Associate Director, First-generation and Limited Income Student Support - 501546
University of Richmond

SUMMARY:

The Associate Director, First-generation and Limited Income Student Support is a member of the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion team and responsible for fostering the University's values of diversity, equity, and inclusion by developing and overseeing programs and partnerships that center the needs of the first-generation and limited income student population. Major projects include the planning, advising and implementation of key programs such as the Spiders FLI Peer Mentors, FLI program fall break trip, National First-Gen week, FLI alumni mixer, and the annual senior cording celebrations. All programs for the student population are intended to take place when the students are most available, which will result in implementing programs after hours and on weekends. The first-generation and limited income student population overlaps significantly with other underrepresented student identities; therefore, the Associate Director must be adept at intersectional approaches to difference, including advocacy for underrepresented groups and collaborating to develop programs that speak to these overlapping identities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

First-Generation and Low-Income Student Support

• Direct the oversight of all programming, support, and advocacy for first-generation and low-income students.
• Create strategic partnerships with external sources to provide first-generation students with resources that focus on assisting them in navigating college life.
• In coordination with the Financial Aid Office, oversee the development of financial literacy programs for all students associated with this office.
• Deliver a slate of programs for first-generation and limited income first-year students during New Student Orientation.
• Collaborate with other SCEI staff to plan events that promote the Center to the campus community and positively impact the student populations served.
• Design and deliver programs such as the Spiders FLI Peer Mentor program, the senior cording ceremony, and other informational and community-building workshops.
• Manage outreach, assess participation and success, and manage the critical collaborative partnerships across campus needed to support this population, including the Office of Admissions, International Education, the Academic Skills Center, Financial Aid, and the Dean's offices.
• Partner with the Office of Admissions and Orientation team to recruit mentees for the FLI mentor program.
• Become familiar with student resources, policies, and procedures campus-wide to effectively advise first-generation and limited income students.
• Maintain our status as a First-Gen Forward institution including all related responsibilities as stated by the National Center for First-Generation Student Success.

Student Employment Supervision

• Hire and train FLI peer mentors intended to provide quality mentor services to first-year students interested in receiving assistance navigating the first-generation and limited income lived experience at UR.
• Train student program assistants to be capable and efficient event planners, monitor their budget, and oversee programming decisions to assure the program is meeting its mission to be an inclusive alternative to campus social activities.
• Monitor spending of student employment budget for FLI peer mentors and student program assistants.

Budget and Finance

• Effectively practice financial stewardship over the newly acquired endowment for first generation and limited income programs.
• Assist the Operations Coordinator with reconciliation of the FLI budget through accurate reporting and tracking of expenses.
• Create budget plan to ensure funds are adequately allocated for programs each year.

Additional Responsibilities

• Serve on office and university committees as needed.
• Teach a first-year transition course in the fall semester.
• Become involved in Office of Admissions recruitment programs.
• Participate in national conferences and programs to stay up to date on best practice for first-generation and limited income students.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience creating large scale programs.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and interact effectively with students, faculty, and staff from a broad range of programs and disciplines.
• Ability to form effective working relationships with individuals across lines of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, and sexual orientation.
• Demonstrated understanding of current issues facing diversity, equity, and inclusion work.
• Innovative in imagining and creating programs that promote skill building and community among first-generation and limited income students.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, user-friendly graphic design platforms, and social media with the ability to master other University administrative systems is preferred.
• Must be student-centered and willing to dedicate significant time into building relationships with student population served.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Master's Degree is preferred in Higher Education, Student development or a related field.
• At least 2-3 years of experience with program coordination and implementation, working closely with undergraduate students; experience in higher education and working directly with first generation and limited income students is desirable.
• Deep awareness of issues and concerns relevant to the first-generation and limited income community with an emphasis on understanding this community within a DEI landscape.
• Have preliminary knowledge of the underrepresented college student population to include: low income, first-generation, domestic multicultural, international, and LGBTQ+.

WORK HOURS:

• Full-time, exempt position
• Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; 7.75 hrs./day; 38.75 hrs./week; occasional nights and weekends

SALARY STRUCTURE:
Pay Grade 7 (Hiring Range $54,413.00 to $72,093.00 annually)

ABOUT UR:

At the University of Richmond, we're creative, inclusive, and determined. We're Spiders, and our mission is to create positive change in the UR community and beyond. Located minutes from downtown Richmond, Virginia, the University of Richmond (www.richmond.edu) blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. There's only one place like Richmond.

UR is committed to developing a diverse faculty, staff and student body, and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, our academic community welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds and candidates who support diversity. EOE

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