Position: Director, Higher Education Opportunity Program

Status: Full-time, 12-month, Exempt

Department: Center for Academic and Career Success

Reports to: Dean of Students

Salary: $65,000.00

Description:

The Center for Academic and Career Success at Paul Smith’s College seeks to assist students in achieving their academic and career goals by offering an integrated suite of support services. From First-Year through degree completion, our programs and services help students transition to college, succeed academically, and develop the skills needed to excel in their chosen career field. The HEOP Director works collaboratively with other professional staff and faculty from across campus to coordinate the Higher Education Opportunity Program, which serves New York State residents from lower income households requiring academic assistance.

General Duties and Responsibilities:

• Utilize and maintain administrative support for essential online systems that are key to program or service management and reporting.

• Manage program or service design and availability.

• Evaluate student’s eligibility and need for utilizing services and programs.

• Develop and nurture stakeholder relationships with Faculty, Staff, Students, Parents, and External Constituents.

• Train student employees and professional staff or faculty responsible for providing related services.

• Maintain program and service data and report on program and service usage and outcomes.

• Represent the Center for Academic and Career Success on relevant committees or organizations.

• Assist with student support events including Open House, Student Orientation, and Welcome Week.

• Update and maintain designated HEOP program and service intranet and internet pages.

• Other related duties as assigned by the Dean of Students.

Position Specific Duties:

• Collaborate with Dean of Students and VP for Enrollment Management to provide organizational oversight for the evaluation of eligibility and recruitment of students in the Higher Education Opportunity Program.

• Plan and administer the HEOP academic year curriculum and summer program in alignment with the requirements of the grant agreement.

• Complete and submit reports and proposals to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) as stipulated in the HEOP grant.

• Serve as the primary manager of the Paul Smith’s College HEOP grant.

• Prepare and administer the HEOP budget: Including authorization of program expenditures and supervision of student accounts.

• Coordinate financial aid for HEOP students with the Director of Financial Aid.

• Provide one-on-one student advising to promote student success and degree completion.

• Maintain data records and conduct ongoing program evaluation and assessment as required by NYSED and the HEOP Assessment Plan. This includes, but is not limited to: Effectiveness in the areas of recruitment, contact, achievement, retention, and graduation rates.

• Provide supervision of HEOP professional staff.

Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in Education or related fields (counseling, college student personnel administration, higher education, social work, etc.).

• 3 + years of prior experience in higher education working within the designated program or service area of the position.

• Strong computer skills and ability to use varied online databases and current Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Publisher, Access, OneNote).

• Ability to work with a broad range of diverse individuals and groups to form a safe and inclusive workplace.

• Ability to work with detail and accuracy, maintain data, and create effective reports.

• Ability to understand and utilize data and statistics.

• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively.

• Excellent communication and organization skills.

• Ability to promote the College’s academic and career support services to the campus community.

• Highly developed customer service skills.

• Ability to work some weekends or evenings as needed.

Preferred:

• 5+ years of previous experience in a higher education setting working with at risk or underprepared students in either student affairs, academic, or career support.

• Computer and software expertise, including expertise in database creation and manipulation; advanced applications and reporting features for Microsoft Office; and knowledge of on-line web-based applications.

Paul Smith’s College values diversity in the College community and seeks to assure equal opportunity through its continued Affirmative Action program. EOE/AA/M/F/D/V