Student Retention Specialist (IN-HOUSE ONLY)

IN-HOUSE ONLY:  
This position is open to internal permanent Coast Community College District (CCCD) employees to apply.  External candidates, short-term, professional experts, student assistants, and part-time faculty are not eligible to apply.  If you are not a current employee with CCCD, please do not apply at this time.
About Orange Coast College (OCC)
Orange Coast College's 164-acre campus is located in Costa Mesa just minutes from Southern California's beautiful beaches. Founded in 1947, with classes beginning in 1948, OCC has grown into one of the nation's largest -- and finest -- community colleges.  OCC has an unwavering commitment to equitable outcomes; inclusive practices; and rich racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity. Ideal candidates for this position share OCC's devotion to educating and improving the lives of our representative student, employee, and community populations. Ideal candidates for this position share OCC's devotion to educating and improving the lives of our representative student, employee, and community populations. We currently enroll 18,705 students, the majority of whom are from racially minoritized populations: 34% of OCC's students are Latinx, 2% are African- American, 25% are Asian, less than 1% Native American, 30% are White, and 5% are multiracial. OCC engages in a variety of professional development opportunities and partnerships so that we can serve disproportionately impacted groups. Student-centered activities that support OCC's mission include campus-wide student success projects funded by the Office of Student Equity; partnerships with local Hispanic Serving four-year institutions; active programs that work to improve the academic achievement of racially minoritized students, such as PUENTE and UMOJA; Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) and Disabled Student Program and Services (DSPS).  
The Student Retention Specialist is part of the Success Matters team and works closely with the Future Pirate Team (outreach and onboarding) in supporting first-year students' transition to the college.  The position also works closely with a cross-functional team and collaborates with other departments to develop and implement retention strategies for ensuring student success, including coordinator registration workshops and communication campaigns.  An important part of this position is the collaboration with faculty and academic affairs professionals to support the college's early alert efforts.
Orange Coast College Employee Demographic Information:
Direct Link:  OCC Employee-Student Demographics      
Summary
Assists students in making informed college major and career choices. Monitors students’ satisfactory academic progress to receive timely feedback on those having difficulty succeeding. Works with the student, faculty, and other academic skills specialists to offer resources and interventions that enhance success.

• Works with counselors and other student outreach services staff and faculty, assists students with orientations and acclimation to college life, and assists with developing and monitoring retention plans for ensuring student success.

• Monitors academic reporting systems for the early alert to students’ performance and academic progress risk, thus identifying those whose behaviors indicate a lack of academic success strategies.

• Analyzes retention and attrition data to identify trends and potential solutions. Notifies counselors and faculty of student issues relating to performance, probation, and potential disqualifications.

• Prepares and implements intervention plans to work with at-risk students by connecting them with support staff and other resources to improve academic standing. Provides timely feedback to students about their academic progress.

• Assists and refers students for academic skills assistance, including tutoring, counseling, and/or career guidance. Assists students to connect with advocate peers and draw upon support services such as counseling, financial aid, and targeted student resources.

• Assists with coordinating and conducting group orientations including connecting students with co-curricular activities, athletics, student leadership, and peer-to-peer relationships. May coordinate services such as online workshops.

• 
  Prepares communications such as announcements and newsletters to promote student success programs, events, activities, and initiatives.
  

• Provides direction to students for navigating academic and non-academic resources on campus, online, and in the community, including but not limited to, Steps to Success and other core services of assessment and education plans.

• Provides advising services with a focus on persistence and completion, career readiness, academic and social integration, and transfer options. Trains students in techniques to monitor their own progress toward achieving educational, personal, and career goals.

• Working with Information Technology, marketing, and other departments, develops content and maintains portions of the college’s Student Retention Program webpage.

• Maintains documentation of student interactions with counselors and faculty. Compiles, data and generates standardized reports, and prepares documentation for program files and individual student records.

• Researches successful college/university retention programs to identify policies, practices, procedures, and consequences of academic standing impacting the transfer process. Makes recommendations based on best practices identified through research.

• Assists with and may coordinate special projects that contribute to the college’s retention goals.

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  Works with faculty and other community college and university counselors to remain current with the transferability of courses, majors, and admissions requirements.
  

• Performs other related duties as assigned that support the objective of the position.

• Required to abide by all District policies and procedures including Board Policy 3050 – Code of Professional Ethics.

