Multicultural Academic Success Specialist

Multicultural Academic Success Specialist- Category:
- Professional- Subscribe:
- Department:
- Student Success- Locations:
- Old Westbury, NY- Posted:
- Apr 16, 2024- Closes:
- Open Until Filled- Type:
- Full-time- Position ID:
- 174760**About SUNY Old Westbury**:
The State University of New York at Old Westbury is a dynamic and diverse public liberal arts college that fosters academic excellence through close interaction among students, faculty and staff. Old Westbury weaves the values of integrity, community engagement, and global citizenship into the fabric of its academic programs and campus life. In an environment that cultivates critical thinking, empathy, creativity and intercultural understanding, we endeavor to stimulate a passion for learning and a commitment to building a more just and sustainable world. The University is a community of students, teachers, staff, and alumni bound together in mutual support, respect, and dedication to the Mission.

Since its foundation in 1965, SUNY Old Westbury has been committed to social justice, diversity, and the empowerment of traditionally underserved populations. The University serves a large proportion of non-traditional students and has earned the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity magazine for six consecutive years.

The primary purpose of the position is to serve the academic support needs of the University's diverse student population. Assist in efforts to advance an inclusive and engaging learning environment for historically underrepresented students or new majority. Promote holistic student wellbeing and reduce existing equity gaps in retention and graduation rates and help foster positive outcomes for all students. Promote innovative ideas on how to reach and academically engage with underrepresented students. Participate in institutional inclusivity efforts and collaborate with faculty, administrators, and staff to create and maintain programs relevant to multicultural student access, retention, and graduation.

This is a full-time, twelve (12) month, two (2)-year, grant funded position.

Reporting to the Assistant Provost, the Multicultural Academic Success Specialist will:

- Plan, develop and implement multicultural student academic support activities and activities related to retention.
- Collaborate with staff and faculty to ensure students culturally transition to the Old Westbury campus community.
- Provide direct culturally appropriate support and build capacity within the university to support diverse student cohorts with professional development activities for staff and faculty on issues related to diverse and underrepresented populations.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of support provided to multicultural students by developing and maintaining activity reports for program evaluations.
- Collaborate with support services and community-based organizations to ensure communication and understanding and to promote campus awareness of multicultural student experiences, needs, and concerns.
- Review and share current research in higher education related to the access, retention, and persistence of diverse student cohorts.
- Provide workshops and professional development that support diverse student success.
- Train and supervise student assistants.
- Participate on campus committees as directed, attend Campus Open House and other campus events.
- Be available to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and occasional weekend hours in support of special projects and/or events.

**Requirements**:
**Minimum Qualifications**:

- A minimum of a Master's degree from an accredited university or college (foreign equivalent or higher).
- A minimum of three (3) years of full-time relevant and/or related work experience in higher education. Experience includes working with college students, staff and faculty of diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, including those with different levels of academic preparation and varying physical and/or learning abilities.
- Strong oral/written communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to lead, conduct meetings and manage multiple projects.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with various stakeholders throughout the campus.
- Strong presentation skills. Ability to train, advance and promote innovative ideas to faculty, student leaders, and staff to reach and academically engage historically underrepresented students or students of color and other underserved student populations, for a learning environment inclusive of equity, diversity, social justice, and inclusion relative to academic success.
- Knowledge of issues surrounding underrepresented communities on campus and how to address them relative academic student success, relative to retention and graduation.
- Acknowledge and address issues of multiculturalism, cross-cultural, intersections, racism, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, classism, religious opp