Coordinator of Placements, Partnerships and Professional Practice – School of Education

Duquesne University•Pittsburgh, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The primary responsibility of the Coordinator of Placements, Partnerships, and Professional Practice is to effectively support the Assistant Dean for Placements, Partnerships, and Professional Practice (ADP4). This includes supporting placement of undergraduate and graduate students and acting as liaison with schools and educational organizations in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and program-specific accrediting bodies. The Coordinator is a 12-month position that reports directly the ADP4. This position has a specific emphasis in assisting the work of field placments to foster professional relationships in local school districts. This position is also responsible for clerical work and day-to-day operations in support of field placements. The Coordinator will work with a student worker in day-to-day operations. Limited local travel and evening and weekend hours may occassionally be required. The Coordinator of Placements, Partnerships, and Professional Practice will coordinate efforts with the ADP4, the Associate Dean for Teacher Education, and the Director of Initial Certification. The Coordinator’s administrative duties will be evaluated annually by the ADP4.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in education, educational administration, or related field and three years of relevant experience working with schools.
Alternatively, the successful candidate may possess any equivalent combination of experience and training, which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions.
Demonstrates competence in problem solving.
Demonstrates ability to recommend changes in systems.
Demonstrates the capacity to work within the timeframes of the School of Education and the University as a whole.
Demonstrates strong customer service approach that centers stakeholders and de-escalates concerns.
Demonstrates leadership skills in strengthening working relationships, purpose, and direction within placement processes.
Demonstrates ability to think strategically and transform strategy into results to build a strong student placement experience.
Demonstrates the capacity to collaborate in a professional manner within the School of Education and across educational settings.
Demonstrates understanding of sensitivity to the organizational structures of the institution and the relationships needed to negotiate those structures.
Demonstrates excellent professional communication skills, including oral and written communication. Manages a large volume of communication.
Demonstrates ability to use computer and data systems and willingness to learn new systems.
Maintains confidentiality when working with student records and personally identifiable information.
Demonstrates ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the School of Education and University community.
Demonstrates ability to work in ways that align with mission and vision of School of Education and Duquesne University.
Demonstrates ability and willingness to contribute actively to the mission of the University and to respect the Spiritan Catholic identity of Duquesne University. The mission is implemented through a commitment to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community.

Responsibilities

Support all aspects of student placement, including but not limited to collecting and reviewing placement applications, identifying school sites and educational organizations, negotiating placeholders for future placements, finalizing placements, and communicating placement details to students, schools, and faculty.
Assist the work of the ADP4 to develop and maintain professional relationships with local school districts, administrators, faculty, school supervisors, teachers, and other contacts in the community on behalf of both undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Education.
Collaborate with ADP4 and Director of Database Management to develop and improve sustainable data system.
Update and maintain school contact list.
Utilize data systems and run reports to implement and track placements and student progress.
Assist ADP4 in coordinating and supporting professional development, seminars, workshops, meetings, portfolio planning, and events for students, faculty, mentor teachers, and university supervisors in consultation with faculty.
Monitor data from student teaching to identify those who may require additional supports and notifies the ADP4 accordingly. Coordinates support meetings.
Collaborate with ADP4 to conduct site visits at regional schools, meetings, and conferences as needed to build relationships.
Coordinate the process of securing and maintaining school affiliation agreements.
Coordinate and support Memorandum of Understandings with schools outside region to support student placements. Collaborate with other universities if the need for a courtesy placement arises.
Coordinate with Associate Dean for Teacher Education and Director for Assessment and Accreditation in relation to PDE and accreditation reporting requirements for placements.
Monitor for potential issues in placements and provide information to ADP4 to help determine course of action for problems that arise.
Support handbook and policy updates.
Maintain resources and sites for documents for student teachers, mentor teachers, supervisors, and faculty.
Support coordination of international student teaching experiences.
Prepare paperwork to initiate payments (e.g., mentor teacher stipend payments, payments to university supervisors, stipends from Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)).
Prepare, track, and monitor disbursement of budget funds (e.g., supplies, stipends for cooperating teachers and supervisors, PHEAA).
Keep up to date with PDE programs and requirements (e.g., Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency). Disseminate communication regarding these programs and support ADP3 in implementing programs within the School of Education.
Participate in the School District-University Collaborative (SDUC) by attending meetings and collaborating with ADP4 around SDUC initiatives.
Coordinate with School of Education and Duquesne University staff in support of duties.
Completes other duties as assigned (i.e., sending out holiday cards, collecting applications for awards).