Supervisor, Native American Student Support and Success Program

Summary Description

Sierra College has committed to foundationally re-engineering its programs and services using Guided Pathways to increase student achievement, ensure student equity, and effect timely goal completion. Under the administrative direction of the Dean of Student Services or assigned administrator, the Supervisor of the Native American Student Support and Success Program (NASSSP) supervises, provides support, and coordinates programming related to the Native American Student Support and Success Program requirements. The position coordinates the development, implementation, and evaluation of activities designed to increase American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) student access, retention, persistence, completion, and post-graduation success. Additionally, NASSSP aims to strengthen K-12 pathways to Sierra College for Native American students and increase student transfer to the University of California, the California State University systems, or other four-year independent colleges/universities. NASSSP also aims to develop Native American leaders and increase Native American mentors to empower future generations.

The Supervisor of Native American Student Support and Success Program (NASSSP) performs a full range of administrative, programmatic, and technical duties and services in support of American Indian and Alaska Native students who are interested in or are attending Sierra College.

The Supervisor oversees and coordinates assigned functions, activities, and services of the Native American Student Support and Success Program and participates in the daily activities of providing Native American students with specialized information, assistance, support, connections, referrals, and training. The Supervisor also partners with campus stakeholders and community organizations to provide resources and deliver services for Native American students; effect a student-centered support ecosystem, maximize Native American students’ access to all available support services; and promote student equity, success, retention, and completion by removing structural and systemic barriers to degree and credential attainment. The Supervisor effectively engages in partnership development, grant management, and reporting duties supporting the Native American Student Support and Success Program. The position requires maintaining currency regarding topical issues, emerging strategies, best practices, and local, state, and federal policies related to Native American students.

Sierra College is firmly committed to achieving equity and inclusion among its faculty, staff, and students and values the rich, diverse backgrounds that make up the campus community. The Supervisor of the Native American Student Support and Success Program (NASSSP) must demonstrate a profound understanding of successfully supporting individuals with varying and diverse backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, various gender identities and sexual orientations, individuals from historically underrepresented communities, and other groups. The Supervisor of the Native American Student Support and Success Program (NASSSP) will effectively ensure the district develops and provides strategies for Native American student success, as well as proactive, student-centered practices and policies committed to eliminating equity gaps.

Examples Of Functions and Tasks

REPRESENTATIVE FUNCTIONS:

1. Coordinates and provides critical resources, essential activities, proactive support, and holistic services associated with the entire student journey for Native American students.
2. Work with faculty and staff to potentially develop clearly structured, coherent course-specific cohorts and/or educational pathways.
3. Develop and implement methods to identify and serve students who meet NASSSP project guidelines, assessing their needs and providing programming to address them.
4. Ensure prospective Native American students complete the onboarding experience, including completing admissions/financial aid applications, navigating campus technology platforms, and enrollment processes.
5. Collaborates with Admissions and Records and other Student Services areas to assist with the onboarding and continued enrollment and support of Native American students.
6. Develops, implements, supervises, and performs the daily functions and programming for Native American students in partnership with campus departments.
7. Establishes, maintains, and further develops local and regional partnerships with community agencies to improve and offer service delivery; develops and implements culturally inclusive communication protocols, services, and programs that support the success of Native American students.
8. Collaborates with the District’s Tribal Liaison to design, implement, and support the expansion of tribal relations and college access for students within the college district boundaries.
9. Develops, coordinates, and delivers training, professional development activities, and related workshops for District employees, student ambassadors, and external partners to work with Native American students in a culturally inclusive manner.
10. Coordinates and procures trauma and culturally informed mental health and basic needs support services for Native American students, including through partnerships on campus or through external agencies.
11. Maintains clear, consistent, and effective coordination and communication, as well as cohesive and substantial partnerships, with district faculty, staff, students, and external organizations to successfully coordinate activities and programs, improve services, resolve issues, and exchange information; advises, provides guidance, and prepares and delivers presentations on matters pertaining to Native American students.
12. Strengthen K-12 pathways to Sierra College for Native American students and increase student transfer to the University of California, the California State University systems, or other four-year independent colleges/universities.
13. Collaborates with the campus Career and Transfer Connections and regional partners to develop on-campus paid internships, peer-to-peer mentor programming, and on-campus employment connected to their career interests.
14. Provide proactive, personalized support to Native American students by connecting and meeting with them and their families regularly at all District locations (Rocklin, Roseville, Nevada County, and Tahoe-Truckee) and off-campus, as needed.
15. Creates, authors, and develops culturally inclusive outreach and recruitment communications in print, electronic, web, and social media formats; maintains a virtual presence and online services for Native American students; develops and provides comprehensive recruitment strategies and services, especially in partnership with external educational, nonprofit organizations, and local California tribes, for Native American students.
16. Provides comprehensive, in-depth program information through individual meetings, group information sessions, admissions workshops, and panel discussions to diverse populations; maintains an equity-minded and intersectional focus, responsiveness, and sensitivity towards disproportionately impacted communities.
17. In consultation with the assigned Administrator, manages administrative, compliance, development, and reporting aspects of assigned budgets, grants, and subgrants from program agencies and cooperative educational partners, including procurement and contracting processes; analyzes and reviews assigned budgetary and financial data; authorizes expenditures in accordance with established limitations and institutional timelines.
18. Plans, facilitates, and coordinates large events, including relevant conferences, educational summits, and outreach activities with K-12 districts and other on-campus and external partners.
19. Participates in the development and implementation of equity-informed goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for Native American students; develops and standardizes procedures and methods to improve and continuously monitor and assess the effectiveness of services provided; identifies opportunities for improvement and makes recommendations to assigned administrative supervisor; initiates, oversees, and directs the collection of student data to measure and evaluate student success Native American students; prepares and maintains narrative, financial, and statistical reports.
20. Develop, implement, and maintain systems to ensure compliance with program eligibility standards.
21. Establishes partnerships and maintains relationships with tribal leaders, school district officials, community leaders, various organizations, and public agencies to encourage participation, coordinate campus projects with assigned center activities, and improve service delivery.
22. Trains, supervises, and evaluates the performance of assigned staff or NASSSP Peer Leaders; interviews and selects employees and student workers utilizing an equity-minded lens.
23. May chaperone NASSSP Peer Leaders and other students during travel to conferences, site visits, and other professional and para-professional development activities.
24. Establishes and maintains confidential and sensitive records (including student records); maintains complex, interrelated filing systems; and ensures confidentiality of information.
25. Develops yearly calendar of collaborative events, workshops, and other schedules related to assigned activities and services; reviews, updates, and informs others of essential timelines; coordinates facilitates, and delivers assigned activities; ensures the timely completion of work in accordance with established policies, procedures, and standards.
26. Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: The following describes the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enter the job and successfully perform the assigned duties.

