Director, TRIO Student Support Services

Central Washington University is recruiting a Director, TRIO Student Support Services to join our Academic Achievement Programs team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a salary, depending on experience, from $64,974 - $79,594 annually plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.

Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~10,000 students.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for the seventh time in eight years, CWU is a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

The Role:

The Student Support Services (SSS) Director/Principal Investigator has programmatic, fiscal, and supervisory stewardship over TRIO Student Support Services (SSS).TRIO SSS is a federally funded program providing academic advising, support services, leadership development, and enrichment opportunities to 225 students. All employees are expected to support CWU's commitment to diversity and to support and integrate inclusion into the university environment.

Leadership and Management:
- Provides the strategic vision and strategies for execution of the SSS program.
- Assures the program is organized, monitored, and managed to meet goals and objectives by designing, developing, and directing all facets under policies and procedures which ensures it is conducted in compliance with the U.S. Department of Education, Washington State and University policies and guidelines.
- Ensures that all participant records are complete, current, and confidential in accordance with federal and university polices and guidelines.
- Ensures the reporting and compliance requirements are met.
- Engages in regional and national conversations regarding access and support programs to incorporate best practices as appropriate.
- Prepares Federal and state reports and provide regular programmatic and fiscal updates to the Executive Director of Grants.
- Develops, implements, and maintains a system for assessing the effectiveness of program and staff.
- Represents TRIO SSS at meetings, conferences, and trainings on/off campus.
- Provides direct academic support and guidance to participants.

Supervisor Duties:
- Supervises professional staff and student employees.
- Actively engages in the recruitment and hiring of new employees.
- Clearly defines performance expectations, ensure accountability, and provides ongoing informal feedback, coaching, and mentoring.
- Conducts formal performance evaluations.
- Ensures employees have necessary resources.
- Oversees and directs the work of staff; serves as mentor, coach and leader; resolves complaints or issues.
- Promotes professional development opportunities.
- Takes corrective action in a timely manner.
- Develops and fosters supportive working relationships, motivation and engagement.
- Communicates information to staff on an ongoing basis to influence staff engagement and to be a part of a larger community.

Fiscal Management and Oversight:
- Oversees and manages the development and execution of program budgets in accordance with federal, state and university policies.
- Makes appropriate fiscal decisions in accordance with state, federal and University guidelines.
- Develops and implements systems and practices to ensure optimal operations and integration of budget records from MyCWU, FMS, Grants Budget Analyst and Financial Aid Office.

Grant Maintenance:
- Assists with preparing the TRIO SSS grant to continue program services (This job duty will be completed under state funding).
- Ensures compliance with all grant partner expectations.
- Monitors student participation, ensuring compliance with eligibility criteria and accomplishment of objectives.

Other Duties:
- Attends relevant conferences and/or professional development trainings, related to federally funded TRIO programs.
- Develops, manages, coordinates, and implements other related projects.

- Performs other duties as assigned.

• Master's degree.
• Significant experience in program development and evaluation for academic support programs or similar programs for disadvantaged college students.
• Significant experience working with students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation students and/or students with disabilities.
• Demonstrated administrative skills, including budgeting, personnel management, and/or experience writing grant proposals and reports.
• Strong written, oral communication and listening skills.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and record-keeping skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop effective working relationships with campus officials, faculty, staff, parents, students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and experiences.
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience writing and preparing Department of Education (DOE) grants.
• A background that provides evidence of overcoming barriers similar to those encountered by students in the TRIO target populations.
• Evidence of success related to the mentoring and education of students and staff who will serve diverse populations.

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Diversity: Recognizes the value of diversity and helps create environment that supports and embraces diversity.

*Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. This may be the job for you!

Salary: This position has a minimum annual salary of $64,974 and maximum annual salary of $94,213. The Hiring Department's expected hiring range is $64,974 - $79,594 annually. In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the hiring range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Schedule/Appointment: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm (1 hour lunch)

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work and/or occasional travel may be required.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.