Project Manager, Student Equity Center

Job Duties

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY
With the goal of ensuring the equal educational opportunity of all students, Santa Monica College embraces diversity among students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve as an integral part of our history, a recognition of the complexity of our present state, and a call to action for a better future. Embracing diversity means that we must intentionally practice equity and respect toward one another, and understand that discrimination and prejudices create and sustain privileges for some while creating and sustaining barriers for others. In order to embrace diversity, we also acknowledge that institutional discrimination and implicit bias exist, and that our goal is to eradicate those vestiges from our system. Our commitment to diversity requires that we strive to eliminate those barriers to equity, and that we act deliberately to create a safe and positive environment where individual and group differences are valued and leveraged for our growth and understanding as an educational community.

To advance the goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice for the success of students and employees, we must honor that each individual is unique and that our individual differences contribute to the ability of the college to prepare students on their educational journeys. This requires that we develop and implement policies and procedures, encourage individual and systemic change, continually reflect on our efforts, and hold ourselves accountable for the results of our efforts in accomplishing our goals.

We are invested as a community in cultivating and maintaining a climate where equity and mutual respect are both intrinsic and explicit by valuing individuals and groups from all backgrounds, demographics, and experiences. Individual and group differences can include, but are not limited to the following dimensions: race, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, religion, creed, military or veteran status, socioeconomic status, and any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. We acknowledge that the concept of inclusion and diversity is ever-evolving, thus we create space to allow our understanding to grow through the periodic review of this statement. In service of these goals, Santa Monica College is committed to fostering an employment environment that offers equal employment opportunity for all and an educational environment that ensures the equal educational opportunity of all students.

Position Profile

The Student Equity Center is a new initiative at Santa Monica College and is envisioned to be a collaborative and inclusive space consisting of four centers: Gender Equity, Racial Justice, Pride and the DREAM Resource Center. The Student Equity Center empowers students to explore, affirm, and celebrate their individual and intersectional identities and define success for themselves. Each center promotes a sense of belonging and develops student leadership to work toward social change on their campus and in their communities.

Under the direction of the Associate Dean of Student Life, the Project Manager is a two-year position that will lead and oversee the implementation of the new Student Equity Center at Santa Monica College. These efforts include building and sustaining a diverse, inclusive, and intersectional environment, while supporting a sense of belonging and engagement for the success of students at Santa Monica College. The Project Manager will lead and work collaboratively with the advisory committee, and apply equity-minded practices to the centers’ development, grand opening, and implementation of programming and services.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities Planning and Implementation:

• Serve as Chair of the Student Equity Center Advisory Committee.
• Lead and coordinate the development and implementation of programs and services within the Student Equity Center.
• Serve as a resource, providing recommended courses of action and implementing proposed solutions, for students who face sensitive and complex difficulties because of being historically excluded.
• Pilot planned mentoring program within the Student Equity Center.
• Work to establish a student internship program to empower students to take ownership of the Centers’ programming.
• Attend planning meetings with the 4 Centers.

Evaluation and Assessment:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive assessment plan to ensure programs and services meet the needs of students.
• Establish and assess student learning outcomes with respect to the Student Equity Center.
• Compile comprehensive summaries and reports of assessment efforts and recommended courses of actions to ensure programs and services are in alignment with established aims, goals, and needs.
• Collaborate with Institutional Research to create surveys/focus groups and compile statistics for use in evaluating and modifying project services, goals and future service delivery.

Engagement with campus and community partners:

• Lead campus-wide efforts and work collaboratively with colleagues to identify opportunities to engage with minoritized student populations in significant ways to support their academic and co-curricular life.
• Collaborate with administrators, faculty, staff, and academic departments campus-wide to improve student success and sense of belonging among minoritized students.
• Serve as a liaison to students, faculty, and staff on campus and in the local community regarding matters of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.

