Student Engagement Specialist

Description

Under direction of the Director/Program Manager of the Student Engagement Centers (SEC), the Student Engagement Specialist (SES) performs a variety of responsible and specialized duties related to assisting with the planning, development, organization, coordination, and implementation of programs, services, operations, and activities that support diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice at Sierra College through the Cross Cultural Center, Pride Center, and Women & Gender Resource Center. The SES does so by facilitating cultural, gender, and LGBTQIA intersectional services in ways that contribute to the student success of equity populations from historically underserved and underrepresented communities, especially those with noted disparate impact, and by enhancing the educational experiences of Sierra College’s general population. In alignment with the mission and goals of the SEC, Student Equity and Engagement, Student Services, and Sierra College, the SES supports campus engagement and academic completion of student equity populations; provides administrative support of SEC information desks and supervises SEC student employees; and ensures compliance with District and College policies and applicable state and federal laws and regulations related to College functions.

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 SEC, namely the Cross-Cultural Center, Pride Center, and Women & Gender Resource Center; develops and implements appropriate methods and procedures to optimize efficient and effective delivery of identity-conscious and intersectional services to student equity and general populations.
2. Conducts surveys of student equity populations and stakeholders to determine specific interests/needs related to identity-conscious and intersectional services; creates instruments to collect information and feedback to improve communication, dissemination of information, and service to equity populations and stakeholders.
3. Provides support for the SEC room reservation system within the SEC, namely the Cross Cultural Center, Pride Center, and Women & Gender Resource Center information desks; schedules appointments for on- and off-campus meetings, conferences, and workshops;
4. Assists with Design, implementation, and oversight of the SEC Peer Leader program to assist with student engagement efforts; assists with writing program guidelines; assists with interviews, hiring, training, schedules, and evaluations of SEC Peer Leaders. Directs and coaches SEC Peer Leaders on co-curricular and leadership activities that directly contribute to cultural heritage, awareness, and history programming including Social Justice Week, People & Culture Days, Pride Days, African American History and Cultural Month, Indigenous Peoples Days, La Semana Latina, Love Your Body Week, Earth Days, and Asian Pacific Islander Days.
5. Plans and coordinates informational meetings, tabling, and other outreach initiatives targeted to prospective and current Sierra College students; prepares, installs, and takes down displays and tables for outreach and recruitment events.
6. Prepares event information materials; recruits Sierra College faculty and/or staff event volunteers; arranges for event speakers; assists with planning and implementation of SEC events.
7. Serves as liaison with other campus offices on a variety of issues and processes regarding marketing and advertising, student engagement program and services, and other related SEC issues.
8. Coordinates outreach efforts with relevant committees, departments, divisions, and other campus programs including Puente, Umoja, and International programs; prioritizes, coordinates, and oversees outreach program activities to meet timelines.
9. Proofreads and edits correspondence, marketing/advertising and other related materials; writes and/or collaborate on articles, letters, and other outreach-related correspondence and promotional materials.
10. May Chaperone SEC Peer Leaders and other students during travel to conferences, site visits, and other SEC sponsored professional and para-professional development activities.
11. Develops and maintains Master SEC Calendar.
12. Coordinates with appropriate departments on SEC website development, content, and other social media engagement strategies.
13. Identifies, recommends, and pursues opportunities that address student equity, campus climate, , especially in regards to student equity populations with noted disparate impact, namely including, but not limited to, African American/Black, Native American/Alaskan Native and former Foster Youth.
14. Prepares, develops, and presents recommendations regarding outreach, marketing, and student engagement efforts.
15. Responds to SEC inquiries in a courteous manner; provides information within the area of assignment; Resolves complaints in an efficient and timely manner.
16. Communicates with District and College administrators and support personnel, representatives of state and federal agencies, educational institutions, counselors, and others as directed to coordinate SEC programs and services.
17. Participate in the development and administration of SEC budgets; refers and monitors expenditures; recommends adjustments to Student Equity sub-division as necessary.
18. Schedules meetings, workshops, conferences, and other activities, including facilities and other arrangements; attends meetings and prepares recollections; composes correspondence; creates and maintains listings, labels, and forms; develops and maintains program files and filing systems; assembles data for records and reports.
19. Performs related duties as required.

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:

• Student development theories and practices including and not limited to student learning, identity development, ally training, intercultural competence, and organization behavior.
• Social justice and intersectionality theories and concepts 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.
• Methods and techniques used in conducting promotional and informational initiatives for prospective and current students from equity populations.
• Principles and procedures used to interview, , train, and schedule, student employees.
• Basic public information, public speaking, community relations, and marketing principles and practices.
• Basic research methods and techniques.
• Statistical procedures and mathematical concepts.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations including Title IX requirements.
• Principles, practices, and procedures of business letter writing and report preparation.
• Recordkeeping methods and procedures.
• Principles and practices used to establish and maintain files and information retrieval systems.
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.

Ability to:

• Work and advocate with an ethnically diverse and culturally pluralistic student body, faculty, and staff.
• Understand the organization and operation of the assigned program area as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
• Understand and apply administrative and office policies and procedures as well as pertinent laws, regulations, and ordinances.
• Participate in planning, developing, organizing, coordinating, implementing, directing, and evaluating comprehensive student engagement programs with student equity and general populations.
• Assist in developing, implementing, and evaluating public relations and marketing goals, objectives, policies, and procedures related to outreach.
• Participate in the preparation and administration of budgets for assigned program areas.
• Effectively work with faculty, staff, the general public, and the community to assess and respond to their needs.
• Recruit, select, hire, train, mentor, supervise and evaluate the performance of students.
• Collect, compile, and analyze detailed data related to assigned functions.
• Prepare oral and written reports and recommendations.
• Respond to requests and inquiries from students, staff, and the public.
• Implement and maintain filing and record-keeping systems.
• Plan and organize work to meet schedules and changing deadlines.
• Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
• Adapt to changing technologies and learn functionality of new equipment and systems.
• Use correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Works occasional nights and weekends as necessary.

Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. Examples of ways to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• Education/Training: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with course work in Student Affairs, Educational Administration and Leadership, Ethnic/Gender Studies, or a closely related field and may be substituted for two years of related experience.

• Experience: Two years of increasingly responsible administrative and programmatic experience including experience advancing diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice or other directly related work experience, preferably in an institution of higher education. Demonstrated understanding of and sensitivity to cultural, gender, and LGBTQIA issues. Past experience in social identity based center work reflective of the Cross Cultural Center, Pride Center, and Women & Gender Resource Center is preferred.

• License or Certificate: Possession of a valid California driver’s license

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 with occasional field trips, including those to local community events and to attend meetings. Duties are typically performed at a desk or computer terminal; subject to noise from office equipment operation; frequent interruptions and contact in person and on the telephone with students, academic and classified staff, and others.

• 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.