Student Engagement Specialist

Sierra College has a strong commitment to the achievement of equity and inclusion among its faculty, staff, and students and values the rich, diverse backgrounds that make up the campus community. A strong candidate for this position must have the understanding and ability to successfully support individuals with varying backgrounds. This includes persons with disabilities, various gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as individuals from historically underrepresented communities and other groups. Our District is committed to providing strategies for success and proactive student-centered practices and policies focused on eliminating equity gaps to ensure the District provides an inclusive educational and employment environment focused on strategies for success and equitable outcomes for all.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Under general supervision from assigned manager, assists with the planning, development, organization, coordination, and implementation of programs, services, operations, and activities that support the Student Engagement Centers (SEC) and the Associated Students of Sierra College (ASSC); facilitates intersectional services that contribute to the success of students from historically underserved and underrepresented communities, especially those with noted disparate impact, and enhances the educational experiences of Sierra College's general population; supports campus engagement and academic completion of student populations; and provides administrative support.

Examples Of Functions and Tasks

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

1. Assists in coordinating operational processes and programmatic initiatives within the Student Engagement Centers (SEC) and the Associated Students of Sierra College (ASSC); develops and implements methods and procedures to optimize efficient and effective delivery of identity-conscious and intersectional services to students identifies, recommends, and pursues opportunities that address student equity and campus climate.
2. Assists with the design, implementation, and oversight of the SEC Peer Leader program to assist with student engagement efforts; assists with writing program guidelines; directs and coaches SEC Peer Leaders on co-curricular and leadership activities that contribute to cultural heritage, awareness, and history programming and events.
3. Plans and coordinates informational meetings, tabling, and outreach initiatives for prospective and current students; prepares, installs, and takes down displays and tables for outreach and recruitment events; prepares event information materials; recruits District staff and event volunteers; arranges for event speakers; assists with planning and implementation of SEC and ASSC events.
4. Serves as liaison with other departments on issues and processes regarding marketing and advertising, student engagement programs and services, and related issues or concerns; coordinates with departments on SEC website development, content, and social media engagement strategies.
5. Provides administrative support, including, but not limited to, composing correspondence, creating forms and listings, and maintaining resource materials; develops and maintains master SEC calendar and provides support for the SEC room reservation system; schedules meetings, workshops, conferences, and activities, including facilities and other arrangements; attends meetings and prepares recollections; develops and maintains program files and filing systems; assembles data for records and reports; proofreads and edits marketing, advertising, and related materials; writes or collaborates on articles, letters, and outreach-related correspondence and promotional materials; monitors and tracks expenditures.
6. Conducts surveys of student populations and stakeholders to determine specific interests and needs related to identity-conscious, intersectional services, and campus life; creates instruments to collect information and feedback to improve communication, dissemination of information, and service to student populations and stakeholders.
7. Communicates with District staff, representatives of federal and state agencies, educational institutions, counselors, and others as directed to coordinate SEC and ASSC programs and services.
8. May provide recommendations regarding outreach, marketing, and student engagement efforts.
9. Provides onboarding support, general work training, guidance, supervision assistance, and directs activities of students or temporary employees, including SEC Peer Leaders; may Chaperone SEC Peer Leaders and other students during travel to conferences, site visits, and other SEC sponsored professional and para-professional development activities.
10. Performs related duties that support the overall objective of the position.

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES

Any combination of education and experience that demonstrates the required above knowledge and abilities is qualifying. Examples of ways to obtain the above knowledge and abilities could include, but are not limited to, the following:

Education/Training

• Two years of college with course work in student affairs, educational administration and leadership, ethnic or gender studies, or a closely related field.

Experience

• Two years of increasingly responsible administrative and programmatic experience, including supporting diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice that demonstrates an understanding of and sensitivity to cultural, gender, and LGBTQIA+ issues, or other related experience.

QUALIFICATIONS

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• Methods and techniques used in conducting promotional and informational initiatives for prospective and current students from equity populations.
• Sierra College and operations of the Student Engagement Centers (SEC), the Associated Students of Sierra College (ASSC), and other student service departments.
• Student development theories and practices, including student learning, identity development, ally training, intercultural competence, and organization behavior.
• Theories and concepts of social justice and intersectionality that examine societal power, privilege, and oppression.
• Concerns, pressures, and inequities of first-generation students in higher education, women, people of color, people with diverse genders and sexualities, and other marginalized communities.
• Federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations regarding instruction, support of students, and laboratory protocols, including, but not limited to, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Basic public information, public speaking, community relations, and marketing principles and practices.
• Basic research methods and techniques.
• Statistical procedures and mathematical concepts.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary, including proofreading, copy writing, editing, and formatting technique.

Ability to:

• Perform operational duties to support the services and activities of the Student Engagement Centers (SEC) and the Associated Students of Sierra College (ASSC).
• Work with and advocate for an ethnically diverse and culturally pluralistic student body and District staff.
• Assist in developing, implementing, and evaluating public relations and marketing goals, objectives, policies, and procedures related to outreach.
• Collect, compile, and analyze detailed data related to assigned functions.
• Prepare reports and recommendations.
• Respond to requests and inquiries from students, District staff, and the public.
• Use sound judgment in recognizing scope of authority.
• Adapt to changing technologies and learn functionality of new equipment and systems.
• Plan and organize work to meet changing priorities and deadlines.
• Perform basic record keeping functions.
• Utilize office procedures, methods, and equipment, including computers, technology, and applicable software applications sufficiently to perform the duties of the classification.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.
• Follow oral and written directions.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Provide onboarding support, general work training, guidance, supervision assistance, and direct activities of students or temporary employees.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Work independently and collaboratively.
• Apply District policies and procedures.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment:

Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting. Position may be required to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, nights, and weekends.

Physical:

Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination, including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.

Vision:

See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and to operate assigned equipment.

Hearing:

Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.

Supplemental Information

WHY SIERRA?

• One of Aspen Institute's Top 150 Community Colleges in the nation
• The Accrediting Commission recognized Sierra 'for its exemplary practice of providing personnel with opportunities for continued professional development in order to meet its mission.' This includes providing students and employees with a robust set of programs, events, and conferences related to equity-mindedness and supporting the success of our students, etc.
• Public Employee's Retirement System (PERS)
• 18 paid holidays (including extended time off during the winter break)
• 12 accrued paid vacation days per year (vacation accrual increases over time)
• Competitive benefits package
• Flexible work schedules may be available
• Currently during summers, some employee groups participate in 4x10 schedules
• Qualifying Employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (in most cases)

Sierra College is a Community College located near Sacramento, California where a heavy emphasis is placed on academic excellence and student success. Since its founding in 1936, Sierra College has focused on quality instruction and meeting the evolving needs of the students and communities that it serves. The Sierra Community College District covers more than 3,200 square miles and serves the Northern California foothill counties of Placer and Nevada, as well as parts of El Dorado and Sacramento. We serve over 17,000 students throughout the region in both on-ground and online courses, including students at our main Rocklin Campus as well as at two centers located in Grass Valley and Tahoe/Truckee. Our District prides itself on academic excellence.

Sierra College has a strong commitment to the achievement of equity and inclusion among its faculty, staff, and students and values the rich, diverse backgrounds that make up the campus community. A strong candidate for this position must demonstrate a profound understanding of and experience with successfully supporting individuals with varying backgrounds. This includes persons with disabilities, various gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as individuals from historically underrepresented communities and other groups. Our District is committed to providing strategies for success and proactive student-centered practices and policies focused on eliminating equity gaps to ensure the District provides an inclusive educational and employment environment focused on strategies for success and equitable outcomes for all.

As an institution, Sierra College is committed to eliminating the equity gap in all student populations with dynamic, learner-centered practices and policies that fully engage the college community. The ideal candidate will share the College's commitment to helping its racially and socioeconomically diverse students succeed in their degree and career objectives. Currently, Sierra College enrolls 17,800 students per term, where approximately: 23% of Sierra College's students are Latin(o)(a)(x)(e), 3% are African-American/Black, 2% are Filipino, 6% are Asian, 1% are American Indian/Alaskan Native, 8% are Multiethnic and 55% are White.

The successful candidate will join a College dedicated to the use of culturally responsive strategies and methods that meet the varying needs of our students, faculty, staff, and surrounding community. Sierra College demonstrates its commitment to equity by supporting ongoing professional development for students, faculty, and staff. These opportunities include trainings and workshops on equity and inclusion, active Academic Senate standing committees concerned with student success and equity, a Presidential Equity Advisory Committee (PEAC), culturally responsive student engagement centers, support for our undocumented and AB540 students, campus-wide equity summits, a robust set of programs, events, and conferences related to equity-mindedness and supporting the success of our diverse students.