M-SEA Counselor

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY (FVSU), a state and land-grant institution of the University System of Georgia, invites applications for the position of M-SEA Lead Counselor.

Fort Valley State University, the only 1890 land-grant university in Georgia, is a comprehensive institution that provides an education to over 2,800 students including graduate students. The university is located in the town of Fort Valley in Peach County, the original site of the state's peach industry. Its 1,365-acre (5.52 km2) campus is Georgia's second-largest public university in area.

Fort Valley State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or marital or veteran status.

JOB SUMMARY

The CDEP/M-SEA Lead Counselor position is a summer leadership role responsible for overseeing a team of counselors and providing direct supervision and support to academically talented high school students during the CDEP/M-SEA summer academies. The Lead Counselor ensures that all program activities-including classroom sessions, fieldtrips, and residential life-run smoothly and align with the academy's educational and behavioral expectations. This position requires the Lead Counselor to reside on campus with students and staff during academy weeks and to travel out of state for designated fieldtrips. Housing and meals are provided during the weeks students are on-site; accommodations are not provided for the weeks designated for office work.

MAJOR DUTIES

• Provide supervision and leadership to all counselors; ensure they understand and carry out their duties effectively and professionally.
• Assist instructors in the classroom as needed and ensure all counselors are fulfilling their classroom support responsibilities- such as setting up labs, distributing materials, and conducting study sessions.
• Coordinate and oversee study sessions to ensure consistency in instruction and reinforcement of classroom learning. These sessions are instrumental in helping the students prepare for the post-test; students are required to score a minimum of 80% on the post- test in order to participate in subsequent summer academies. Additionally, the Lead Counselor and the team of counselors must evaluate each student's notebook to make sure they are staying on task with notetaking.
• Monitor student academic progress, behavior, and well-being; address concerns promptly and report any major issues to the Program Coordinator or Assistant CDEP Director.
• Research academy topics and vocabulary prior to each academy to ensure a thorough understanding of the material. The Lead Counselor ensures that all counselors do the same and that creative methods (presentations, songs, skits, etc...) are integrated into student learning activities to make learning fun and engaging for the students.
• Collect, review, and compile counselor and student evaluations, test results, and program data for inclusion in the final report for each academy. Provide a comprehensive written summary of student outcomes, counselor performance, and recommendations for program improvement.
• Coordinate and guide counselors in preparing for the closing ceremony, ensuring that student presentations effectively highlight key learning experiences from the academy ceremony.
• Oversee logistics for all fieldtrips, including preparation of materials (i.e. coolers, first aid kit, meals, water, etc...) and ensuring that student medications and health needs are appropriately managed (i.e. inhalers, EpiPen, allergy medication, etc...)
• Participate in daily staff meetings to assess the events of the day, address issues, and plan for the next day.
• Reside in the housing provided for each academy to maintain continuous supervision and support of students and staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the CDEP Director and/or Assistant CDEP Director

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/ WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Lead Counselor will sit most of the time during the classroom sessions, however, there are periods during the class sessions that all counselors are expected to stand in order to assist the instructor, participate in an activity, or help students.
• Must be physically capable of hiking and walking extended distances over varying terrain during fieldtrips.
• Must be able to remain alert and attentive during supervision of students in the classroom, on fieldtrips, and in campus housing.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of 1 year of college
• Strong organizational, leadership, and interpersonal skills
• Basic computer proficiency (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Ability to work effectively with high school students and college-aged staff
• Creative, energetic, dependable, positive attitude, respectful, fun-spirited, and able to model professionalism and responsibility
• Physically fit for hiking and outdoor fieldwork

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 2-3 years of college coursework
• 1 year of experience working with or mentoring high school or college students
• Strong interest and background in math, science, or education
• Experience in creative instruction or student engagement activities.

USG Core Values Statement

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653