Director of the RISE (Returning and Incarcerated Student Education) Program

About Raritan Valley Community College:

Ranked by WalletHub.com and Intelligent.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute and 3M Observatory; a Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

Job Description:

Reporting to the Interim Dean of Academic Partnerships, the Director of the RISE (Returning and Incarcerated Student Education) Program serves as an essential member of the Provost's team and provides strategic leadership for all academic and workforce programs offered within New Jersey correctional facilities, while maintaining a collaborative working relationship with partner institution of the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons Consortium (NJ-STEP).

The Director works under the broad administrative direction of the Provost, with significant responsibility for providing leadership in the development, expansion, revision, improvement, and maintenance of high-quality educational programs for incarcerated students. The Director is charged with aligning the mission of the RISE program to the strategic imperatives of the campus, and with building teamwork and synergy across divisions to ensure quality instruction, high impact pedagogy, and data-informed reform at scale throughout the RISE program.

Essential Duties:

• Manage and provide student-centered strategic leadership in the supervision of RISE operational, planning, and continuous quality improvement processes.
• Serve as the primary liaison with executive officials of STEP educational partners, the Department of Corrections (DOC), interested non-profit entities, and NJ state departments such as HESA, Department of Higher Education, Department of Labor, US Department of Justice, Us Department of Education, and others as appropriate regarding matters of prison education, partnerships, and funding.
• Advocate for the RVCC program specifically and prison education in general on a local, state, and national level, providing information to government officials and non-profit advocates, testifying on related legislation, and liaising with high ranking elected and appointed officials on prison education and funding.
• Act as Academic and Operational Officer for multi-campus program.
• Oversee master course schedule creation, academic instruction, course materials, advisement, and student support within the physical, technological, geographic, and custodial restrictions of the DOC facilities, in collaboration with RVCC staff and offices as appropriate.
• Oversee enrollment services, registration, placement, accommodations, financial aid, and degree audits for students participating in RISE in collaboration with RVCC staff and offices as appropriate.
• Oversee adjunct hiring, onboarding, and evaluation. Maintains familiarity with curriculum and pedagogical strategies for all disciplines taught in facilities in order to support faculty and RISE staff. Champion the College's learning outcomes, program assessment, and continuous quality improvement programs.
• Provide innovative and entrepreneurial leadership for the development of new programs, the evaluation of existing programs, and the expansion of the programs educational mission beyond transfer programs.
• Develop and manage departmental budget.
• Research, seek, secure, and manage grant funding for RISE program in collaboration with educational and/or governmental partners.
• Design and oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of data related to student and financial records for internal and external stakeholders, including government agencies.
• Supervise RISE program personnel.

Requirements:

• Master's Degree in a field related to one of the disciplines taught in the RISE program.
• At least three (3) years' experience working with programs in higher education working with returning and/or incarcerated students. Community college experience preferred.
• Eligibility for appropriate security clearance(s) for work inside DOC facilities.
• Demonstrated understanding of current practices and issues related to education of returning or incarcerated students.
• Ability to accept change to job requirements, policies, workload as well as learn new methods, procedures, or techniques resulting from change with the ability to clearly approach problems and find innovative solutions.
• Leadership that provides and supports student centered services with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Experience with integrated database systems and proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Experience collaborating with multiple and diverse stakeholders to solve complex problems effectively.
• Effective verbal/written communication, presentation, and customer service skills.

Application Instructions:

As a New Jersey First Act Employer, new employees must establish a primary residence in New Jersey within one year unless an exemption applies.

RVCC's starting salary is commensurate with educational qualifications and experience. We also offer an attractive benefits package. To review eligible health, wellness and benefits offered, click on the following link and scroll down: https://www.raritanval.edu/general-information/human-resources

For consideration of the above position, please submit your cover letter and resume online, by clicking the "apply now" button. We regret that we are unable to respond to each and every resume received. Only those candidates of interest will be contacted directly.