Title: Program Student Support Specialist, Categorical, (Two (2) or More Positions) - Bilingual Preferred (Spanish)

Job Category: CSEA

Job Opening Date: April 26, 2024

Job Closing Date: May 17, 2024

Location: Saddleback College

Work Location: Mission Viejo

Department: Office of Student Success

Pay Grade, for more information click on this link: 

https://www.socccd.edu/departments/human-resources/contracts-and-salary-schedules

Pay Rate Type: Monthly

Work Days: Monday - Friday

Work Hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Schedule and Shift are subject to change in accordance with the department needs.)

Hours Per Week: 40

Percentage of Employment: 100%

Months of Employment: 12 Months

Salary: Starting at $6,254 per month, plus 2% bilingual stipend (if applicable)

Required Documents:

Resume and Cover Letter - Optional Documents: Unofficial Transcripts

Job Description:

C.S.E.A. Classified Bargaining Unit Salary Range 131

Application materials must be received by 11:59 pm 05/16/2024

Required Documents: Resume and Cover Letter

Optional Documents: Unofficial Transcripts

Applications missing the required documents will not be considered.

This position is categorically funded. Employment in this position is contingent upon funding by:

Position # 1 - SEAP (Student Equity and Achievement Program)

Position # 2 - HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institution)

Bilingual Preferred:

Please note, the ability to regularly and routinely speak, read, and write in Spanish is preferred.

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Under direction from assigned supervisory or management staff, performs a variety of highly responsible and specialized duties including assisting with the coordination, planning and implementation of program activities and disseminating program information to students; recruit and interview students to form program cohort; track and monitor students in the program through regular contact; provide support to program cohort students such as referral to academic support and academic counseling; coordinate with college administration, faculty, counselors, outreach, and other program partners; ensure 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.

• Perform a variety of specialized duties in support of the program; assist with the coordination, planning and implementation of program; recruit and support students for assigned program.
• Attend staff meetings, conferences, seminars and trainings to maintain current knowledge of regulations and district policies.
• Inform and assist students with the application process for other related activities such as internships, community service, and scholarships.
• Assist with tracking, monitoring and interviewing of students in the program, particularly with those students requiring academic support to succeed.  Provide tutorial referrals to students to aid in retention and course completion, refer students to academic counselors for creation of and/or updating of Student Education Plans.
• Engage frequently with an assigned cohort of program students to ensure they are aware of and utilizing appropriate academic services; assist with problem-solving; partner with Student Services to provide support to all participants in the program including, but not limited to, developing successful study habits, communicating and working individually with faculty, attaining work experience, transfer preparation, Financial Aid assistance, refer to on- and off-campus services as needed.
• Meet regularly with faculty in the cohort to discuss curriculum, individual students, and enrichment programming.  Assist faculty and program partners to deliver high-quality and engaging program orientations in order to build cohort community. Assist program management with administrative tasks and coordination of meetings, conferences and other program related duties.
• In collaboration with other staff members, maintain detailed tracking records of students’ progress, including grades, GPA, internship availability, etc. and share with necessary faculty and program partners; update student files as necessary.
• Monitor class sessions to understand general course content, gauge student engagement and liaise with program tutors and project director as necessary.  Coordinate tutoring sessions and keep tutor notified of current concepts covered in class and specific individuals needing additional assistance.
• In collaboration with other staff members, plan and facilitate other enrichment opportunities including field trips, graduations, career panels, speaker series, bridging events, etc.
• In collaboration with other College departments, assist management, supervisory staff, faculty, and administrative leaders in coordinating and providing off-campus outreach and educational activities; participate in community events and education activities; prepare presentations and distribute related material, including fliers, applications, etc.
• Perform a full range of highly responsible and specialized duties related to participating in the planning, development, organization, coordination, and implementation of the operations and activities of the assigned program; identify and schedule all assigned projects, collaborate with other College departments on outreach opportunities and advertising sites; maintain calendar of activities related to area of assignment.
• Assist in developing relationships within K-12 school districts and community entities from which to recruit potential students.  Provide basic educational information to K-12 students and partners, community members, and other potential new students; make oral presentations to students, parents, counselors, and professional colleagues at various gatherings.  Provide specialized information regarding assigned programs and related student services.  Answer questions and provide information concerning the program expectations for both academic achievement and personal goals.
• Partner with the College webmaster and assist with updating the website for program area as necessary.
• Communicate with District and College administrators and support personnel, representatives of state and federal agencies, educational institutions, non-profit partner organizations, social service organizations, counselors, and others as necessary.
• Participate in the development and implementation of a program cohort tracking program; prepare statistics and monthly reports of program activities.  Prepare, maintain, collect, compile, and maintain statistical information and other data related to program, and cohort participants.
• Prepare recommendations and justifications regarding budget requests; initiate expenditures according to District policies and applicable regulations.
• Perform 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:

• Basic public information, public speaking, community relations, and marketing principles and practices.
• Principles and procedures used in outreach efforts.
• Student recruitment and retention strategies and techniques.
• Methods and techniques used in conducting promotional and information sessions for current and prospective students.
• Paraprofessional guidance techniques used to assist students.
• Operational characteristics, services, and activities of the functions, programs, and operations of the assigned program area.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Confidentiality requirements when dealing with personal and sensitive student information.
• Principles, practices and procedures of fiscal, statistical, and administrative research and report preparation.
• Statistical procedures and mathematical concepts.
• 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.
• Diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, email, and databases.
• Work organization principles and practices.
• Interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy.
• Principles and practices of providing training, work direction, and guidance to lower-level office staff and student workers.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary.

