Careers Job Description
General Description
MISSION
The CUNY Office of K-16 Initiatives was established in 2016 as the home for a group of new and existing programs that create innovative pathways for young New Yorkers to envision and achieve success. We are home to a group of programs that share a common goal: helping NYC students make a successful transition to college, career, and life beyond. The Office of K-16 Initiatives supports the city's commitment to equity by ensuring high quality programs help eliminate achievement gaps between racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. Within the Office of K-16 Initiatives, Freedom Prep is a College Transition Program for court-involved students. Freedom Prep provides a supported, structured on-ramp to college for currently and formerly incarcerated and court-involved young people age 16-24.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Freedom Prep seeks a Matriculation and Advisement Specialist. The person in this role will meet with students throughout their participation in Freedom Prep and engage program alumni to help counsel future education decisions, collaborate with CUNY campus opportunity programs and supports, and refer students to resources that will help meet basic needs and establish stability. Freedom Prep provides participants with a path to long-term stability through reconnection to education and post-secondary opportunities. Freedom Prep is expanding our application and matriculation support for students through the new Matriculation and Advisement Specialist role. The ideal candidate will have appropriate social services training and a passion for helping some of NYC’s most vulnerable youth.
Other Duties
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Matriculation and Advisement Specialist will be responsible for connecting with over 120 Freedom Prep alumni and currently enrolled students, and will be their primary point of contact as they complete the semester and make decisions about next steps. The person in this role will also be responsible for communicating with Freedom Prep partner Community Based Organizations that refer and support students. The goal is to create an intensive, clear and structured set of steps so students can achieve their post-secondary goals.
The Matriculation and Advisement Specialist will be responsible for:
- Reaching out to and developing relationships with Freedom Prep alumni to determine their current educational situation and goals and supporting them with next steps for post-secondary education goals.
- Reaching out to and developing relationships with students currently enrolled in Freedom Prep to support their participation and determining next steps for post-secondary educational goals.
- Being available to alumni as needed once they have matriculated to provide support and connecting them to campus opportunity programs.
- Providing support and counseling throughout the application and matriculation process.
- Reaching out to and working with Community Based Organization partners to support students.
- Developing relationships across CUNY campuses to support student application, matriculation and success.
- Creating meticulous data and tracking systems for communication with all Freedom Prep students and alumni.
- Working closely with the CUNY Research and Evaluation Program (REPS) to assess and evaluate impact and outcomes.
- Creating student friendly informational materials, both paper and digital, for applying to CUNY.
- Keeping track of changes in educational policies both at CUNY and on the city, state and federal level that affect Court-Involved students.
- Traveling to CUNY campuses to meet with students, instructors, campus support staff and partners as needed.
- Planning and hosting alumni and recruitment events.
- Serving as thought partner to continue to build and grow Freedom Prep with Project Director.
Other Duties
- Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required in social work, education or related field, Master’s degree preferred.
- A minimum of five years of successful professional experience as a college advisor, youth development specialist, counselor or educator working directly with court-involved and/or extremely vulnerable students and young people.
- A demonstrated commitment to empowering court involved students to succeed in college.
- A demonstrated passion for working with court-involved students and understanding the systemic barriers that may have impeded their educational progress.
- Demonstrated experience creating and managing data and tracking systems.
- Outstanding organizational skills, strong attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time effectively and respond quickly to various requests.
- Ability to foster positive working relationships; creative, appreciative approach with a sense of humor.
- Proven ability to work effectively with others in order to achieve results.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point & Outlook).
Physical Demands and Environment Requirements
- Ability to travel to other CUNY and partner sites as needed.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this position currently is a remote (work-from-home) position. The location of the position in the near future will operate in a professional office environment. Laptop and other equipment will be provided to support working remotely.
EEO Info
We are committed to enhancing our diverse academic community by actively encouraging people of any race, color, religion, gender, gender identities or expressions, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disabilities, age, or protected veteran status to apply. We take pride in our pluralistic community and continue to seek excellence through diversity and inclusion. CUNY is an EEO/AA Employer.
Compensation
Commensurate with experience
How To Apply
Position open until filled.
RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and AccrualsAbout the Research Foundation
The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) was established as a not-for-profit educational corporation chartered by the State of New York in 1963. RFCUNY supports CUNY faculty and staff in identifying and obtaining external support (pre-award) from government and private sponsors and is responsible for the administration of all such funded programs (post-award).
RFCUNY stands between CUNY’s principal investigators (PIs) and the sponsors who support them and strives to fulfill its essential responsibilities to both groups. Working closely with individual PIs and Grants Officers on the campuses, RFCUNY oversees employment, accounting, audit, reporting, purchasing, and special responsibilities that include management of a planned giving program; liaison with governmental agencies and foundations; negotiation of agreements; facility construction and renovation; protection and commercialization of intellectual property; and compliance with applicable standards in research involving human subjects, animal care, environmental and radiological safety, and conflicts of interest.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Key Features
CUNY Freedom Prep
Full Time
Depends on Qualifications
Jun 21, 2021 (Or Until Filled)