Other duties:

• Work closely with the Associate Dean of Student Life to develop and implement program budgets, strategic planning, and assessment.
• Oversee the hiring, training and supervision for student workers, peer navigators, social work interns, and other staff.
• Prepare and deliver timely oral and written reports, recommendations and presentations to committees, administration, the Board of Trustees, and external constituencies as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicant must meet the minimum qualifications of a faculty discipline at the college. To review the minimum qualifications for faculty disciplines, refer to Minimum Qualifications for Faculty and Administrators in California Community Colleges, which can be found on the California Chancellor’s Office website at https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/Educational-Services-and-Support/What-we-do/Educational-Programs-and-Professional-Development/Minimum-Qualifications

• Possess a Master’s degree from an accredited institution and academic leadership experience or equivalent.
• One (1) year of formal training, internship or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment.
• Must have sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse socio-economic, academic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, including those with physical and/or learning disabilities as these factors relate to differences in learning styles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Ethnic Studies, Gender Studies, LGBTQ Studies, Counseling, Higher Education Administration, or related field strongly preferred.
• Previous project management experience.
• Two (2) – Three (3) years’ experience in, and knowledge about diversity, equity, inclusion and identity development and the intersections of various aspects of diversity (i.e., race and class, race and sexual orientation, undocumented status and gender).
• Knowledge and experience working in educational equity programs with students whose needs are specific to first-generation, low-income, bilingual, bi-cultural, historically marginalized student populations, formerly incarcerated students, gender, and/or students with different value systems.
• Demonstrate an equity-minded understanding of the needs and challenges of low-income, racially minoritized students, undocumented students, LGBTQ+ identities, gender equity and/or first-generation college students.
• Experience within a community college environment.

Additional Information

Project Manager Application Requirements

A standard application consists of the following:

• Online District Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Transcripts

* Additional, job-specific items may be required. Please refer to the job posting for specific details.

Diversity Statement
Recent experience working with African American, Latinx, Native American, and other racially minoritized students in the classroom; and a willingness to use culturally responsive instructional practices.

Demonstrated sensitivity to issues of diversity, and ability to motivate and teach community college students of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, cultures, and learning styles, as well as students with disabilities or varied levels of academic preparation.

Equity Statement
Santa Monica College encourages candidates that are equity-minded to apply. SMC is a minority-serving, Hispanic-serving institution. We actively seek to attract candidates from minority groups that value equity, diversity and inclusion. Equity, diversity and inclusion are built into the culture at SMC and are an essential component of the work that we do. SMC is committed to racial and socioeconomic diversity as it is a reflection of our student population and we strive to hire candidates that share this commitment.

Equal Employment Opportunity Disclosure
The Santa Monica Community College District is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants for employment, as well as District employees, shall have full and equal access to employment opportunity. No person shall be subjected to unlawful discrimination in any program or activity of the District. The District's Board Policy 3420 (Equal Employment Opportunity) may be accessed at: https://www.smc.edu/administration/governance/board-of-trustees/documents/board-policy-manual/board-policies/chapter-3-general-institution/BP-3420-EEO.pdf

Equivalency Statement
The Santa Monica Community College District, in its desire to select outstanding faculty members from the largest possible pool of qualified applicants, recognizes the fact that candidates may attain expertise in a discipline through a variety of means. Certain combinations of education, experience and other accomplishments in the field may be judged by the District as equal to the stated minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates who feel they possess such equivalent qualifications are encouraged to apply and provide appropriate documentation of their qualifications. For further details regarding equivalency criteria, please download the Equivalency Application Statement Form available at https://jobs.smc.edu/applicants/static/customers/655/EquivalencyStatementPDF.pdf

Conditions of Employment
Appointment is subject to verification of official transcripts, current or previous employment, tuberculosis and fingerprint clearance. Selected candidate must provide identification and work authorization.

For more information about Santa Monica Community College:

https://www.smc.edu
https://www.smc.edu/administration/human-resources/index.php
https://www.smc.edu/administration/human-resources/diversity-equity-inclusivity/index.php