Instructional Specialist

DEFINITION

Under the general supervision of the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction, independently performs a range of comprehensive and specialized duties related to key functions of the Office of Instruction including the development of the master class schedule each term, the production and ongoing maintenance of faculty evaluations, and the provision of technical expertise to deans, faculty and staff who support instruction college-wide.    

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Incumbents serving at this advanced level perform duties that require a high level and broad scope of knowledge of instructional programs and district policies, rules and procedures including the technical aspects of class scheduling, categorical and regulatory program requirements, fiscal processes as related to academics, collective bargaining contract provisions, and oversight of the faculty evaluation process each semester. This level is expected to perform complex assignments independently, advise and support instructional leadership in decision-making and maintain confidentiality.  Incumbents may also train and oversee short-term/temporary and student workers.  

Incumbents in this position support student learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness by serving as a main point of contact for the Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction, Deans of Instruction, Division Chairs and instructional support staff and by facilitating essential processes required for district operations. In addition, incumbents in this position play a key role in the accurate and timely production of the class schedule. 

ABOUT THE COLLEGE

Where You Will Work

Serving all of San Luis Obispo County, Cuesta College has provided comprehensive associate degree offerings, certificates, and community programs to the region since 1964. The main campus is located along scenic Highway 1, west of San Luis Obispo and east of the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Cuesta College has a North County Campus in Paso Robles, and South County Center, in Arroyo Grande. 

Who We Are

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to our culture and the work we do. Cuesta College is proud to be a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) committed to racial and socio-economic diversity as it reflects our communities and student populations. We actively seek to attract candidates who share this commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. As part of the Cuesta College team, you can expect to be part of a collaborative community of faculty, classified professionals, administrators, students, and community partners advancing educational excellence with intentional support services leading to student success and completion.

• Additional information about the college can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/index.html
• The college planning documents can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/collegeplans/index.html
• Our Student Equity Action Plan can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/info/student-equity-initiatives/equity/index.html
• We offer comprehensive benefit options. Information about benefits can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/benefits-insurance/index.html

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Instructional Specialist will serve as an expert in the following areas of focus: 

Production and Maintenance of the Academic Class Schedule 

• Work collaboratively with Deans, Directors, Associate Directors, Division Chairs, Dean’s Assistants, Curriculum Coordinator, Facilities Services, Enrollment Services and IT Programming to verify accuracy of the academic class schedule involving the following elements:

• Preparing and distributing memoranda, timelines, schedule reports and other materials related to class schedule production; 
• Inputting correct codes and class contact hour calculations in compliance with State regulations and district policies;
• Testing and utilizing various reports in order to correct errors as needed, including functional lead; 
• Updating class location assignments in the scheduling software system and coordinating with instructional personnel and facilities in resolving technical classroom scheduling issues and discrepancies; 
• Inputting all narrative portions of the schedule, ensuring consistency across all academic programming

• Recommend possible class scheduling modalities and assess efficient room use during the schedule development process;  
• Monitor curriculum changes and the impact of those changes on the schedule; 
• Create and maintain faculty workload records including exceptions for release time, carryovers, large class assignments and load adjustments;

• Maintain the class schedule throughout the semester for all academic programming housed under the Office of Instruction, entering class changes, additions, and deletions, distributing schedule updates to appropriate departments, and identifying and correcting scheduling errors involving faculty loads and State-mandated data elements when necessary;  

• Advise Human Resources and Payroll when changes have occurred to workload records and communicate with those departments clearly to ensure accurate pay adjustments for faculty affected;
• Assist in ensuring proper documentation is collected at the divisional level in reference to student attendance accounting (BP 5070) and coordinate the gathering of needed information when the district is preparing for an audit;
• Design and produce a variety of computer-generated statistical reports as requested. 

Coordination of the Faculty Evaluation Process

• Maintain the database that projects evaluation timelines for individual faculty, Division Chairs, Directors/Assistant Directors and Cluster Coordinators and coordinate the evaluation processes related to these positions;  
• Oversee the editing of the academic data system associated with the production of faculty evaluations and recordkeeping; 
• Utilize evaluation software to create student evaluation forms, gather, assemble and distribute evaluation materials and ensure evaluation reports are prepared for instructional analysis each semester in accordance with the approved timeline. 