• Education and Experience Guidelines: Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
• Experience: Three years of experience working in a social service environment, a community service organization, a community college or educational institution, or a related position.
• Education: An Associate’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• Preference. Preference shall be given to qualified candidates of American Indian or Alaskan Native Heritage. (Ed. Code, § 79520, subd. (c)(4).). Applicants claiming Indian Preference are required to submit verification of Indian heritage certified by tribe of affiliation or other acceptable documentation of Indian heritage.

Knowledge of:

• The needs of historically underrepresented and disproportionately impacted students in higher education, and more specifically, American Indian, and Alaska Native (AIAN) students.
• Current best practices and trends for providing Native American support services, including equity-focused, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practices, in a community college or similar setting.
• Strategies, processes, and practices in case management techniques in higher education, especially in facilitating equity-minded services, support of basic needs, and financial aid.
• Role of higher education, and specifically community colleges, in supporting marginalized populations.
• Methods to successfully support individuals with varying backgrounds, which include persons with disabilities, various gender identities, various sexual orientations, individuals from historically underrepresented communities, and other groups.
• Personnel management practices and techniques of supervision and staff evaluation.
• Current higher education equity-based retention and success trends.
• Database management, student information systems, statistical data interpretation, and the application of information technology to student success.
• Collaborative problem-solving and conflict-resolution techniques.
• Accounting and budgeting methods, audit procedures, statistics, and data interpretation.
• Management and leadership concepts and practices, including change management and organizational and motivational techniques.
• Employment processes, collective bargaining processes, data collection, and report writing.
• Safety practices.

Ability to:

• Coordinate, oversee, and facilitate the daily operations and activities of the Native American Student Support and Success Program.
• Envision, develop, and maintain short and long-term strategic plans for increasing access and success of Native American students.
• Work directly with Native American students to support their unique needs and educational journey.
• Perform specialized, technical, and complex programmatic and administrative duties that require independent judgment and personal initiative.
• Understand the organization and operation of the District and outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
• Apply an equity-minded framework and ensure programs, services, and processes are designed and delivered to meet the varying needs of all students.
• Understand, interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with administrative and office policies and procedures and pertinent laws, regulations, and ordinances.
• Use technical concepts and essential program management tools and techniques to coordinate the Native American Student Support and Success Program and solve complex problems creatively and effectively.
• Develop recommendations for problematic areas and implement and monitor changes.
• Participate in the development and administration of policies and procedures.
• Provide specialized assistance, training, and information to students, faculty, administrators, staff, and the public concerning international, undocumented, and immigration-impacted students.
• Coordinate and conduct workshops, seminars, special events, class presentations, orientations, and tours in a culturally inclusive manner.
• Determine the best connection, referral, and support plan for students.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with local and regional businesses and community organizations.
• Exercise skills emphasizing collaboration, consensus building, conflict resolution, and problem-solving.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
• Research, compile, analyze, and interpret data and information.
• Compose and prepare correspondence and written materials related to assigned activities.
• Prepare a variety of clear and concise administrative and financial records.
• Train and provide work guidance to others.
• Plan, organize, and assign work to meet schedules and changing deadlines.
• Adapt to changing technologies and learn the functionality of new equipment and systems.
• Operate office equipment, including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
• Work independently and effectively in the absence of supervision.
• Work under steady pressure with frequent interruptions and a high degree of public contact by phone or in person.
• Work with and exhibit sensitivity to and understanding the diverse racial, ethnic, ability status, sexual orientation, and cultural populations of community college students.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing to meet the needs of the supported programs.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

• Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting and requires occasional travel to local high school districts and campuses.
• Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally walk, stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.
• Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents and to operate assigned equipment.
• Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.