Director – First Year Experience

DIRECTOR - FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE

MALCOLM X COLLEGE

The Director - First Year Experience develops, evaluates, and facilitates cross-functional student programs, grounded in a deep understanding of student development theory and lived experiences of students' across the student life-cycle.

Serving as a cross-functional liaison and project manager between the Offices of Student Services, Instruction, Health Sciences, Adult Education, Community/Continuing Education, and Nursing, the Director of Student Development Projects collaborates with the stakeholders across the college and in the community to inform programming for students. The Director leverages data to inform decisions, researches evidence-based practices and emerging trends in student transitions, retention, and engagement. The Director creates programing that focuses on identity, equity, and inclusivity to ensure students are able to be their full selves at Malcolm X College. The Director will coordinate the First Year Experience Connected Community to ensure system-wide adoption of an academic alert system for all first-year students, which involves cross-functional adoption of EAB Navigate, faculty, advising, academic support, student activities, and Wellness Center support for faculty and classroom instruction.

The Director will oversee new student orientation and the Malcolm X First Year Experience programs, including the 16 week-first semester program and fall/spring transfer orientation as well as create and work with other first-year engagement programs. The Director will also create ongoing opportunities to assist in the academic and social transition and integration of first-year students to the Malcolm X College community. Under the leadership of the Director of First Year Experience, these initiatives will inform future project development. We are committed to equity and inclusiveness, wellness and personal development. This position requires some evening and weekend work.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Manage and direct all aspects of the New Student Orientation and the Malcolm X College First Year Experience program, including but not limited to:
• Design and implement remote and in person New Student Orientations and First Year Experience asynchronously through D2L/Brightspace and synchronously through Zoom.
• Create an Adult Education experience for both high school equivalency and English as a Second Language.
• Mentor and train Orientation task forces, fostering a strong sense of community and responsibility with expectations commensurate to role and experience level.
• Facilitate and create lean processes and standards.
• Coordinate the recruitment, selection and training of Orientation Leaders and Orientation Advisors.
• Oversee summer, fall, and spring transfer student orientation.
• Coordinate the college wide academic alert system and process adoption
• Coordinate communication to targeted populations of students including creation and dissemination of both printed and virtual materials.
• Analyze data through CS9, OpenBook, GradesFirst, D2L/Brightspace, EAB Navigate and more to ensure real time understanding of student development
• Manage the budgetary process for Orientation and other student programs.
• Assess first-year and transfer Orientation programs in order to innovate beyond known best practices and ensure that the current programmatic model and offerings assist students in the transition to academic and co-curricular life.
• Facilitate the integration of first-year student and other targeted populations to the college’s community by coordinating major campus events designed to introduce students to university traditions and create a foundation for developing community. Such events include but are not limited to Convocation, MXC Connect and Hawk’s Week.
• Work closely with campus partners (including Health Sciences, Nursing, Instruction, Continuing Education, and Student Services to create comprehensive programming and an introduction to Malcolm X College.
• Lead the First-year Connected Communities Program including the coordination of tutoring, academic advising, block schedules, and orientation to ensure that First-Year students are connected to all student support departments seamlessly.
• Capture and analyze data across projects (as applicable) to enable continuous improvement and data supported decision making
• Develop facility with OpenBook and data extraction and analysis of Admissions, Enrollment, Orientation, Transfer, etc. related data.
• Supervise work study student(s)

Departmental and Divisional Responsibilities

• Represent Student Services Divisions by serving on college wide and specialized committees.
• Attend and actively participate in office, departmental and divisional staff meetings, retreats and trainings.
• Maintain a high degree of visibility and availability to students, faculty and staff.
• Manage complex and sensitive issues with compassion and confidentiality.
• Complete other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in college student personnel, higher education administration, education, business administration or a related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Three years of professional experience working with change management and/or program or initiative development and implementation
• Knowledge and a working understanding of student development theory.
• Ability to effectively interface with a wide variety of constituents including students, faculty, staff, administrators, family members, and community members.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and equity in education.
• Ability to work collaboratively across cultures and styles at all levels of the organization
• Effective written and spoken communication skills.
• Experience leveraging and implementing technical solutions including but not limited to technical training support, software implementation, software adoption and software training.
• Strong commitment to student growth and development.
• Demonstrated knowledge of data literacy and analysis
• Demonstrated knowledge of student persistence and retention theories/strategies.
• Experience with student information systems such as PeopleSoft, Banner, and Salesforce.
• Ability to manage student caseloads and maintain documentation for each student interaction.
• Knowledge of post-secondary academic planning, policies, and services.
• Ability to work with and relate to a culturally diverse student body and staff.
• Demonstrated proficiency with a variety of software programs including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), as well as data tracking tools, and data visual tools.
• Expert knowledge of Microsoft Excel with the ability to use advanced functions including VLookups, pivot tables, index matching, slicers, etc.
• Experience creating and managing SharePoint website

When applying, please attach your resume and unofficial transcripts.

WE OFFER: Excellent health benefits at a low cost; Investment plans 403(b) & 457(b); SURS Retirement Plan; Generous vacation, holidays, personal and sick days; Tuition Reimbursement. For a more detailed overview of benefits please visit our benefits page.

For the second time in three years, Malcolm X College was selected as aPromising Places to Work in Community Colleges award winner! The award is given by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), a membership organization committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching and leadership at community and technical colleges, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, a leading academic publication.

MXC was recognized for its best-in-class student and staff recruitment and retention practices, inclusive learning and working environments, and meaningful community service and engagement opportunities.

Chicago residency is required for all full-time employees within 6 months of hire.

We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

Thank you for your interest in City Colleges of Chicago!