Upward Bound Academic Specialist

$73,240 - $93,475/Yr

Mt. San Antonio College - Walnut, CA

Full-time - Entry Level

Walnut, CA

Educational Services

About the position

The Upward Bound Academic Specialist at Mt. San Antonio College is responsible for providing academic support services to first-generation, low-income high school students. This role involves advising students on educational programs, facilitating tutoring sessions, and developing relationships with community and school personnel to promote student success. The specialist will also assist in organizing various educational activities and programs aimed at preparing students for college enrollment.

Responsibilities

• Provide pre-collegiate educational guidance and assistance to 9-12 grade students by recommending courses that meet high school graduation and a-g requirements.
• Facilitate and implement after-school, weekend, and other tutoring sessions.
• Conduct workshop presentations, enrichment activities, and facilitate one-on-one and group sessions.
• Conduct quarterly needs assessments for participants and monitor individualized educational plans prior to college enrollment.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships between the program, community, and target school personnel.
• Assist Upward Bound Program Coordinator with activities such as Saturday Academy, after-school tutoring, campus tours, field trips, and cultural activities.
• Maintain a caseload of students and provide advising and academic support.
• Assess the needs of participants and monitor education plans for each participant prior to college admission.
• Track and monitor participant activities to ensure appropriate services are provided for educational success.
• Obtain grade reports and test scores for all project participants to monitor academic progress.
• Assist with recruitment of eligible participants into the program and develop a waitlist of qualified potential participants.
• Meet regularly with parents/guardians of participating students and design/present workshops for parent groups.
• Assist with planning and supervising annual trips to visit colleges/universities.
• Contribute to and actively support efforts of the Upward Bound and TRIO staff through meetings and program planning.
• Participate in professional development activities, including conferences and training opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a network of academic and career resources for the benefit of the program and participants.
• Assume a major role in one or more components of the summer program.
• Promote an environment of belonging related to diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, anti-racism, and accessibility.
• Provide quality customer service when interacting with the public, vendors, students, and College staff.

Requirements

• Equivalent to Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with major course work in education psychology, social work or a closely related field.
• 2-4 years directly related experience advising and working for a program focused on the retention and academic performance of low-income secondary students from diverse backgrounds.

Nice-to-haves

• Fluent in Spanish.
• Knowledge of policies and procedures of the Department of Education legislation and regulations governing TRIO programs.
• Experience working with an Upward Bound or similar TRIO Program.
• Blumen (database) experience.
• Experience with policies and procedures relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, anti-racism, and accessibility preferably in a minority serving institution.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits for eligible employees and their dependents.
• Lifetime supplemental medical benefits for eligible retirees.
• Annual premium contributions for family coverage equivalent to Kaiser Permanente, DeltaCare HMO dental, VSP vision, and life insurance plans.
• Participation in Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and State Teachers' Retirement System (STRS) retirement programs.