Academic Counselor - Upward Bound

Suffolk University is a private, urban university located in the heart of downtown Boston. Our college green is the Boston Common and we are steps from dozens of historic sites including the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, City Hall and the Massachusetts State House. We have no real boundaries to our campus—Boston and Suffolk blend together.

Suffolk has been committed to creating an exceptional learning experience since 1906. Our vision is to be recognized as a dynamic institution that fosters engaged learning, rigorous scholarship, innovative thinking, and community collaboration across disciplines. We will ensure that Suffolk graduates are versatile and prepared for modern society and the new world market. We will provide rich curricula, experiential learning opportunities and professional mentoring through increased collaboration with alumni and community partners. We will recruit, mentor, and support a diverse faculty of teacher-scholars who are passionately committed to preparing our students to be leaders in the global community. We will inspire investment in a Suffolk community that is built on ethical, forward-thinking leadership, teamwork, and cooperation.

We compete for the best talent. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse community. We are actively seeking applicants from groups that might be under-represented because of race/color, gender, religion, real or perceived disability, national origin or LGBTQ status. As part of our commitment we encourage you to complete the demographic portion of the application in addition to submitting your cover letter and resume/CV as it will assist us in targeting our recruitment efforts.

Please note that Suffolk University conducts background checks as a condition of employment.

We are also committed to the well-being of our employees. Our terrific benefits package for benefits-eligible positions include, but are not limited to:

• Generous paid time-off programs and commitment to work-life balance
• Tuition free course benefits in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the Sawyer Business School for employees with additional tuition benefits for spouses, domestic partners, and children
• Top-notch well-being care available through Harvard Pilgrim Medical/Delta Dental and a Flexible Spending Account
• Pre-tax commuter benefit
• Employee Assistance Program that provides employees and their family members with initial assessment, referrals and short-term counseling for personal and work challenges
• Discounted home and auto insurance

Description

The Academic Counselor position in the Center for Academic Access and Opportunity (CAAO) at Suffolk University is responsible for assisting the program director with the development and implementation of outreach and recruitment initiatives, as well as, academic guidance to participants in the Upward Bound Program (UB). A federally-funded TRIO program, the UB Program was created to help qualified high school scholars in the Dorchester, Massachusetts area develop the necessary skills to enroll and succeed in post-secondary education. Alongside the Program Director, the Academic Counselor ensures that eligible participants receive individualized educational support services, assistance with college admissions and financial aid planning, access to coursework in key areas such as math, science, literature, composition, and foreign language, and exposure to cultural events and activities. This position reports to the Upward Bound Program Director.

Please include a resume and a cover letter detailing your qualifications and rationale for applying to this position. Applications without cover letters will not be considered. Review of applications will begin immediately.

Primary/Principal Responsibilities:



• Assist with the identification, outreach, and recruitment of eligible program participants, and work with program staff in the development, coordination, and implementation of academic and student services, academic year and 6-week summer program, and initiatives for program participants.
• Conduct student needs assessments and create personal education plan for both 12th grade students and male gender identifying students; Assess and monitor participant performance in the program and ensure successful completion of the college admissions processes; Maintain regular communication with participants, parent/guardian of participants and external service providers involved with the participant; review and update participants’ records and maintain participant data and keep program director informed of participant progress. Must maintain confidentiality of participant records and information.
• Work closely with program participants to assist in the identification of post-secondary programs; inform participants of financial aid resources and strategies; monitoring students in the college application and financial aid process providing feedback and direction where necessary; the prospect should be knowledgeable of universities, programs, and organizations that have targeted opportunities for first-generation, low-income, and students at risk of academic failure and keep a running directory of a variety of relevant opportunities to these populations.
• Propose, design, and lead workshops and seminars appropriate to the immediate needs of the students: particularly the male gender identifying students and the overall goals and objectives of the program, including but not limited to: future careers, college admissions, financial aid, financial literacy, navigating university resources, mental health and well-being, writing strategies, etc.
• Support the implementation of methods to achieve program goals and objectives and ensure the proper management of records and participant information systems. Assist the Program Director with the preparation of the Annual Performance Report (APR) required by the U.S. Department of Education and with the preparation of other progress and outcome reports for the institution or external partners, as needed.
• Support other university-related initiatives and/or engage in other duties, as assigned, to further the mission and visibility of the UB Program and the CAAO where the program is housed.


Requirements/Qualifications:


• Bachelor’s degree required with an emphasis in education, human service, or related field
• A minimum of two (2) years of successful professional experience teaching, advising, or mentoring secondary education learners, preferably from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and first-generation students.
• Experience using various assessment tools advising low-income, first generation students in grades 9^th – 12^th; for both group and individual settings.
• Knowledge of financial aid, college admissions, student assessment, and curriculum development, especially if it relates to high school students.
• Must have demonstrated capability of being creative, proactive, and a team player, and possess strong organizational, interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills
• Experience facilitating workshops and trainings and working effectively with diverse populations
• Possess a strong understanding of the Boston Public School system and the Boston community
• Required to accompany program participants on college visits, field trips, overnight trips including residential week during the 6-week summer program and travel during the work day.
• Attend events supporting post-secondary outcomes, participate in professional development conferences and trainings.
• Ability to travel to partnered school site to provide student services
• Valid MA Driver’s License


Preferred Qualifications


• Master’s degree or higher, in education, counseling, psychology, social work or similar
• Previous experience working with or participating in TRIO (or similar) programs
• Familiarity with grant-funded programs and ability to work within federal and state guidelines.
• Preference will be given to individuals who have overcome circumstances similar to those of program participants.


This position is grant funded through May 31, 2022. Employment beyond the cycle of the grant is contingent upon a successful grant funding. Review of applications will begin immediately.

Suffolk University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. The University is dedicated to the goal of building a diverse and inclusive faculty and staff that reflect the broad range of human experience who contribute to the robust exchange of ideas on campus, and who are committed to teaching and working in a diverse environment. We strongly encourage applications from groups historically marginalized or underrepresented because of race/color, gender, religious creed, disability, national origin, veteran status or LGBTQ status. Suffolk University is especially interested in candidates who, through their training, service and experience, will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the University community.