STARS Program Director
- Employer
- University of Washington
- Location
- Washington, United States
- Salary
- Salary Not specified
- Date posted
- Sep 10, 2020
View more
- Position Type
- Administrative, Student Affairs, Academic Advising & Academic Support Services, Minority & Multicultural Affairs
- Employment Level
- Administrative
- Employment Type
- Full Time
The College of Engineering has an outstanding
opportunity for a Director of the STARS
Program.
The Director of the STARS Program provides overall day-to-day
management of the program. This is a team leadership role that is
outcome-driven in maintaining retention initiatives that support
students from economically and educationally disadvantaged
backgrounds to receive BS degrees in Engineering and Computer
Science.
This position manages and mentors a full-time staff of six. As part
of a holistic model for student success, this position coordinates
activities and provides resources for staff on how to work with,
support, advise and retain STARS students. Reporting to the STARS
Faculty Director, the STARS Director ensures that all operational,
administrative, marketing, recruitment, outreach and financial
activities of the STARS program are operating at their highest
capacity, and that the program maintains or increases current
retention and graduation rates. This position requires a high level
of personal initiative, strengths in problem solving, the ability
to operate with minimal supervision and monitoring, and the ability
to handle sensitive and confidential material. The Director
is responsible for establishing project timelines and exercises
sound judgment regarding content to deliver to the students in the
program. The Director must stay abreast on literature
regarding success strategies for at-risk college students in
engineering fields.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Management, Coordination, & Evaluation
• Along with STARS Faculty Director and STARS Executive Director,
participates in short and long-range planning including developing
goals, objectives and implementing retention best practices for
STARS.
• Works closely with STARS Operations Manager to ensure program
operations are aligned with student development outcomes.
• Serves as point of contact for day-to-day program
activities.
• Stays up to date on the latest educational literature regarding
student success and uses this information to provide leadership in
identifying and implementing changes around curriculum content and
student academic performance trends.
• Works closely with STARS math and science instructors and tutors
in the overall design and implementation of the STARS curriculum
including establishing course policies about absences and
information to be included in the common syllabus for all STARS
courses and workshops.
• With a sense of immediacy, regularly engages with math and
science instructors and tutor leads in sharing student development
best practices to determine what is working and what alternatives
and refinements are needed to current practices (for individual
students, each cohort, and the overall program).
• Regularly collaborates with and represents STARS across campus in
the realm of academic and student affairs to effectively and
intensively support STARS students in their success.
• Works closely with CoE advising staff to stay up to date on CoE
policies and procedures, especially in terms of admissions and
department placement. When needed, effectively advocates on behalf
of students and the program.
• Works closely with STARS advisor in filling student engagement
requests from the Faculty Director and Executive Director in
meeting the program’s fundraising needs.
• Guides and works with operations manager in collecting and
regularly updating data and in responding to data requests in a
timely manner; analyzes data in support of programmatic
decision-making.
Operations
• Provides operational direction and day-to-day oversight to the
College of Engineering STARS program in partnership with the
Faculty Director.
• Implements long and short-term planning and monitoring with
measurable objectives for overall delivery of programs, events and
activities to maintain or improve quality.
• Tracks and reports on student program participation and academic
performance.
• Provides leadership, supervision and development of the STARS
team; leads the annual work planning process for all STARS
staff.
• Works closely with STARS advisor on course availability,
registration and registration procedures, including registering
students. Assists the STARS advisor in ensuring the STARS
curriculum remains in alignment with prerequisite course
requirements for all Engineering and Computer Science majors.
• Works collaboratively with the Engineering Academic Center and
math and science departments to ensure STARS students can gain
priority registration into select courses.
• Develops and implements STARS students’ administrative policies,
procedures and handbook in accordance with university and FERPA
policies and procedures.
• Oversees and analyzes student feedback and satisfaction based on
annual evaluation report, balancing the demands of policies and
procedures of UW, the CoE, program and student needs.
Administration
• Develops business practices and organizational change needed to
fully operate the program and improve processes and workflow.
• In collaboration with the STARS operations manager, develops,
manages, evaluates and implements multi-dimensional admission
outreach and recruitment strategies and processes, with an eye
towards how this process and admissions materials can regularly be
improved. Conducts interviews, determines student admissibility,
and communicates admission or denial to STARS.
• Works collaboratively with CoE outreach staff and targeted
college prep organizations such as OMAD, GEAR-UP, MESA, Upward
Bound and others for recruitment purposes.
• Represents the STARS program to constituents such as Washington
State Opportunity Scholarship, high school counselors and
others.
• Along with the CoE HR Team and the STARS operations manager,
leads staffing searches for STARS personnel vacancies.
• Alongside the STARS operations manager, assures excellence in
marketing; develops marketing materials, press releases and
communication materials for STARS, including updating the
website.
• Provides input on and oversees the collection of data; uses data
to effectively inform decisions; prepares communications, reports,
and website materials, and leads writing of the STARS Annual
Report.
• Provides strategic insight into planning, implementing, and
refining the STARS organizational structure as it grows and
develops.
• Implements, communicates and enforces STARS, CoE and UW policies,
processes and procedures.
• Collaborates with colleagues in DEI and across campus on related
diversity and student services committees and initiatives.
Supervision
• Effectively and regularly sets goals and priorities for
individual staff and the entire STARS team, ensuring they work
together to enhance and bolster student development and success,
increase retention and minimize and manage crisis situations.
• Holds individual weekly or bi-weekly meetings with each
staff member. When possible or necessary attends instructors’
bi-weekly meetings.
• Recruits, hires, trains, and leads STARS staff, including
collaborating with the team to cultivate the values of the program
and support efficiencies in program operations. Works closely
with operations manager in onboarding and off-boarding staff.
• Works with individuals and the team to set goals, providing
feedback and coaching and fostering professional growth and
development; conducts performance evaluations; and as needed,
constructively addresses employee performance deficiencies on a
timely basis consistent with applicable policies.
Advising Strategy and Collaboration
•Provides insight and guidance to the STARS advisor in the
intensive practice of Holistic, Intrusive and Culturally Responsive
Advising
• Assist the STARS advisor on the design and development of the
STARS seminar which is designed to effectively assist in study
skills development, promote a sense of belonging and inclusiveness
and create a welcoming learning environment.
• Leads the process and collaborates with the advisor as well as
instructors and TAs to monitor student academic performance and
guides the team in developing and applying effective and timely
strategies to assist in removing barriers to success for students,
from admission through completion of the engineering math and
science prerequisites.
• Works closely with the STARS team to assist in student crisis
management, including but not limited to: one-on-one conversations,
partnering with the UW’s resources (Counseling Center, SafeCampus,
Title IX Office), and with other CoE resources (HR Team, Advising
Team), etc.
•Collaborates effectively with various campus constituents on
development, planning, coordination and delivery of advising and
counseling services and new student orientation; especially in
identifying academic or personal challenges that students may face
and planning and implementing advising/counseling support.
• Work closely with the STARS Faculty Director on department
placement and ensures smooth transition of students into
Engineering and Computer Science departments.
• Collaborates/consults with STARS advisor in the design,
development and implementation of the STARS Bridge Program and any
other program activities.
• On an as needed basis, takes on a small caseload of students
(8-10); typically, these are students who need some additional
assistance.
• Works closely with the advisor in effectively and quickly
responding to crisis situations (the STARS emergency phone is
rotated between the advisor and the director).
• The Director will fill in when necessary in the absence of the
advisor.
Financial Management
• Assists the STARS operations manager in ensuring integrity of all
financial transactions and compliance with policies and regulations
concerning the program’s budget activities; follows UW policies and
procedures as well as NSF project guidelines as needed.
• Assists in prioritizing initiatives or programs in line with the
program's financial goals.
• Supports STARS grant/gift development team with framing brand
messaging to key external stakeholders, grantors and
community, and serves on STARS fundraising event committees as
appropriate.
Core Competencies
Effective communications: Expresses oneself clearly and
empathetically in interactions with others in all forms of
communication, i.e., verbal and written, one-on-one and
groups.
Interpersonal Awareness: Builds and maintains positive
relationships and actively contributes as a member of the
team.
Professional Credibility: Takes responsibility for
meeting goals, objectives, obligations, and solving problems while
representing the mission, vision and values of the
organization.
Critical Thinking: Obtains, analyzes and evaluates
information effectively in the face of ambiguity. Makes
appropriate decisions based on relevant information and
experience.
Ethics and Trust: Models and upholds the values of
candor, openness, inclusiveness and honesty despite internal and
external pressures. Acts consistently with Washington State
ethical guidelines and organizational core values and
beliefs.
Valuing Diversity & Inclusiveness: Respects, values
and contributes to the UW’s commitment to inclusiveness and
diversity.
REQUIREMENTS:
Strong candidates will have outstanding communication,
organizational, leadership, and crisis management skills; the
ability to develop and recommend short and long-range strategic
plans; a deep commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive
community; a collaborative nature and ability; and willingness to
build professional relationships with students, parents, faculty,
staff, and alumni.
• Master’s Degree in Education, Social Sciences, Human Services,
Engineering, or related field with preference for student
personnel, student affairs, higher education, educational
psychology, counseling, or related area or four years of relevant
experience/education
• Minimum 2 years of college advising experience. Must be able to
problem-solve and support/advise students in personal and/or
academic crisis.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a higher education setting,
preferably with STEM students and at a large research
institution.
• Sound judgment and leadership in crisis management.
• Excellent ability to think critically and innovatively about
measuring student academic progress and assisting students in
overcoming barriers to success.
• Demonstrated history of, comfort with, and passion for working
with diverse student populations, including, but not limited to,
first-generation students, students from low-income backgrounds,
underrepresented students and students with a spectrum of personal
and academic challenges.
• Demonstrated effective management experience, with at least 1
year of documented supervisory experience.
• Excellent written, oral, interpersonal communications and
rapport-building; demonstrated commitment to providing excellent
customer service.
• Experience juggling diverse and multiple projects or work
assignments that range in duration and time sensitivity while
having frequent interruptions and emergent priorities.
• Outstanding organizational skills, attention to detail, ability
to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to exercise independent
judgment aligned to program management, organizational goals, and
frequently changing priorities.
• Ability to exercise a high degree of responsibility and
independent judgment and to have availability to work a flexible
schedule, which can include some evenings and weekends. Must be
available for STARS Bridge program (longer hours, typically two
weeks before fall quarter begins).
• Ability to make and communicate difficult decisions in a clear
and effective manner, to use outstanding judgment, and set an
example for others to follow.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
Access).
The above list of primary tasks, functions, and responsibilities is
not exclusive or exhaustive and incumbent may be required to
undertake other duties as assigned as may occur within the changing
needs of the organization and scope of the position.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all
minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements,
such as a license/certification/registration.
DESIRED EXPERIENCE
• 1-2 years of experience with proactive or intrusive
advising.
• Experience working with STEM students in higher education
setting.
• Evidence of ability to be innovative in the workplace.
• Knowledge of University of Washington academic procedures,
policies and administrative systems (e.g., SDB, EARS, DARS, MyPlan,
etc.) comprehension of the distinctive qualities of the UW.
• Thorough understanding of student development theory and
practice; comprehension of the history and context of the
undergraduate experience, especially at large research
universities.
Get job alerts
Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.
Create alert