Ability to:

• Understand the organization and operation of the assigned program area as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
• Understand, interpret, and apply administrative and office policies and procedures as well as pertinent laws, regulations, and ordinances.
• Perform responsible and difficult specialized duties involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative.
• Participate in planning, developing, organizing, coordinating, implementing, directing, and evaluating comprehensive outreach programs for assigned program.
• Assist in developing, implementing, and evaluating public relations and marketing goals, objectives, policies, and procedures related to outreach.
• Maintain current knowledge of Student Services programs for a community college.
• 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.
• Work effectively with others to achieve common goals including student recruitment and retention.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, and project consequences of proposed actions and implement recommendations.
• Collect, compile, and analyze detailed data related to assigned functions.
• Prepare oral and written reports and recommendations.
• Perform responsible and difficult programmatic and administrative duties involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative.
• Respond to requests and inquiries from students, staff, and the public including regarding the interpretation of procedures and policies; effectively present information in person or on the telephone to students, staff, or the public.
• Implement and maintain filing and record-keeping systems.
• Exercise good judgment and maintain confidentiality in maintaining critical and sensitive information, records, and reports.
• Independently compose and prepare correspondence and memoranda.
• Plan and organize work to meet schedules and changing deadlines.
• Establish goals and timetables to meet program needs.
• Work within the policies, functions, and requirements of area of assignment.
• 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.
• Demonstrate interpersonal skills while using tact, patience and courtesy.
• Work with and exhibit sensitivity to and understanding of the varied racial, ethnic, cultural, sexual orientation, academic, socio-economic, and disabled populations of community college students.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Assess academic difficulties and develop appropriate remedies.
• Evaluate and assess effectiveness of student support intervention.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Use sound judgment in recognizing scope of authority.
• Work under steady pressure with frequent interruptions and a high degree of public contact by phone or in person.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education/Training:

Equivalent of Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in sciences, social sciences, liberal studies, communications, education, counseling, or a closely related field.

Experience:

Five years of increasingly responsible administrative and programmatic experience including three years of responsible student services, case management, outreach, or other directly related work experience, preferably in an institution of higher education, including experience in a lead or supervisory capacity.

LICENSE OR CERTIFICATE

A valid California driver’s license and proof of insurability is required to drive a District or personal vehicle to other locations, such as local high schools, to conduct work.

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 high schools 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. At least minimal environmental controls are in place to assure health and comfort.

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.

Hearing:

Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.

SPECIAL COVID-19 NOTICE:

Interviews may be held in-person (following all necessary precautions) or in a virtual format. Employees must reside in California while employed with the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD), even during remote work. Thank you for your continued interest in working at the SOCCCD.

The SOCCCD is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the communities it serves. More information can be found on our District website by visiting https://www.socccd.edu/communications/covid-19-information.

NOTICE TO ALL CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT:

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Public Law 99-603, requires that employers obtain documentation from every new employee which authorizes that individual to accept employment in this country. SOCCCD will not sponsor any visa applications.

PLEASE NOTE:

A California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) retiree may not accept employment until after the first 180 days of retirement. Anyone retired from CalPERS accepting permanent employment with this District will be required to reinstate as an active CalPERS member. Please contact CalPERS for additional information regarding your retirement status.

Any active vested member of California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), who accepts employment with the District to perform service that requires membership in CalPERS, is eligible to elect to continue retirement system coverage under CalSTRS

DISABILITY ACCOMODATIONS:

If you require special accommodations in the application and/or selection process, please notify District Human Resources at least two (2) business days prior to the Job Close Date/Initial Screening Date, by either calling (949) 582-4850 or sending an e-mail to hrinfodesk@socccd.edu.

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT:

Report to work on a regular and consistent basis, as scheduled, to assigned job.

CAMPUS CRIME AND SAFETY AWARENESS:

Information regarding campus crime and safety awareness can be found at www.saddleback.edu or www.ivc.edu. Paper copies are available in the District Human Resources office upon request.

• EEO/AA Policy

  DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO):

  The South Orange County Community College District is committed to creating an academic and work environment that fosters diversity, equity and inclusion and equal opportunity for all, and ensures that students, faculty, management and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome, included, supported, and safe. Our culture of belonging, openness, and inclusion, makes our district a unique and special place for individuals of all backgrounds.

  Our District and our colleges are looking for equity and inclusion-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to the understanding of diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present within our community. When you join our District, you can expect to be part of an exciting, thriving, equity-focused, and inclusive community that approaches higher education with the lens of social justice and collaboration among students, faculty, staff, administration, and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position with our District, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our District’s mission and goals for EEO, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

  SOCCCD IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER