Program Coordinator, Center for Prison Education-York CI Site

Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a diverse, energetic liberal arts community where critical thinking and practical idealism go hand in hand.

Wesleyan University’s Center for Prison Education (CPE) works in partnership with CT State Community College Middlesex and the CT Department of Correction (DOC) to bring the transformative power of a liberal arts education to students incarcerated in Connecticut prisons. The program operates in the Cheshire Correctional Institution (CCI - a maximum-security prison for men) and in the York Correctional Institution (YCI – the state’s only prison for women), offering an AS (Associate in Science) degree through a partnership with CT State Community College - Middlesex, and a BLS (Bachelor of Liberal Studies) degree through Wesleyan.

Reporting to the Director of the CPE, the Program Coordinator is responsible for cultivating college community, fostering shared ambition, and inspiring intellectual curiosity among students at the York Correctional Institution.

The position provides training and ongoing support to CPE faculty and student tutors from Wesleyan’s campus, including aiding with recruitment; and working with the Department of Correction and with YCI staff on the ground to ensure successful implementation and strategic growth of the academic program at York CI.

Responsibilities will include:

Serve as primary point of contact for student body and principal liaison between students and the CPE team and faculty

• Maintain thorough understanding of student body at York CI: their degree progress and academic interests as well as issues impacting their participation in the program. Serve as a resource and a support to non-traditional, incarcerated, adult students
• Serve as conduit to students’ faculty advisors & the further CPE team around students’ academic needs and extracurricular interests; contribute to CPE systems of student-related record keeping
• Understand curriculum and maintain working knowledge of courses on offer to support with coursework and serve as a conduit to students’ course instructors; facilitate two-three in-prison study hall sessions per week

Address CPE faculty needs as a primary liaison between faculty and the CPE team and students

• Participate in interviews of prospective faculty; support during recruitment and semester course planning the adaptation of courses for the prison context
• Plan and implement faculty orientation with CPE’s Director and provide ongoing support to faculty

Support academic program design and implementation to enhance incarcerated students’ learning experience and engage main campus volunteers in CPE

• Coach and prepare student Tutors/Teaching Assistants from Wesleyan’s main campus; design and facilitate their pre-semester orientation; create and implement systems for documentation and assessment of the tutor experience
• Manage and support student Tutors/TAs throughout the semester and create structures for their professional development and community-building
• Develop and implement systems to enable incarcerated student research; collaborate with Wesleyan University Library and CPE’s Director to make databases and catalogs accessible in prison classrooms; train, support, and manage (including as primary supervisor) main campus undergraduates serving as Research Partners to incarcerated students

Develop and maintain productive working relationships with Department of Correction partners,

• Act as liaison with the Department of Correction and YCI staff to coordinate necessary pre-semester processes, orientations, and documentation for faculty and main campus students’ clearance to work in the prison setting,
• Manage submission and approvals by DOC of each semester’s course content
• Manage the day-to-day operations of CPE’s program at York CI, collaborating with YCI staff and conforming to prison protocol to ensure that classes, study halls and further on-site activities run smoothly and on schedule

Collaborate closely with and support CPE’s program coordinator for CPE’s program at Cheshire CI

Other duties as assigned

This position is required to work on campus and at York Correctional Institution
(Relocation assistance to CT is available for those who qualify).

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 4 years of experience relevant to college in prison, or the equivalent combination of training, education and experience. Combination of relevant professional, student, and volunteer experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders at multiple levels and to manage nuanced relationships.
• Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with a broad range of constituents.
• Experience teaching, tutoring, or leading workshops.
• Experience training, coaching and managing volunteers.
• Creative problem-solving skills.
• Acute organizational and time-management skills.
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills.
• Eligibility for appropriate security clearance(s) for work inside Department of Correction facilities.
• Valid Driver’s License and reliable transportation to get to facilities.
• This position regularly requires work outside of traditional business hours including early mornings and evenings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience coordinating a prison college program.
• Experience teaching in prison.

Additional Application Instructions:

Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by July 22, 2024 when first review of applications will begin.

As part of your application, please upload a cover letter and resume.

Compensation: $50,800 - $59,500

Work Location: On Campus

All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.

Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University’s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html .

Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers. For more information visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html

Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans, flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs for those who qualify.

Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html .

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator. Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University's Clery Act Report are available on request and online at http://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/compliance.html.