Counselor - Rising Scholars

Merced College is a midsized community college located in California’s Central Valley. Founded in 1962, the College serves more than 16,000 students annually with room to expand on its 267-acre main Merced campus and 120 acre Los Banos campus site. The City of Merced, incorporated in 1889, offers historical sites, affordable housing, access to the Bay Area and Sacramento, and it 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 Merced College Rising Scholars program serves currently incarcerated students at two State Institutions: Valley State Prison and Central California Women’s Facility, along with Juvenile Hall and the United States Federal Penitentiary (Atwater). We are seeking a socially-conscious, equity-minded individual to provide academic counseling in our rapidly growing Rising Scholars Program. The successful candidate will bring a passion for this marginalized student population and must pass a background check with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This position seeks to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts programmatically and institutionally. The primary counseling assignment will be in the prisons.

Merced College Vision

Merced College will provide transformative and empowering educational experiences to meet student and community needs.

Merced College Mission

Growing our community through education and workforce training:

• lifelong learning
• basic skills
• career technical education
• transfer
• degree/certificate programs

Ensuring student success through equitable access, continuous quality improvement, institutional effectiveness, and student achievement.

General Description:

This is a full-time, tenure-track, general-funded assignment in the General Counseling Department at Merced College under the direction of the Dean of Student Services. The incumbent will be responsible for the provision of counseling and support services to students enrolled in Merced Community College District, and in maintaining legal compliance with all district policies, as well as all State and Federal mandates.

• Provide specialized academic counseling services, career and personal counseling to students.
• Assist students in the development of comprehensive education plans.
• May teach career guidance classes a.
• Evaluate reports and other documentation for the purpose of determining program eligibility and appropriate support services.
• Serve as an advocate for students while maintaining effective relationships with faculty, staff and administration.
• Provide information on college major and certificate programs as they relate to educational and career development; participate in student and campus activities.
• Participate in the development and facilitation of Counseling Department workshops, orientations, and other programs for students
• Contribute to the development, assessment of, and completion of student learning outcomes and service area outcomes and program review.
• Participate in departmental, area and campus professional activities/committees.
• Participate in the college's learning outcomes assessment program, including course, program, and institutional assessments.

• Master's degree from an acceptable accredited institution in counseling, rehabilitation counseling, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, guidance counseling, educational counseling, social work, career development, marriage and family therapy, or marriage, family and child counseling OR Bachelor's degree from an acceptable accredited institution in one of the above listed degrees and a current license as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) valid in California OR Community College Instructor Credential in Counseling OR The equivalent

AND

• Candidate must have sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.

Preferred:

• Knowledge and experience in developing collaborations with community resources
• Experience working with learning communities, cooperative programs, and/or inter-agency partnerships.
• Knowledge and experience of typical college governance systems.
• Knowledge of current Student Success and Support Program requirements and processes.
• Current technology skills related to the discipline and a willingness to pursue future technological developments.

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/promotionaljobs.

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 how your professional experience would contribute to a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Please do not include any personally identifying information. Limit your response to one (1) page.

• Foreign transcripts must include a U.S. evaluation and translation completed by an approved organization per the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
  http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/leaflets/cl635.pdf (Download PDF reader)
• Equivalency Review Form (Required for applicants who do not possess the stated minimum educational qualifications and are seeking consideration on the basis of equivalency) http://www.mccd.edu/offices/hr/jobs/eqforms.html

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, which includes a teaching demonstration on a selected topic. Interviews may be held onsite or via Zoom. Applicants are required to ensure access to the necessary technology to participate in a Zoom interview and will be responsible for any incurred travel expenses, if necessary.

Employee Benefits:

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.

Individuals with disabilities may request any needed accommodation to participate in the application process. Please submit your request with your application to the Human Resources Office.

Merced Community College District is an Equal Opportunity Employer

CERTIFICATED
Health Benefits
Cost is $12.00/month for 10 months/year. We do not pay anything during June and July. This $12.00 covers the following as long as the members use Plan providers: