Title: Success Scholars Coach

Unit: MCCC Professional Staff, Grade 4, Special Programs Coordinator Classification 

Department: Success Scholars Program

Reports to: Director of Success Scholars Program

Date: February 3, 2023

General Summary: Middlesex Community College (MCC) is seeking a highly motivated, knowledgeable, creative, and detail-oriented individual to support a large-scale wrap-around student services program to improve outcomes for Asian, African American, LatinX, and LGBTQ+ student populations. The LGBTQ+ Success Scholars Coach will focus on helping LGBTQ+ students develop skills, behaviors, and habits that contribute to success in college. These include academic and career goal setting, learning strategies, time management, and organization, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. The SUCCESS fund initiative is coordinated and funded through the Mass. Association of Community Colleges and the Mass. Department of Higher Education will work to increase persistence, retention, and graduation rates for Asian, African American, LatinX, and LGBTQ+ students at MCC.  The primary goal of the SUCCESS funding is to provide support programs such as academic and career goal setting, financial wellness awareness, and targeted academic, career, transfer, and scholarship advising while improving student preparedness and retention.  This position works in collaboration with the Academic Divisions, Career Development, Advising Center, Financial Aid, Academic Centers for Enrichment, Multi-cultural Center, Student Engagement, and Institutional Research.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the unique needs and issues within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Facilitate greater visibility, awareness, and understanding of LGBTQ+ issues
• Work with the Coordinator of Student Engagement and Multicultural Programming to foster a community of support by celebrating the cultural wealth LGBTQ+ scholars bring to the college
• Train aspiring allies to stand with, and advocate for, LGBTQ+ people
• Identify, select, and recruit LGBTQ+ students to participate in the Success Scholars Program
• Foster persistence, retention, and completion by maintaining a caseload of LGBTQ+ students
• Recruit, develop, mentor, and supervise student employees and alumni employees:  the Peers Mentors that identify as LGBTQ+.  These mentors connect mentees to resources and to each other as well as provide emotional and social support.
• Monitor the progress of students in caseload with check-ins, scheduled meetings, or proactive outreach and communication, responding to student questions, concerns, and needs
• 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
• Work with Success Program staff to develop and support affinity groups for LGBTQ+ students
• Conduct academic coaching and advising through individual or group sessions that help students assess their own performance and develop personal success plans
• Helps students in identifying, developing, and implementing learning strategies and study skills specific to course materials
• Provide students with the foundation to become increasingly capable of making informed personal, academic, transfer, and career decisions;
• Discuss and help to clarify educational and career goals with each student; establish plans, reinforce milestones, and monitor progress;
• Provide support, guidance, and assistance in building skills related to time management, college readiness, academic planning, self-advocacy, and goal setting;
• In addition to traditional coaching topics, discuss LGBTQ+ specific topics including microaggressions, coming out, being misgendered, etc.
• Coordinates remedial support for at-risk students (i.e. - identifies at-risk students within the Success Scholars program; monitors the academic progress of at-risk students; coordinates intervention program for at-risk students at risk).
• Lead programs and activities designed to support the LGBTQ+ community on campus
• Research and identify best practices in the field of student support services, academic advising, mentoring, retention, and persistence initiatives for LGBTQ+ students. Coordinate with the Success Scholars Director on implementing best practices, focusing on continuous program improvement.
• Assist in the execution of an on-campus First Year Experience (FYE) orientation program for incoming LGBTQ+ Scholars.
• Collaborate on a program for families and friends of Success Scholars to encourage and support them in navigating college resources
• Work with the Academic Centers for Enrichment to provide targeted reading, writing, math, and study skills tutoring and workshops for Success Scholar cohorts
• Work with the Career Development staff to support job and internship placement for Success participant cohorts.
• Participate in regular team meetings
• Participate in the annual evaluation of the performance of duties
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications: 

• A Bachelor's degree in education, counseling, human services, behavioral health, or a related field
• At least 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, with an emphasis on supporting Asian, Black/African American, Latinx, and/or LGBTQ+ populations.
• Previous experience working with students and clients of underrepresented backgrounds in higher education.
• Evidence of the ability to learn quickly, and to demonstrate excellent administrative and organizational skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills including listening skills
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability in the use of databases and other computer-based technologies
• Ability to establish and nurture strong relationships with faculty, students, and colleagues
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and goals
• Experience with equity-minded work and/or understanding of individuals of diverse identities such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, sexual orientation, veterans, and individuals with different academic preparation levels and varying physical and learning abilities. (ALWAYS INCLUDE)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual or multicultural candidate
• Demonstrated passion for working with multicultural populations.
• Experience with TRiO or other Student Support Services programs
• Experience with designing/implementing retention efforts and success initiatives.
• Experience working at a comprehensive community college.
• Experience with project management, event planning, and/or coordination of programs.

Salary Range: $52,754 is the starting salary with a Bachelor's Degree, actual salary commensurate with academic background and experience. Employees of Middlesex Community College are considered employees of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and receive benefits, which include:

• High-quality and affordable health insurance through the Commonwealth's Group Insurance Commission (GIC)
• Competitive Dental and Vision Plans
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Assistance programs
• Low-cost basic and optional life insurance
• Retirement Savings: State Employees' Pension or Optional Retirement Program (ORP) and Deferred Compensation 457(b) plan or 403(b).
• 12 paid holidays per year and competitive Sick, Vacation, and Personal Time
• Tuition Benefits for employees and dependents at state colleges and universities
• Short-Term Disability and Extended Illness program participation options
• Professional Development and Continuing Education opportunities
• Cell Phone Bill Discounts with Verizon and T-Mobile Cell Phone Carriers
• Access to the Commonwealth's Mass4You, employee assistance program
• Free employee parking on Bedford and Lowell campuses
• Eligibility towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Location: Lowell and Bedford Campuses

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, schedule to be determined upon hire. This position will be eligible for a maximum of two days of telework in accordance with the College's telework policy.

Expected Start Date: April 2023

Application Deadline: February 24, 2023

About Middlesex Community College

At Middlesex Community College, everyone teaches, everyone learns. Collaborative in nature and innovative in practice, we educate, engage, and empower a diverse community of learners. Through transformative opportunities, we challenge and support every student to succeed and lead. Recognizing equity and inclusion as the foundation for excellence and creativity, Middlesex Community College meets the evolving educational, civic and workforce needs of our local and global communities.

Connections working at Middlesex Community College