Academic Counselor - Early Childhood Education - Bristol Community College

POSITION TITLE: Academic Counselor - Early Childhood Education
DEPARTMENT: Advising & Success
PRIMARY LOCATION: Fall River, Remote, & Travel to other campus locations as needed
REPORTS TO: Associate Director of Curricular Advising & Case Management
POSITIONS STATUS: This is a full-time, grant funded, MCCC Unit Position with benefits.
SALARY: $69,821 - $83,011 annually

STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

The Advising and Success department is comprised of Academic Advising, Testing, Student Readiness, New Student Orientation, Coaching, and the Success Initiative. The department seeks to provide a relentless welcome to their students; prioritizing relationship building, motivational support, and accurate, timely advising.

The Academic Coordinator is a key member of the Advising and Success team, directly serving students and their families in their successful educational pursuits at Bristol Community College. The Academic Coordinator provides academic and non-academic advising to Early Childhood Education (ECE) students - connecting students to on- and off-campus resources designed to support their success. to learn what inspired them to attend college and help identify what will motivate them to complete their goals, including professional Early Childhood Education qualifications and degrees/certificate. The Academic Coordinator will work collaboratively with campus partners across the college, including but not limited to Admissions, Financial Aid, the Office of Disability Services, the Library Learning Commons, and the Coordinators from the ECE Department and the Early Education and Care (EEC) Career Pathways Grant.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Academic Advising:

• Provide advising and registration support to a group of Early Childhood Education (ECE) focused students
  • Educate students about program, degree, and transfer requirements Including assisting students switching from non-degree to matriculated option
  • Provide information about advising-related technology including My Bristol, DegreeWorks, Banner, EAB Navigate and the Bristol Website
  • Assist students in registering, adding, dropping, and withdrawing from courses
  • Conduct degree audits for students using DegreeWorks
  • Assist students who are not making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Educate students about Bristol's SAP policy
• Assist students in building realistic and attainable academic plans that focus on persistence and completion
  • Engage students in conversations around academic goal setting Work with students to develop individualized academic plans
  • Review academic plans and goals with students each semester
• Encourage and support students' personal and professional development, including helping them connect with campus resources to meet their needs holistically
  • Collaborate with colleagues from across the college to ensure a thorough understanding of resources available to students and make referrals accordingly
  • Maintain professional knowledge of all enrollment-based functions and provide information to students about various enrollment information, including but not limited to Admissions, Testing, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and Transfer
  • Assist students with identifying barriers to program completion, and connecting with appropriate resources
  • Assist students in obtaining academic support services, including but not limited to referrals to faculty, tutoring, and the Writing Center as appropriate
  • Refer students experiencing personal difficulty to appropriate resources on campus and/or off-campus
• Provide advocacy to students and assist them through a variety of college processes including but not limited to extended absences, late withdrawals, and institutional waivers.

Early Childhood Education Advising:

• Provide students with information related to the Early Child field, such as professional development options, position level requirements, Professional Certification application process, and funding options in addition to Financial Aid.
• Assist students with understanding of the various levels of early education and care positions, including what each level's educational degree(s), coursework, and work experience requirements are, including its substitution components, such as Child Care Education Institute (CEU's) hours of instruction, Child Development Associate (CDA) Credentials, Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Evaluation (MACTE), or Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Educator Licensure, for example, and how the ECE program's courses align with the position's requirements.
  • Guiding students where to locate the information for Teacher and Lead Teacher Certification requirements and application
  • Assist students with eligibility requirements for ECE specific funding options, such as the Early Childhood and Care (EEC) Career Pathways Grant and the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Scholarship
• Provide outreach and coordinated care in response to early alerts & progress reports for Early Childhood Education students.

Coaching:

• Provide coaching and support services to identified students
• Conduct follow-up outreach to students to assess the effectiveness of the student success plan and make any necessary modifications.
• Connect students with community and college resources based on identified need;
• Engage regularly with student caseload to build rapport and trust between Coach and student;
• Prioritize connection and relationships to support students in their social/emotional well-being;
• Provide students with the foundation to become increasingly capable of making informed personal and academic decisions;
• Discuss and help to clarify educational goals with each student; establish plans, reinforce milestones, and monitor progress;
• Set expectations with students, including meeting with tutors, class attendance, and consistent check-ins with the Coach;
• Provide support, guidance, and assistance in building skills related to time management, college readiness, academic planning, self-advocacy, and goal setting;

General:

• Maintain and share professional knowledge in applicable areas including but not limited to national trends and promising practice within advising & coaching.
• Operate a computer and utilize college technology including but not limited to Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Work, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), Microsoft Teams, Bookings, Avaya soft phone and voicemail, MyBristol, EAB Navigate 360, Zogotech, Banner, Argos reporting, DegreeWorks, Maxient, and Dynamic Forms.
• Attend and participate at Advising & Success, division, and all-college meetings, as well as related meetings assigned by the Director or Associate Director.
• Perform assigned responsibilities at all Bristol locations, including some nights and weekends, during peak periods, to reflect student and family needs
• Ensure compliance with all College policies as well as local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Perform other related duties as assigned, consistent with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all required qualifications must be met by date of hire.

• Minimum of a Master's degree in Education, Counseling, Sociology, or a closely related field, such as student personnel or higher education. *
• Minimum of three (3) years experience and/or training involving college admissions, academic advisement, career development, or program/project management; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience shall be considered.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 business software (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Strong written and verbal communication, including interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of higher education principles, practices, and procedures.
• Ability to work occasional evening hours and weekends during established peak periods.
• Reliable transportation in order to travel to and from meetings, trainings, or worksites as required.
• The ability to work effectively with a diverse student body, faculty, and staff.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Related experience piloting or implementing innovative strategies related to academic advising, tutoring, or student support.
• Professional experience working with student information systems, including but not limited to Banner and Degree Works. � Knowledge of Massachusetts' Early Education and Care position requirements and qualifications.
• Knowledge of Bristol's Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses and/or programs, including their requirements and prerequisites.
• Knowledge of eligibility requirements for ECE specific funding source options, such as the Early Childhood and Care (EEC) Career Pathways Grant and the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Scholarship
• Demonstrated experience supporting under-served and educationally disadvantaged populations, as well as students in need of developmental education.
• Ability to communicate in a language in addition to English.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action:

Bristol Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and college policies. The College prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual violence. Inquiries or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or sexual violence shall be referred to the College's Title IX and Affirmative Action Officer, Johanna Bielawski at diversitytitleix@bristolcc.edu or 774.357.2681; the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination; the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Right.