Director of Special Academic Opportunities

Company Description:

Founded in 1887, Clark was one of the first all-graduate institutions in the United States. Today the University is a highly-ranked, student-centered institution educating approximately 2,350 undergraduate and 1,150 graduate students to be imaginative and contributing citizens of the world and to advance the frontiers of knowledge and understanding through rigorous scholarship and creative effort. This commitment to scholarship and inquiry reflects the University's dedication to "challenge convention and change our world" and to address issues of critical importance to society. It is also reflected by Clark's many national and international distinctions, including recognition for its diversity and inclusion efforts, innovation, community engagement and impact, as a top green campus, and for having a distinguished geography and international development program. Clark has also been included in the groundbreaking Colleges that Change Lives guide since it was first published in 1996.

Clark is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, a dynamic, diverse city "on the rise." The second largest city in New England, Worcester is home to 11 institutions of higher learning and is increasingly recognized for its growing healthcare and biotechnology communities, its thriving cultural scene, and as a vibrant food hub.

Job Description:

The Director of Special Academic Opportunities provides management of several interrelated campus-wide endeavors targeted at high-achieving students: the prestigious fellowships and scholarships and fellowships nomination process, honors programming, the Student Undergraduate Research Journal, (SURJ), campus-sponsored academic awards, summer research funding, and the Clark Fest (a bi-annual event showcasing student research and creative output). The work involves advising and mentoring students, development and implementation of high impact practices, and collaboration with faculty, staff, and external stakeholders. 

Specifically, the Director serves as the official University point-of-contact for foundations providing national and prestigious fellowships and works with other offices on campus to promote such opportunities. In this role, the Director will be responsible for: identifying, screening, and preparing potential applicants for national and prestigious fellowships. This includes authoring University nomination letters, drafting letters of support, coordinating letters of reference, maintaining application portal access, convening University committees in support of applicant submissions, providing advance preparation for fellowship interviews, including mock interviews, coaching, personal statement and proposal editing, and personal branding. The Director will maintain records of applicants and successful recipients and will regularly assess the fellowship processes to insure that University strategic goals are addressed. 

As well, the Director will centralize and coordinate departmental honors awards and summer research opportunitiesand will oversee and build upon existing efforts (including SURJ and ClarkFEST) to augment high impact programming and inclusive excellence for high achieving undergraduate students.  

Finally, the person in this position participates as a member of Dean of the College staff and is expected to complete other duties as assigned. 

With respect to prestigious fellowships and scholarships and campus sponsored academic awards: These tasks will account for 60% of the responsibilities for this role. 

• Serve as campus fellowship adviser, managing campus applications, campus interviews, external processes including online fellowship portals, and serving as the primary point-of-contact for fellowship foundations.
• Market and promote prestigious fellowships and scholarships across campus, including fellowship and scholarship and award winners, and working with Marketing and Communication to align these opportunities with the University's brand.  
• Working with University partners prioritizing the college's diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, work to identify, screen, recruit, and prepare a diverse group of students for highly competitive, merit-based scholarships and fellowships. 
• Connect with students using multiple modalities: arrange and conduct group workshops and online webinars, meet individually, face-to-face and virtually, and correspond using email and social media as appropriate. 
• Manage the student application process, including convening University-wide committees (where appropriate), coordinating letter writers, and authoring University nomination letters.
• Coach students to prepare excellent applications for fellowships and scholarships
• Maintain a comprehensive list of prestigious fellowship and scholarship and opportunities. (both internal and external) and work with appropriate offices to make these opportunities available electronically to students.
• Keep student files and records.

With respect to honors, summer research programming, advising student groups and honor societies, and event planning: These tasks will account for 40% of the responsibilities for this role.
 

• Centralize and coordinate existing curricular and co-curricular programs and research opportunities, and communicate these opportunities to prospective and current students. 
• Assure that all programming, opportunities, pathways, and courses are designed such that they advance the University's diversity, equity and inclusion goals.  
• Facilitate and coordinate student identification and development efforts across departments and division, including admissions, the Dean of Students Academic Success unit, and academic departments.
• Work collaboratively with STAIR, the Office of Identity, Student Engagement, and Access, and other appropriate partners to create assessment instruments that encourage equitable participation and that measure inclusion and success.
• Design, develop and execute special events that engage high achieving students and that showcase their work to a wide stakeholder audience. 
• Develop group workshops for students to promote research opportunities and honors programming; engages with faculty and academic departments to promote research opportunities and honors programming; solicits student nominations from faculty and academic departments. 
• Serve as advisor for Clark honor societies (i.e., Fiat Lux and Gryphon & Pleiades).
• Stay current in best practices in advising and supporting diverse groups of high achieving students, honors programs/colleges, and coordinating research opportunities. 
• Contribute to development and implementation of planned honors college.
• Other duties as required by the Dean of the College.

Requirements:

Experience and Other Skills Required

• Bachelor's degree required. 
• Five years of experience working with high-achieving university level students or with associations/organizations working with top achieving students.
• Experience with recruiting and mentoring students from historically underrepresented groups. 
• Experience developing and implementing programs, activities, and campus-wide activities and events, which include conceptualizing, coordinating detailed plans, budget management and follow through to meet deadlines.  
• Strong writing and editing skills and significant experience proofreading and editing student work and coaching student writers.
• University level classroom experience and/or demonstrated history of hosting multi-modal workshops and information sessions.
• Strong understanding of university and academic culture.
• Ability to thrive in cross-departmental team environment.

Preferred

• Experience working with diverse populations and an ability to guide non-traditional populations towards opportunities for high achievement.
• Experience working with liberal arts students in a primarily residential setting.

Clark University currently requires all employees and students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Exemptions will be made for medical or disability reasons or religious beliefs, and could be made, at the sole discretion of the University, for other well-documented reasons.

Additional Information:

Clark University embraces equal opportunity as a core value: we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees and our community. This commitment applies to every aspect of education, services, and employment policies and practices at Clark. Our commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. All positions at Clark share in the responsibility for building a community that values diversity and the uniqueness of others by exhibiting integrity and respect in interacting with all members of the Clark community to create an atmosphere of fairness and belonging. We strongly encourage members from historically underrepresented communities, inclusive of all women, to apply.

Clark University offers a generous benefit package for full and, if applicable, part-time employees that include; paid time off, generous retirement plan, group health and dental insurance, life insurance, and tuition, along with use of many campus amenities. For a complete list of benefits for eligible employees visit here.

Application Instructions:

To be considered for this position, you must submit your credentials online. Create a Clark University Careers Account by clicking on the APPLY NOW button below. You will be able to upload the following documents, which are required for consideration:

• Resume
• Cover letter

See the FAQ for using our online system. Please contact us if you need assistance applying through this website.

Already have a Clark University Careers Account? Login to your account to add documents or update your account.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

HR to select: A successful background check is required upon acceptance.

Apply Online