• Knowledge and Skills
  • Requires working knowledge of student advising and retention strategies and of data-driven methods to identify students who may be at risk of not continuing.
  • Requires working knowledge of the transfer and occupational programs offered through higher education.
  • Requires working knowledge of admissions/enrollment policies and procedures, graduation and certificate requirements.
  • Requires knowledge of and skill at using personal computer-aided applications for office productivity, research, decision support, and preparation of communications materials.
  • Requires sufficient math skills to read and understand statistical concepts.
  • Requires well-developed knowledge of and skill at using English grammar.
  • Requires well-developed human relations skills to make in-service presentations to student audiences and to facilitate discussions with students and faculty.

• Abilities
  • Requires the ability to perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the position.
  • Requires the ability to provide technical career-related information and assistance to students and the community.
  • Requires the ability to conduct research, identify and organize data, and make data-driven judgments.
  • Requires the ability to interview and develop working relationships with students.
  • Requires the ability to apply motivational interviewing techniques with students to encourage engagement.
  • Requires the ability to apply principles of positive reinforcement and goal setting.
  • Requires the ability to access and document student files and ensure the privacy of information.
  • Requires the ability to communicate in a professional manner, in both formal and informal settings with students, faculty, and staff.
  • Requires the ability to respond to a diverse set of cultures, ethnic groups socio-economic groups, and their interests.

• Physical Abilities
  • The general physical demands, working conditions, and essential job functions associated with this classification will be kept on file with the Office of Human Resources.
  • Essential functions will vary by position.
  • As defined by Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), the District shall engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process with employees or employment applicants who are requesting or are in need of reasonable accommodations and, provide reasonable accommodations for employees or employment applicants who, because of their disability, are limited in or unable to perform one or more of the essential functions of their job in accordance with applicable state and federal law.

• Education and Experience
  • The position typically requires a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in guidance or counseling and one year of program-based experience, which may be concurrent with education, working with student-centered programs, community, and college resources, preferably in a college setting. Or, any combination of education and experience which would meet the required equivalent qualifications for the position.

• Licenses and Certificates
  • May require a valid driver's license.

• Working Conditions
  • Work is performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

IN-HOUSE ONLY:  
This position is open to internal permanent Coast Community College District (CCCD) employees to apply.  External candidates, short-term, professional experts, student assistants, and part-time faculty are not eligible to apply.  If you are not a current employee with CCCD, please do not apply at this time.
This is an IN-HOUSE ONLY -  temporary, categorically-funded, full-time, 12-months per year classified position.  The District reserves the right to extend, modify, or eliminate this position based upon available funds.  The normal hours of work will be Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with the flexibility to occasionally work extended hours and/or weekends, if necessary, to meet the needs of the department.  The effective date of employment will be arranged with the supervisor.  (Salary Range EE-118) 
 
Regular attendance is considered an essential job function; the inability to meet attendance requirements may preclude the employee from retaining employment. The person holding this position is considered a mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in Coast Community College District policies, procedures, and Title IX. (Reference: BP/AP 5910 ) The Coast Community College District celebrates all forms of diversity and is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Individuals interested in advancing the District's strategic diversity goals are strongly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.
PAY PHILOSOPHY:
Coast Community College District, through policies, practices, and other benefit programs, delivers a fair and equitable total compensation program that promotes equal employment opportunity, inclusion, and workforce vitality.  In general, it is the policy of the District to place new employees at the first step of the salary grade.  All movement on the salary schedule will occur July 1 of each year for all classified employees. 
 
The deadline to apply is October 1, 2021. Application materials must be electronically submitted online at http://www.cccd.edu/employment . Incomplete applications and application materials submitted by mail will not be considered.       

Applications must be received no later than the posted closing date. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. Electronic applications may be completed by visiting http ://www.cccd.edu/employment.   Once you have completed an electronic application, you may apply to open positions within the Coast Community College District by submitting the application and all other required materials. Required materials differ for each open position and must be complete when submitted for a specific posting.  Instructions for completing applications and applying to posted positions are available online or by calling Applicant Processing at (714) 438-4714.
 
Application Requirements:
To be considered for employment you must submit a complete application packet. A complete application packet includes:

• A complete online Classified/Management Employment Application.
• A current resume. (Attached as a separate document.)
• A cover letter highlighting your qualifications for the desired position. (Attached as a separate document.)
• Answers to Supplemental Questions. (clear and detailed responses required as they will be carefully evaluated to determine the most qualified candidate(s) to be invited for an interview; please do not paste your resume, or put "see resume" or "N/A", or leave blank).