Director of Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program
Job description
This is a categorically funded assignment contingent upon year to year funding
Interview dates to be determined
Merced College is a midsized community college located in California's Central Valley. Founded in 1962, the college serves more than 16,000 students with room to expand on its 267 acre main campus and 120 acre Los Banos site. Merced, incorporated in 1889, offers historical sites, affordable housing, access to the Bay Area and Sacramento, and is the Gateway to Yosemite National Park and the Sierra mountains as well as home to the University of California Merced campus. Our tree-shaded, growing community of just over 80,000 includes multiple biking and walking trails as well as access to several lakes – large and small – throughout the county.
The Director of the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program position is an exciting opportunity to help shape the new MESA Program at Merced College. The MESA Program provides academic and support services for financially and educationally disadvantaged students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields who seek to transfer to a four-year institution. The Merced College MESA mission is to empower underrepresented students by providing them a community that supports their pathways to higher education in STEM, through mentorships, academic programs, and interactive workshops. The Program Director will be responsible for day-to-day management of and strategic planning for the MESA Program under the direction of the Dean of Instruction for the School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
Merced College Mission
At Merced College, students are our focus, and we are known by their success. We transform lives through education and workforce development.
Merced College Vision
Enriching our community through educational experiences and support services:
- Degree/Certificate Programs
- Transfer
- Career Technical Education
- Workforce Training
- Lifelong Learning
- Basic Skills
- Community Engagement
General Description:
This is an Educational Administrator position. The Director of the MESA program, under the general direction of the appropriate Dean of Instruction, is responsible for the day-to-day management of and strategic planning for the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) Program at Merced College. The MESA vision is to assist historically underrepresented STEM students to successfully transfer to a four-year institution.
Representative Duties:
- Plan and oversee recruitment/outreach and orientation activities in collaboration/coordination with other departments
- Coordinate events for MESA students, including campus visits, transfer fairs, scholarship fairs, resume workshops, award ceremonies, and graduation celebrations
- Oversee the processing of student MESA applications, perform intakes and needs assessments for incoming students, complete and maintain MESA student files
- Provide mentorship, coaching, and support for MESA students, including, but not limited to:
- Serve as a resource for MESA students
- Meet with MESA program participants quarterly/regularly to assess academic gaps and work with students to fill existing gaps in areas of academic, career, financial aid, personal issues, transfer process, resume writing, internship, scholarship, and research opportunities
- Direct students to appropriate resources for tutoring, financial aid, counselling, and other institutional and community services
- Develop and implement academic/leadership/professional development workshops, and other programming to promote MESA student identity building and academic success
- Integrate knowledge, awareness, and skills that reflect multicultural, diversity, equity and inclusion competencies in order to effectively support students from a broad array of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and realities
- Schedule, coordinate, and supervise Academic Excellence Workshops (AEW’s).
- Form student study groups each semester and place students accordingly in collaboration with the Student Success and Tutoring Center
- Manage the MESA program and MESA Center
- Manage program budget
- Track and provide data for student participation, progress, persistence, completion, and transfer; analyze, summarize and reference data in reports in a clear and engaging manner
- Work collaboratively with and maintain positive communication with the MESA Counselor, MESA Faculty Liaison’s, discipline faculty and other equity programs across campus to fully integrate MESA activities in all areas of the college
- Recruit, hire, and lead the MESA Team Student Ambassadors
- Supervise and direct the MESA Program Assistant position
- Train Ambassadors in a manner consistent with MESA values; supervise MESA student ambassadors
- Oversee the administrative office needs that may include the MESA e-mail, calendar, room reservations, schedule meetings, and other administrative duties
- Manage the MESA student center in a way that fosters a welcoming atmosphere for academic and social purposes to ensure meeting the needs of MESA students and facilitating cohort formation
- Maintain communication and collaboration with state-wide partners at the Chancellor’s Office including but not limited to attending state-wide MESA meetings.
- Meet all required documentation, communication, and data requirements as outlined by state-wide MESA regulations
- Build and maintain liaison relationships with academic departments, offices, counseling faculty, instructional faculty, and community/industry agencies and partners
- Attend and actively participate in Merced College MESA stakeholder meetings and events
Knowledge of:
- Oral and written communication skills
- Principles and practices of tutoring
- Principles and practices of supervision and training
- Applicable laws, codes, and regulations, policies, and procedure
- Principles of conflict resolution
- Budget management
- Federal, state and local laws, regulations, rules, policies and procedures relevant to the functions of the position
- Event planning and organization
Ability to:
- Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
- Supervise and train staff
- Work cooperatively with instructors and staff
- Interpret federal and state regulations and policies
- Include DEIA and anti-racist principles into existing policies and practices, funding allocations, decision-making, planning, and program review processes. These processes shall take into account the experience and performance of students and colleagues of diverse backgrounds, and work to close equity gaps in student outcomes and hiring.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
Education/Training/Experience:
- Master's degree from an acceptable accredited institution AND one (1) year of formal training, internship, or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment
OR - Bachelor’s degree from an acceptable accredited institution AND a minimum of six (6) completed units of college-level course work predominately relating to ethnic minorities or persons handicapped by educational, language, or social disadvantages AND Within the last four years, two years of experience or the equivalent in the management or administration of educational programs, community organizations, government programs, or private industry dealing predominantly with ethnic minorities or persons handicapped by language, social, or economic disadvantages OR as a community college EOPS counselor or instructor, or comparable experience working with disadvantaged clientele.
