Position Summary
The Associate Director supports the academic, strategic, and operational leadership of the Hope-Western Prison Education Program. This role collaborates closely with the Executive Director, as well as Hope College academic departments and administrative offices to ensure the program provides high-quality instruction, student support, and complies with institutional and accreditation standards. The Associate Director helps shape an educational environment that promotes intellectual growth,…
personal formation, and student success.
Key Responsibilities
Academic Program Leadership
- Collaborate with academic departments, chairs, program directors, and deans to implement curriculum and recruit faculty for the program.
- Ensure academic policies, assessment practices, and instructional methods align with Hope College standards.
- Collaborate with college administrators to ensure compliance with Higher Learning Commission accreditation standards.
- Develop and administer a course schedule that ensures students' academic progress and timely degree completion.
Faculty & Instructional Support
- Recruit, orient, support, and review faculty teaching within the program.
- Coordinate logistics for instructional delivery—classroom space, course materials, technology needs, and transportation.
- Partner with Michigan Department of Corrections staff to ensure instructors receive necessary MDOC orientation and security clearances.
Student Academic Support & Advising
- Oversee student advising. Serve as a general advisor for students; if teaching a First-Year Seminar, act as the official academic advisor for those students.
- Oversee academic support services, such as tutoring, academic coaching, disability and accessibility resources.
- Supervise, in partnership with college librarians, a program of library resource provision and information literacy instruction for HWPEP students.
- Address academic or disciplinary concerns in collaboration with Executive Director in alignment with Hope College policies and MDOC requirements.
Student Formation
- Oversee new student recruitment, admissions, and orientation processes in partnership with the Hope College Admissions Office and the Department of Corrections.
- Provide oversight of co-curricular programming and student formation initiatives designed to provide a meaningful learning community and promote student transformation.
Teaching
- Candidate may teach up to 2 courses each academic year in general education or the candidate's area of expertise, at the discretion of the Executive Director in consultation with the Dean of Arts & Humanities.
Assessment, Data, & Research
- Coordinate data collection for assessment, program evaluation, and regulatory requirements (MDOC and US Department of Education).
- Support research initiatives in collaboration with the Frost Research Center that evaluate student outcomes, program impact and effectiveness.
Program Administration
- Assist Executive Director in program leadership and administration
- Collaborate with the Executive Director to develop presentations, publications, reports to communicate program outcomes to stakeholders.
- Participate in fundraising activities, as needed.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; MA or PhD strongly preferred.
- Deep commitment to Hope College's mission, values and Christian Aspirations.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with strong attention to detail and work effectively to meet deadlines.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to develop clear strategies and actionable decisions.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; able to engage effectively with faculty, staff, students, donors and external partners.
- Willingness and ability to adapt to changing circumstances and responsibilities.
- Experience working with justice-impacted individuals or within a prison context is preferred.
- Ability to work with diverse partners and offices in academic and correctional settings.
- A leadership style that reflects service, collaboration and a commitment to the flourishing of the entire community.