Assistant Dean-First Year and Experience

ASSISTANT DEAN - FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE AND TRANSITION

OLIVE-HARVEY COLLEGE

Assistant Dean-First Year Experience and Transition is responsible for planning, operations, and assessment of Olive-Harvey College’s incoming student initiatives with particular attention to the unique needs of Early College/Middle College High School, Adult Education, traditional and non-traditional populations.

The Assistant Dean position is also responsible for developing and implementing matriculation efforts that support students’ preparedness for post-secondary success. The Assistant Dean of First Year Experience and Transition will serve as a member of the Olive-Harvey College administrative team, with additional duties as assigned. Performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

·         Collaborates with College leadership to establish priorities and lead efforts to improve first year student persistence specific to unique populations.

·         Projects first year enrollment, assesses associated support needs, and prepares budgets accordingly.

·         Collaborates with admissions, advising, and student support services to develop and implement enrollment and matriculation processes and plans for all first-year students. Contributes to New Student Orientation and First Year Experience sessions.

·         Designs and implements first year experience programming, including first year seminars inclusive of co-curricular events and college success efforts.

·         Facilitates the integration of first year students to the college community by organizing/coordinating events designed to create a foundation for developing community with other students, including but not limited to, convocation, first year reading, activity hours, and community service.

·         Oversees recruitment, selection, evaluation, and training of first year experience mentors. Delivers professional development sessions for staff.

·         With faculty, develops and implements summer bridge courses and programs to support new (Early College, Adult Education, high school, traditional, non-traditional, developmental, etc.) students’ transition to college.

·         Responsible for data, reporting, and analysis, in conjunction with institutional and organizational resources, for all related first year activities. 

·         Develops and implements equity initiatives in support of on-going institutional efforts.

·         Works closely with college partners to create and offer comprehensive introductory programming.

·         Promotes Scholarship programs.

·         Create a student transition model.

·         Engages current students and recent alumni to serve as ambassadors to their high school and peer communities.

·         Develops and implements outreach plan to employers to provide academic pursuit opportunities to workforce.

·         Facilitates prior learning assessment (PLA) review to convert work experience into educational credit, as appropriate.

·         Recognizes and recommends solutions for removal of barriers.

·         Maintains a high degree of visibility and availability to students, faculty, and staff.

·         Manages complex and sensitive issues with compassion and confidentiality.

·         Creates and implements enrollment, matriculation, and transition plans specific to target populations.

EARLY COLLEGE & MIDDLE COLLEGE

·         Oversees and manages the operations and activities of the Early College Program, including Olive-Harvey Middle College (high school). Assists with admissions and enrollment for Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment. Leads the onboarding of Early College students.

·         Works with College Recruiters to advertise opportunities of current high school students.

·         Communicates with high school administrators, high school students, and their parents/guardians to advance and support first year programs and matriculation.

·         Collaborates with Chicago Public Schools and City Colleges of Chicago to facilitate credit articulation and matriculation agreements for CTE high school students.

ADULT EDUCATION

·         Conducts community outreach to support growth and expansion of first year students transition to credit.

·         Collaborates with Adult Education Department to create an experience for both High School Equivalency (HSE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) students promoting transition to credit course enrollment.

·         Manages faculty liaisons who provide mentoring for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Middle College teachers.

·         Provides training and professional development for faculty liaisons and CPS teachers, as appropriate.

·         Maintains a high degree of visibility and availability to students, faculty, and staff.

·         Manages complex and sensitive issues with compassion and confidentiality.

·         Serves on institutional and specialized committee.

·         Performs related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

·         Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university required

·         Three to five years of work experience as a high school or college administrator, program chair, faculty member, or related program management and/or initiative development and implementation experience

·         Bilingual (Spanish) desired

·         Demonstrated supervisory, administrative, and leadership skills.

·         Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of planning, program development, evaluation, and budgeting, preferably in a community college setting.

·         Demonstrated experience with recruiting, orientation, and in person presentations to high school students and parents and/or non-traditional student populations.

·         Self-starter with the ability to conduct multiple projects concurrently, both independently and as a member of a collaborative team, with the ability to assess current operations in an effort to innovatively improve the future goals of the District.

·         Proven organizational skills and supervisory ability.

·         Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.

·         Ability to build trusting, long-term relationships and networks with stakeholders at all levels including district office, high-school partners, communities, students, etc.

·         Ability to work with and relate to a culturally diverse student body and staff.

·         Ability to work maintain an environment that fosters excellence in customer service.

·         Ability to handle all situations with tact and diplomacy.

·         Ability to work evenings and some weekends.

·         Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)