Assistant Director - Upward Bound - Beloit College

The Assistant Director has primary responsibility for the academic support concerns of the students, academic advising, student leadership, freshman recruitment/orientation, senior college preparation and management of the academic component of the six-week, summer program, including the end-of-summer educational trip. The Assistant Director handles instructor hiring and curriculum development of the summer program, training and classroom coordination. The Assistant Director plays a supporting role with tutoring, record-keeping, report preparation, grant compliance and budgetary management. The Assistant Director is required to live in the residence hall for approximately two weeks of the on-campus component. The Assistant Director is supervised by the Director, with annual performance reviews co-facilitated by the Director and TRIO Department Director. Work is divided between travel to the target area secondary schools and time in the office implementing the academic year and summer components, monitoring mid-term, quarterly and semester progress, and designing curriculum.

Upward Bound is a federally funded program for generating the academic skills and motivation for first-generation, low-income students beyond high school. Beloit College Upward Bound serves a minimum of 66 participants, primarily from its target schools, Beloit Memorial and South Beloit High Schools. Future funding is contingent upon continued grant support.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Oversees 9th grade student recruitment, completing documentation and application selection for Upward Bound student participants.
2. Administers, scores and interprets the needs assessment instruments completed by new participants and completes an individualized plan of academic and personal support with each student based on the results of the assessment (IAP).
3. Monitors mid-term, quarterly and semester academic grade reports (prepared by the academic coordinator) and follows up with advising, creating new strategies, as needed, for academic support and accountability of student performance.
4. Prepares progress reports or academic alerts for parents/guardians and students, as needed, to insure student success.
5. Advises parents and students on course selection for completion of secondary education and preparation for postsecondary education.
6. Maintains contacts with target school personnel for coordination of services.
7. Recruits, selects and consults with summer instructors. Recruits, selects and trains summer teaching assistants.
8. Assists in the development of the entire summer program - in particular, oversees academic curriculum in a comprehensive way, and manages classroom behavior and disciplinary situations.
9. Co-coordinates, with director and academic coordinator, preparation of the monthly calendar and news bulletin.
10. Oversees planning and coordination of monthly workshops and community service activities, with director's input and approval.
11. Provides follow-up to instructors and professional staff on student needs.
12. Documents student contacts and progress towards academic goals. Keeps staff informed of student concerns.
13. Develops policies and procedures for the academic component of the program, to be approved by the director.
14. Provides guidance and support for the Student Leadership Council, an 8 to 15 member Upward Bound council of student representatives from each class.
15. Assists staff with input on technological communication such as the website, Facebook and other social media.
16. Attends workshops and conferences which pertain to job responsibilities.
17. Other similarly-related duties as assigned.

Credentials and Experience:

1. Bachelor's Degree in Education or relevant; Master's degree, preferred.
2. Minimum two years of experience working with youth from first generation and/or low-income backgrounds.
3. Experience in curriculum development, college access and experiential education is highly recommended.
4. Event/trip planning with youth is desired.
5. Experience with educational evaluation processes.
6. Experience and knowledge working with secondary and postsecondary institutions.
7. Experience working with diverse populations preferred; willingness to work with diverse populations required.
8. Experience planning, organizing, and prioritizing multiple tasks and projects simultaneously with frequent interruptions is required.
9. Proficiency with Microsoft Office software; Google apps, ability to learn other software relevant to duties.
10. Experience working with grant funding and grant compliance is desired.