Dean, Counseling and Special Programs

Ohlone College • Fremont Campus and/or Newark Center, CA

5d

About The Position

The Dean of Counseling and Special Programs is responsible for administering the operations of the District’s counseling department, disabled student services, EOP&S program, the transfer center, orientation services, student recruitment, and student success initiatives. This role involves approving all personnel actions, managing budgetary funds, and ensuring the implementation of executive goals within the supervised areas. The position requires a leader who is experienced, equity-minded, collaborative, and student-centered, with a strong understanding of counseling and Student Services within the California Community Colleges. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to lead and support faculty, classified professionals, and administrators; manage complex programs, budgets, compliance requirements, and institutional priorities; and build trust across diverse constituencies. The successful candidate values shared governance, uses data and assessment to guide continuous improvement, and understands the importance of integrated student support services in removing barriers and improving student access, persistence, transfer, and completion. The candidate is an effective advocate for students and employees, embraces technology and innovation, and fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, culturally responsive service, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Possession of a Master's degree
• One year of formal training, internship, or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrator’s administrative assignment
• Commitment to community college goals/objectives of being an equity-based and anti-racist institution, and providing quality programs and services for culturally, socio-economically, ethnically, and academically diverse students and students with disabilities
• Personal qualities to work effectively and with sensitivity in a multicultural environment
• Awareness of and commitment to the needs of non-traditional and/or re-entry students with diverse abilities and interests
• Evidence of responsiveness to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, as these factors relate to the need for equity-minded practices.

Nice To Haves

• Experience serving as, or working closely with, counseling faculty and staff within the California Community Colleges.
• Understanding of and commitment to the principles and practices of shared governance.
• Experience supporting instructional, counseling, and Student Services programs within a community college environment.
• Knowledge of Title 5 requirements and other applicable regulations governing counseling and special programs.
• Effective written and oral communication skills and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with diverse constituencies within and outside the District.
• Knowledge and understanding of institutional frameworks, including learning communities and other integrated student support models, designed to remove systemic barriers, close achievement gaps, and provide comprehensive wraparound resources for disproportionately impacted students.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in advocating for students, Student Services programs, faculty, and staff within institutional decision-making and resource allocation processes.
• Proven ability to implement, evaluate, and continuously improve new and existing technologies that effectively and accurately support the operational and service needs of Student Services programs, faculty, and staff.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, develop, and evaluate counseling and Student Services programs, including personnel, operations, budgets and resources, compliance, and continuous improvement, to effectively meet evolving student needs.
• Knowledge of and experience with state reporting systems and accountability platforms, such as VAR, NOVA, and SARC.

Responsibilities

• Directs the implementation of departmental policy changes, policy modifications, the development of new curriculum, changes to curriculum, special assignments, action plans, and institutional effective plans to obtain short- and long-term objectives for all areas under responsibility.
• Ensures that all programs under responsibility, instructional activities, policies and procedures are in compliance with state/federal/local regulations and collective bargaining agreements.
• Provides administrative oversight of the Transfer Center and collaborates with the Transfer Center Director/Counselor responsible for coordinating its day-to-day operations.
• Authorizes departmental personnel action.
• Approves of student success in reach strategies to provide support services for students.
• Approves outreach and orientation initiatives, workshops, and events.
• Approves the use of financial resources for all departments and areas under responsibility.
• Ensures that required assessments are completed for all departments under responsibility.
• Participates in the District’s recruitment process to hire full time and part time staff; recommends the hire of full-time certificated staff to the student services executive.
• Analyzes employee performance to develop performance evaluations and address performance issues for faculty, classified staff, and administrators under responsibility.
• Apportions work amongst subordinate administrators, certificated staff, classified staff, and unclassified staff to ensure that the needs of all areas under responsibility are being met.
• Engages in employee discipline.
• Approves paid time off for all employees under supervision.
• Directs the preparation of various federal, state, county, and District reports to ensure compliance with regulatory report deadlines.
• Ensures that grant guidelines and outcomes are being met.
• Effectively engage and support historically minoritized groups by addressing issues of equity and improving culturally responsive service-oriented practices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Management employees typically advance one step on the salary schedule each year and have the potential to reach the current maximum step of $203,103.00 annually.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager