Specialist, Pre-College Program Resource

Description

Please Note: An applicant may redact any information on an unofficial transcript that reveals years of attendance, date of graduation, or age.

Please Note: Pueblo Community College is not able to provide sponsorship for applicants who do not currently have the legal right to work in the United States or require transfer of a Visa.

NOTE: Must be a resident of the State of Colorado or able to relocate to Colorado prior to first date of employment.

Pueblo Community College Statement:

Pueblo Community College embraces continuous improvement and has adopted it as its culture and as a necessary part of every job. Our job descriptions incorporate and utilize the principles and tools of continuous improvement found in the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Open Pathways model. The Open Pathways is unique in that its improvement component, the Quality Initiative, affords institutions the opportunity to pursue improvement projects that meet their current needs and aspirations.

The list of functions on this job description is not exhaustive and other functions may be added at the discretion of Pueblo Community College or the employee's supervisor. Permanently added tasks shall be reviewed by Human Resources for appropriate position classification and compensation.

This document is not intended to exclude an opportunity for modifications consistent with providing reasonable accommodation.

Department Purpose

Pre-College Programs is an auxiliary department that provides alternative programs to include Adult Basic Education and Gateway to College Programs. Pre-College Programs serve at-risk high school students, non-graduates, and former offenders and offer adult education, pre-college, and college pathways for these students.

Position Summary

The Pre-College Program Resource Specialist provides recruitment, direct support services, and retention efforts to students enrolled in Gateway to College. The Specialist serves as a part of the Pre-College Program team, which includes support of program needs, data input, coordinating and facilitating group information sessions, designs and delivers workshops, small training sessions, and instruction of classes for student success.

This position has been identified as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) in accordance with Department of Education guidelines. As a CSA, the incumbent is required to report crimes that they become aware of to the Department of Public Safety and must attend related annual training.

In accordance with Colorado Revised Statutes 24-50-135, this position has been exempted from the State Personnel System.

Job Duties

Essential Functions

* Initiates individual weekly advising meetings for all new and continuing Gateway to College students within assigned cohort.
* Provides academic advising services to maximize persistence of students in their chosen program with creation of individualized career and academic (ICAP) plans, portfolios, and college curriculum plans to ensure high school graduation, guided pathway curriculum, post-secondary completion career plans, and direct referrals for support services.
* Advises and informs parents/guardians and students during semester student progress check-ins, program requirements, student's academic goals while evaluating student's academic history, college ready assessments (Accuplacer), and academic progress via transcripts on a continual semester proactive basis.
* Helps students and their families develop academic goals.
* Evaluates student academic history and education, including transcript evaluation. Introduces students to Academic Programs available throughout the college to assist with degree declaration and provides students with in-depth career exploration.
* Serves as liaison to academic divisions, departments and faculty, including but not limited to, establishing faculty/student relationships with their chosen careers.
* Provides holistic support for students experiencing family, personal, or economic crises, which may affect school performance.
* Facilitates access and completes referrals to needed counseling services, support networks, community health, or housing services.
* Coordinates with a variety of community social service agencies to provide supplemental family needs and addresses individual student progress and/or needs.
* Collaborates with faculty, department chair, and student support departments to resolve student issues relating to academic performance based on professional knowledge and expertise, prepares and implements intervention plans to work with students by connecting them with support agencies (internally and externally) and other resources to improve academic performance and support the social-cognitive needs of students.
* Contacts students and their parents/guardians, creating a re-engagement course of action plan, and tracking the plan results in the Navigate campaign Alert System.
* Monitors, responds to, and tracks student's daily attendance and academic performance during weekly individual advising meetings, in addition to regular contact with professors.
* Develops intrusive advising strategies to keep students in class, engaged and connected.
* Establishes, coordinates, and maintains contact with area high schools, colleges, and community partners building strong, positive working relationships and partnerships to effectively provide intentional and smooth transitional options for students that need an alternative environment.
* Collaborates with school counselors and other educational entities, as well as judicial truancy programs (officers, advocates, and lawyers), to provide information sessions for individual or group.
* Interfaces with school districts and community support agencies to determine how to best support the needs of the participants and the program partners.
* Work with department to assist with all aspects of application process, which includes orientation, interview, credit evaluation, selection of qualified participant, semester to semester course enrollment, confirmation of graduate and facilitation to transition to college or career.
* Provide positive, learning environment in the classroom to generally academically underprepared students with the overall outcome to deliver program synchronized curriculum supplemented with current events.
* Ability to be flexible with curriculum according to classroom dynamics as well as develop content when necessary.
* Initiates and prepares accurate accounting records for all expenditures required from student learning or incentive activities provided to Gateway to College students and ensures that guidelines outlined by CCCS and PCC are strictly followed.
* Maintains accurate case notes, utilizes report, tracking and various assessments to determine decisions.
* Maintains statistical information that gets transferred from raw to analytical summary information for stakeholders.

Additional Functions

* Works independently with little supervision or as part of a team.
* Communicates effectively with students, colleagues, and others.
* Interacts professionally and respectfully with students, colleagues, and others.
* Assesses individual and department work processes and recommends improvements.
* Complies with State Fiscal Rules, State Board policies, System and College protocols, and departmental procedures.
* Obtains and maintains proficiency with required systems and equipment.
* Maintains confidentiality of student and employee information as required.
* Completes all required compliance training within the established timeline.
* Serves on committees and other groups as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

* Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in education, counseling, or a related field.

Licenses or Certificates:

* Valid state driver's license during period of employment.

Experience:

* Two or more years of academic advising, career counseling, or managing "at-risk" youth academic programs.
* Two or more years teaching in secondary of higher education.
* Experience working with diverse, at-risk populations.

Special knowledge, skills, and abilities:

* Knowledge of laws, accreditation standards, and best practices pertaining to second-chance academic programs.
* Proficient with Microsoft Office; working knowledge of Ellucian Banner.