range 10

Salary will be commensurate with education and experience

Additional compensation for doctorate

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for February 24, 2025

***Merced College seeks a visionary Director of Rising Scholars to lead and oversee programs dedicated to serving currently incarcerated and system-impacted students. Reporting to an instructional dean, this exempt educational administrator position provides leadership in the planning, development, and administration of the Rising Scholars Program. The director will collaborate with faculty, staff, and student services to ensure culturally sensitive and equitable programming that meets the needs of a diverse student population.***

***The director will manage daily operations, supervise staff, and foster partnerships with instructional site administrators. They will collaborate with college departments to promote the program in various formats, engage with community, state, and national organizations to support system-impacted students, and oversee compliance, reporting, budget development, and resource management. The director will champion cultural diversity in staffing, programming, and services while ensuring programs demonstrate sensitivity to the unique needs of students from diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.***

***Preferred candidates will have experience working in or with a carceral setting and supporting justice-system-impacted individuals. These experiences will complement the candidates ability to lead the program with empathy, innovation, and a commitment to equity and inclusion.***

***Join Merced College in transforming lives and empowering students through education and equity.***

General Description

This is an exempt educational administrator position. Under the direction of an instructional dean, plan, organize, administer, develop and direct the day-to- day operations, programs, and activities of Rising Scholars and related programs, which serves currently incarcerated and system impacted students. The Director of Rising Scholars provides leadership for program development and works directly with the area dean, the faculty coordinator and student services to administer the program. This position is responsible for coordinating all related activities for the program and ensuring the program services demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of a culturally, economically, and linguistically diverse student population.

Examples of Duties

Representative Duties:

• Provide leadership and coordination over all elements of the Rising Scholars program.
• Plan, manage, and oversee the daily functions, operations, and activities of the Rising Scholars Program.
• Provides direct supervision of assigned Rising Scholars staff.
• Promote, communicate, and facilitate partnerships with the instructional site administrators in the Rising Scholars program.
• Collaborates with appropriate college departments and areas in the development, marketing, advertising, and promotion of Rising Scholars in all formats and modalities.
• Participate in community, state and national organizations and meetings related to the program development of Rising Scholars to serve the needs of system impacted students.
• Maintain current knowledge of new developments and innovations in community colleges with regard to Rising Scholars programs to meet student and community needs.
• As directed, prepare reports to comply with federal, state, and local mandates.
• Prepare a variety of reports and correspondence appropriate to the assignment.
• Develop the program budget and manage financial resources consistent with District policy and sound financial management principles.
• Evaluate classified staff in accordance with proper management practices and implement articles of collective bargaining agreements.
• Accurately interpret and apply laws, regulations, district procedures, and collective bargaining contracts provisions.
• Encourage cultural and ethnic diversity in staffing, the program, and services.
• Assist with other closely related and aligned programs and services.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Higher education in community colleges, including the mission of the California Community Colleges.
• Strategic enrollment management.
• Implementation of collective bargaining agreements.
• Budget preparation and control.
• Successful interpersonal skills, organizational leadership, team building, staff development and communication techniques.
• District organization, operations, policies, and objectives.
• Successful oral and written communication skills.
• Computer based systems for administrative, business, and educational functions.
• Community college or school business management, including budgeting, grants, auditing accounts, and faculty load accounting.
• Principles and practices of administration, supervision and training.
• Thechangingeducationalneedsofthediversestudentbaseandthebusinesscommunity.
• Instructional techniques and strategies related to system impacted students.
• Online/distance education learning management systems and online content resources to support online curriculum.
• Methods and techniques of program development and administration.
• Principles and procedures of report preparation.

Ability To:

• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with faculty and staff, students and community members.
• Establish and maintain a productive and constructive rapport with students, administrators, faculty and staff from multi-cultural backgrounds and promote access and equity.
• Train, select, direct, supervise, and evaluate personnel.
• Collaborate with faculty to implement professional development that improves program outcomes.
• Analyze, interpret, apply, and explain laws, regulations, labor contracts, policies, and procedures.
• Maintain current knowledge of program rules, regulations, requirements, and restrictions.
• Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.
• Plan, organize and implement multiple projects and programs and provide updates to the Vice President of Instruction regarding progress towards completion.
• Compileandpresentnarrativeandstatisticalreportsinaconciseandcomprehensivemanner.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Promote and incorporate culturally affirming DEIA and anti-racist principles to nurture and create a respectful, inclusive, and equitable learning and work environment. In conducting their duties, staff members shall respect and acknowledge the diversity of students and colleagues.

Typical Qualifications

Required:

• Masters degree from an accredited college or university in any degree AND
• One (1) year of leadership, formal training, internship, or administrative experience related to career services and student transfer AND
• Demonstrated sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.

License or Certificate
A valid California Class "C" driver's license. Travel to locations throughout the District may be required.

Desired:

Education/Experience:

• Experience working in or with a carceral setting
• Experience working with justice system impacted individuals

PHYSICAL DEMAND AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Environment:
Work is performed primarily in an office environment with some travel to different sites; incumbents may be required to work extended hours including evenings and weekends.

Physical Ability to:

• Hear and understand speech at normal levels
• Communicate so others will be able to clearly understand normal conversation
• Read printed matter and computer screens
• Stand or sit for prolonged periods of time
• Bend, twist, stoop, kneel, crawl, push, and pull
• Reach in all directions
• Work at a desk, conference table or in meetings of various configurations
• Operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard

Vision:
See in the normal visual range with or without correction.

Hearing
Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.

Supplemental Information

How to Apply:

• Submit a complete application by the closing date/time on the Merced College career pages at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/mccd

Required Documentation:

• Letter of interest addressing your qualifications for the position (cover letter)
• Resume
• List of three professional references (no reference letters permitted)
• Legible unofficial college transcripts (undergraduate and graduate); transcripts must include the degree major and date the institution granted the degree; official copies are not required unless applicant is hired
• Diversity Statement:The Merced College District has a diverse staff and student population. As such, applicants must demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of a diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability and ethnic backgrounds of community college students and the community at large. Please describe your leadership efforts and professional experience promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in a work setting. Please do not include any personally identifying information. Limit your response to one (1) page.
• If applicable,,foreign transcripts mustinclude a U.S. evaluation and translation completed by an approved organization per the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/transcripts
• If applicable,Equivalency Review Form (Required for applicants who do not possess the stated minimum educational qualifications and are seeking consideration on the basis of equivalency)https://www.mccd.edu/about-merced-college/divisions/human-resources/equivalency/