Educational Opportunity Fund Retention Specialist (P/T)

JOB SUMMARY AND DUTIES

SUMMARY

If you are considering a new job, work environment or career opportunities you should look at Mercer County Community College. MCCC is a publicly supported college that is open to all and dedicated to student success. In order to support that mission Mercer seeks to attract, retain, and support a skilled diverse workforce which is our most valuable resource. We thrive on and are proud of our diversity and open access. Our students and employees find the College large enough for a multitude of offerings yet small enough to keep the “Community” feel for all. The College consists of two campuses, the James Kerney Campus (JKC) in the capital city of Trenton, NJ and a larger 292-acre suburban campus just six miles north of Trenton.

As part of the comprehensive and valuable benefits package the College offers credit course tuition waivers for employees, spouses and dependents. This allows for employees and their families to take advantage of earning a higher education degree without the high cost. The College offers students 69 Degree Program Options and 35 Credit Certificates from which to choose.

JOB DUTIES

The Educational Opportunity Fund Retention Specialist helps to create, implement, and support retention and persistence initiatives that improve the success of EOF participants. The successful candidate will develop action plans for EOF participants, specifically those placed in the EOF G.R.I.T. program, to guide participants toward on-time graduation. The Retention Specialist also liaises between students and assigned EOF counselors.

The specialist coordinates programs to facilitate student engagement, leadership development, emotional wellness, cultural diversity, career exploration, and to promote transfer opportunities among EOF scholars. This role recognizes and responds to the counseling and educational needs of a diverse student population.

The Retention Specialist is responsible for academic advising, and educational, personal, and financial counseling to EOF students. This role monitors academic progress and persistence of students in EOF and serves as an advocate with faculty and/or staff, ensuring that academic development related functions of the department, provides group workshops and achieves expected outcomes.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

(Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following tasks, knowledge, skills and other characteristics. This list of tasks is illustrative ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by positions in this class. It does not imply that all positions within the class perform all of the duties listed, nor does it necessarily list all possible duties that may be assigned.)

• Support the mission statement of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program.
• Identify student persistence factors and initiate appropriate retention activities.
• Engages in assessment, research and evaluation activities related to retention and student performance outcomes.
• Provide academic counseling to students, assisting with issues such as adjustment to college and effective time management.
• Refer EOF participants to academic resources, including Academic Support Center, EOF Math specialist, writing center, CAR, and other resources on-campus.
• Develop, facilitate, and assist EOF Staff in the development of academic and student development workshops.
• Monitors academic progress of EOF progress to ensure students are making satisfactory progress or to implement strategies to improve performance.
• Assist EOF staff with the development and coordination of support services for high-risk (e.g. probationary/SAP) EOF participants.
• Works with Academic Affairs to identify at-risk students and to develop and implement strategies that promote student success and persistence.
• Provide short term personal counseling to students on issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties and/or substance abuse that may interfere with academic success.
• Assist in outreach efforts to increase new, transfer, and returning students with enrollment.
• Attends EOF program training workshops/conferences, statewide and sector meetings, student development workshops/conferences and other professional development activities.

• None

• Assigned tasks and responsibilities on both campuses is required for all MCCC positions.

• Positions in this class typically require ability to use a keyboard, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Counseling, Social Work, Psychology or related field
• Knowledge of educational access programs, financial aid, and the needs of economically disadvantaged populations.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and manage time effectively.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in education.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree (M.A.) in Counseling, Social Work, Psychology or related field
• Bilingual proficiency (English/Spanish or other languages)
• 1-3 Years experience with the Educational Opportunity Fund
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

CORE COMPETENCIES

CORE COMPETENCIES

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Adaptability: Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.

Building Trust: Interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.

Customer Focus: Making customers and their needs a primary focus of one’s actions; developing and sustaining productive customer relationships.

Decision Making: Identifying and understanding issues, problems, and opportunities; comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.

Problem Solving: Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Project Management: Develops project plans; coordinates projects; communicates changes and progress; completes projects on time and budget; manages project team activities

Oral Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens and gets clarification; responds well to questions, demonstrates group presentation skills; participates in meetings.

Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views; contributes to building a positive team spirit; puts success of team above own interests.

Diversity: Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; promotes a harassment free environment.

Ethics: Treats people with respect; works with integrity and ethically; upholds organizational values.

Dependability: Follows instructions, responds to management direction; keeps commitments; commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals.

Initiative: Volunteers readily, undertakes self-development activities; seeks increased responsibilities, looks for and takes advantage of opportunities.