Director of Advising and Student Services

Mount Tamalpais College

Director of Advising and Student Services 

Permanent, salaried, full-time position.  

Start Date:  ASAP (flexible)

Salary: $100,000 - $120,000 annually, depending on experience

Location: This position requires work in the prison and at the San Rafael office at least 2-3 days a week; other work may occur remotely or in the San Rafael office.

The mission of Mount Tamalpais College is to provide an intellectually rigorous, inclusive Associate of Arts degree program and college preparatory program, free of charge, to people at San Quentin State Prison; to expand access to quality higher education for incarcerated people; and to foster the values of equity, civic engagement, independence of thought, and freedom of expression. Mount Tamalpais College is a national leader in providing quality higher education opportunities to incarcerated people and in expanding access to higher education within California’s prison system and nationwide. In recognition of our work the organization was awarded the 2015 National Humanities Medal by President Obama.

Mount Tamalpais College is currently in a period of tremendous growth. After twenty years of operating a robust, high-quality higher education degree program at San Quentin, the organization is in the final stages of becoming independently accredited. Mount Tamalpais College will be the first liberal arts college based inside a correctional facility, designed solely for incarcerated students. 

Job Description

Reporting to the Chief Academic Officer, the Director of Advising and Student Services oversees student advising, student services, and alumni affairs. A key priority of this position in 2022 will be designing and launching a comprehensive advising system that supports student success and wellbeing from college admission through release from San Quentin. 

The Director of Advising and Student Services works closely with the Academic Program Director and Chief of Institutional Effectiveness and Research to continually assess and improve programs. This position supervises the Alumni Affairs Assistant, Learning Specialist, and Student Advisor.

The Director of Advising and Student Services spends approximately a third of their time inside the prison, providing one-on-one support to students in addition to supporting faculty and ensuring the smooth operation of classes. This job involves up to three miles of walking a day on uneven terrain and some lifting. Hours include at least two evenings a week and regular weekends. 

Core job duties

Lead the College’s Advising and Student Services division, including supervision of the Student Advisor, the Alumni Affairs Assistant, and the Learning Specialist Develop and oversee systems for academic advising, student support, and alumni support in collaboration with other staff Conference regularly with students and provide advising and support Maintain collaborative networks with other programs and services for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people (including those provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), in order to ensure a robust continuum of care for MTC students Work closely with the Chief Academic Officer and Academic Program Director on semester planning and associated administrative tasks Support the design and implementation of enrollment-related policies and systems Maintain ongoing communication with San Quentin administrators and staff in areas such as records, student movement in the prison, student medical and mental health needs, and transfers to and from San Quentin

Other job responsibilities

Support the Chief of Institutional Effectiveness and Research in regular assessment cycles for accreditation Support event planning, including annual commencement and Open Mic ceremonies Participate in weekly program team staff meetings, regular staff meetings, and other organizational meetings Escort faculty into San Quentin afternoons and/or evenings at least twice a week, and provide support on-site for faculty and students

Required experience and qualifications

Master’s degree in a relevant field, or commensurate experience  Minimum of three years of experience managing and supervising staff and projects in college administration Experience designing and implementing a system of student advising at a college or university Experience serving a diverse and non-traditional student body, including adult students, returning students, undocumented students, first generation students, and students who have experienced racism in an educational setting Experience developing and maintaining data management systems 3-5 years of experience supervising and leading teams Strong written and verbal communication skills Strong management skills, including the ability to give and receive constructive feedback Strong organizational and time management skills, with exceptional detail-orientation Ability to create and implement systems for managing large amounts of data, as well as a fast-paced flow of tasks and information Capacity to manage multiple competing priorities under tight deadlines Exceptional professionalism, including personal maturity, and clear interpersonal boundaries Strong commitment to fostering a campus culture of academic excellence, equity, and belonging, and to fostering collegial relationships with colleagues and prison staff Strong sense of personal responsibility and exceptionally self-motivated Ability to interact patiently and diplomatically with a wide variety of constituencies Mastery of computer skills (MS Office Suite with strong emphasis on Excel, Google Docs, Sheets, Groups, and Calendar, Salesforce CRM, etc.) Comfortable working regular nights and weekends 

When working on site at the prison, this position is physically active, including spending at least 1/3 of the day walking or standing, a 1/2 mile walk at least twice a day, and lifting up to 15 lbs.

Compensation and Benefits

Mount Tamalpais College offers competitive compensation, flexible work policies, and a collaborative work environment. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, and the full cost of each plan is covered by Mount Tamalpais College. We also offer vacation and holiday pay, as well as opportunities for professional development.

How to Apply

Please submit your cover letter and resume to hiring@mttamcollege.org with “Director of Advising and Student Services” in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

We seek candidates who share a commitment to Mount Tamalpais College’s mission. We especially encourage applications from candidates of diverse socio-economic backgrounds; and/or who reflect the cultural, ethnic and racial diversity of our student body; as well as people directly impacted by incarceration. We welcome applicants who are LGBTQ and/or gender diverse. 

Statement of Non-Discrimination

Mount Tamalpais College provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.