- Demonstrated sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students and employees. Educational and other Administrators shall include DEIA and anti-racist principles into existing policies and practices, funding allocations, decision-making, planning, and program review processes. These processes shall take into account the experience and performance of students and colleagues of diverse backgrounds, and work to close equity gaps in student outcomes and hiring.
License or Certificate: A valid California Class “C” driver’s license. Travel to locations throughout the District may be required.
PHYSICAL DEMAND AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Environment:
Work is performed primarily in an office environment with some travel to different sites; incumbents may be required to work extended hours including evenings and weekends.
Physical Ability to:
- Hear and understand speech at normal levels
- Communicate so others will be able to clearly understand normal conversation
- Read printed matter and computer screens
- Stand or sit for prolonged periods of time
- Bend and twist, stoop, kneel, crawl, push, pull
- Reach in all directions
- Work at a desk, conference table or in meetings of various configurations
- Operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard
Vision:
See in the normal visual range with or without correction.
Hearing
Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.
How to Apply:
- Submit a complete application by the closing date/time on the Merced College career pages at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/mccd
Required Documentation:
- Letter of interest addressing your qualifications for the position (cover letter)
- Resume
- List of three professional references (no reference letters permitted)
- Legible unofficial college transcripts (undergraduate and graduate); transcripts must include the degree major and date the institution granted the degree; official copies are not required unless applicant is hired
- Diversity Statement: The Merced College District has a diverse staff and student population. As such, applicants must demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of a diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability and ethnic backgrounds of community college students and the community at large. Please describe your leadership efforts and professional experience promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in a work setting. Please do not include any personally identifying information. Limit your response to one (1) page.
If Applicable:
- Foreign transcripts must include a U.S. evaluation and translation completed by an approved organization per the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/transcripts
- Equivalency Review Form (Required for applicants who do not possess the stated minimum educational qualifications and are seeking consideration on the basis of equivalency) https://www.mccd.edu/about-merced-college/divisions/human-resources/equivalency/
Only the required documentation as listed above will be accepted for this recruitment. Any additional documentation will be removed from your application profile.
Interview Information: Those applicants deemed highly qualified for the position will be invited to appear for oral interviews before a screening committee. A limited number of candidates will be invited to interviews. Interviews will be scheduled onsite.
Employee Benefits: Health benefits for the employee and all their eligible dependents cost employee’s only $12 per month and provide access to PPO medical coverage, PPO dental coverage, VSP Vision coverage, and more! Please visit our Merced College Benefits website for more details about our incredible employee benefits. In addition, sick leave and retirement benefits are also provided.
Condition of Employment: The selected candidate must be fingerprinted and tested for tuberculosis at his/her own expense prior to the start of employment. In compliance with the Immigration Reform Act of 1986, all new employees are required to verify their identity and the right to work in the United States. Merced College does not sponsor visas. All offers of employment are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. The applicant must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.
Health Benefits
d. 100% paid fourth year
e. 100% will be paid each year thereafter unless member does not visit the dentist each year for cleanings/check-ups.
f. 50% co-payment for Orthodontic with $1,500 lifetime maximum for each enrollee.
4. Prescription (Navitus): Pharmacy cost is $3.00 for up to 30 day supply generic and $15.00 co-payment for brand name. Costco 30 day supply generic and by mail for up to 90 day supply generic is $0.00. If brand name drug is chosen when a generic is available, member will pay the difference in cost between the brand name and generic drug plus generic co-payment.
5. $50,000 life insurance policy on employee.
6. Short-term and long-term disability
Classic members - 7% and the college pays 11.847%.
New members – 6% and the college pays 11.847%.
2. State Teachers Retirement System (STRS), for 2015-16:
Members prior to 1/1/13 contribute 9.20% each paycheck and the college 10.73%
Members after 1/1/13 contribute 8.56% each paycheck and the college 10.73%
3. If PERS, the college and employee both pay into social security and Medicare.
If STRS, the college and employee do NOT pay into social security but both DO pay into Medicare.
2. Vacation – 2 days per month worked – fiscal year.
3. Sick – 1 day per month worked with maximum of 12 days per year – fiscal year.
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