General Operations of the Office of Instruction  

• Provide high level administrative support, technical expertise and advisement for the Office of Instruction, particularly the Deans of Instruction as well as instructional faculty and staff;
• Communicate and clarify district policies and regulatory procedures to the public, administrators, faculty and staff; 
• Demonstrate ability to analyze problems, make recommendations, take appropriate courses of action and exercise good judgement in decision-making; 
• Demonstrate strong planning and project coordination skills in helping to facilitate campus-wide events hosted by the Office of Instruction including faculty/staff development opportunities, new faculty orientations, & partnering events with community organizations.   
• Ensure that weekly, monthly and annual activities are completed on a timely basis including the completion of the Institutional Program Planning and Review Process, the collecting of faculty Flex contracts, the completion of the selection process for Division Chairs and Cluster Coordinators when required, and budgetary processes.  
• Perform other related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Required

• Associate’s Degree; and 
• Three years of progressively responsible administrative experience and advanced use of Microsoft Suite or equivalent.

Preferred

• Two years of experience with technical responsibilities related to class scheduling at a school or community college that involved collaborating with multiple sources. 
• Experience working with categorical or regulatory programs.

Or any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge of:

• Project or class scheduling, time management, and coordination; 
• Detailed recordkeeping; 
• Complex data system and data entry techniques; 
• Written business communications and methods of report writing; 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Windows; 

• Current technologies, personal computer, and associated office software such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and/or database software;
• Correct usage of English, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary; and
• District policies and procedures.

Ability to:

• Maintain confidentiality of student as well as personnel matters, records, database information and other sensitive files; 
• Understand problems from a broad, interactive perspective and discern applicable underlying principles to conceive of and develop strategic solutions; 
• Work with a very high level of independence, initiative and accountability; 
• Perform numerous assignments simultaneously with close attention to detail adhering to critical schedules and deadlines; 
• Perform calculations and analysis to validate reports and support decisions; 
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing; 
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the performance of duties; and
• Demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of staff and students and of staff and students with physical and learning disabilities.

Physical ability to:

• Read and comprehend printed matter and text and data on computer monitors;
• Communicate intelligibly and effectively via speech, telephone, written correspondence, and/or email;
• Sit or stand for extended periods of time;
• Lift and/or carry 25 pounds; and
• Exert manual dexterity sufficient for keyboard and other office equipment operation.

License and Certificates (current within the last year):

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO APPLY Candidates will be required to submit ALL of the required documents below when applying for this position. When uploading documents, PDF uploads are preferred. 

1. Cover letter;
2. Resume;
3. Reference List (see further instructions below);
4. Diversity statement (see further instructions below). 

Diversity Statement Instructions:  Cuesta College is committed to building and maintaining a workforce that reflects and honors the diversity of our students. It is important to us that our faculty, staff, and administrators demonstrate an understanding of, sensitivity to, and respect for the diverse academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds as well as sexual orientation and abilities of all constituents in the Cuesta College community.  In 500 words or less, with consideration to our Mission Statement and our values expressed above, please explain how you will demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in this position.

Reference List Instructions:   Your reference list must include three professional references, their contact information, and their relationship to you.

Completed online applications and all supporting documents must be submitted by the closing date for this position.  LATE, INCOMPLETE, FAXED, MAILED OR EMAILED APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

SALARY SCHEDULE Below is the full salary schedule range for this position, steps A through E. Per Cuesta College’s policies, new employees are placed at Steps A through C, which is the anticipated hiring range also listed below. The bargaining agreement also includes step and longevity increases. For a full salary schedule, please see our website: https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/humanresources/salary_schedules.html

• Salary Schedule Range: $5,576 - $6,778 per month.
• Anticipated Hiring Range: $5,576 - $6,148 per month.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Cuesta College will not sponsor any visa applications.

San Luis Obispo County Community College District ("Cuesta College") is an equal opportunity employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), age, disability (physical and mental), genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal and state law in admission and access to, or treatment in employment, educational programs or activities at any of its campuses.  Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.  Cuesta College also prohibits harassment on any of these bases, including sexual harassment, as well as sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

In compliance with California law, all prospective staff and students are entitled to read the Annual Security Report, published each October by the Cuesta College Department of Public Safety.  This report contains information about our emergency and crime reporting procedures, as well as crime statistics for the past 3 years.   You may request a copy of this report at one of our two Public Safety Offices:  on SLO campus at Building 6600A or on North County Campus at building N1021, during campus business hours.  You may also access the complete text of this report at the following website address: https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/publicsafety/clery_act

Cuesta College uses E-Verify as part of the I-9 process to verify the work eligibility of all new hires. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9 to data from U.S Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records. For further information, visit: https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/humanresources/Job_Opportunities.html

Selected applicants will be invited to attend an in-person interview on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. 

Salary : $66,912 - $73,776