Student Programs Specialist (In-House Only)

Salary : $59,392.53 - $80,072.94 Annually
Location : Costa Mesa, CA
Job Type: Classified Staff
Job Number: O-029-24
Division: Orange Coast College
Department: SS/EOPS
Opening Date: 02/05/2024
Closing Date: 3/15/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
Definition
(ON-CAMPUS - in-person position)
IN-HOUSE ONLY:
This position is open to internal permanent and temporary Coast Community College District (CCCD) employees to apply. External candidates are not eligible to apply. If you are not a current active employee with CCCD, please do not apply at this time.
Orange Coast College (OCC) is seeking equity-minded individuals for a classified employee role as a Student Programs Specialistunder the Counseling Division, as part of the EOPS/CARE department.
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. Orange Coast College (OCC) was founded in 1947 with the mission to serve the educational needs of a diverse local and global community. The College empowers students to achieve their goals by providing high-quality, culturally responsive, and innovative programs and services through pathways leading to degrees, transfers, certificates, foundational skills, workforce development, and lifelong learning. The College promotes student development, learning, and equitable outcomes by fostering a respectful, inclusive, caring, and participatory campus climate of student engagement and academic inquiry.
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). Additionally, OCC is an officially designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and has an eligibility designation as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI).
D.E.I.A. - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-RacismThe Coast Community College District (Orange Coast College, Golden West College, and Coastline) continues to strengthen our efforts around diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and anti-racism. Orange Coast College is focused on creating a culture of inclusive excellence by uplifting employees and students through an environment that is equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible. We have a strong focus and importance on D.E.I.A. and Anti-Racism (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility) and will be actively listening, assessing, and evaluating this throughout each stage of the application, recruitment, and interview process.

• Orange Coast College - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Page
• Orange Coast College - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility Plan (DEIA)

Ideal candidates for this position share OCC's devotion to educating and improving the lives of our representative students, employees, and community populations. We currently enroll 17,102 students, the majority of whom are from racially minoritized populations: 36% of OCC's students are Latinx, 2% are African-American, 25% are Asian, less than 1% Native American, 29% are White, and 5% are multiracial.
Orange Coast College Employee-Student Demographic Information
Direct Link:
Department Specifics:
The Student Programs Specialist in this particular assignment provides a variety of complex technical duties such as clerical, registration, record maintenance, outreach, and program support for students applying for and actively engaged in the programs. Programs such as EOPS, CARE, CalWORKs, and Foster Youth are state-sponsored and designed to attract and retain economically and socially disadvantaged, and otherwise, at-risk students into higher education.
About OCC's Cooperative Agencies & Resources for Education (CARE)
The Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) program provides resources and support necessary for disadvantaged single parent students to improve their educational opportunities and seek to enhance their employability and establish self-sufficiency through enrollment and completion of a degree or job training program.
About OCC's Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS)
EOPS is designed to provide additional support to students with economic and academic barriers to their education. The goal of the EOPS program is to increase the number of underrepresented students enrolled in community colleges. EOPS provides "over and above" services to eligible full-time students that assist in reaching their academic, personal, and career goals. Under the EOPS umbrella, we also have the Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) program designed for single parents.
Summary
Provides administrative and technical support to special funded programs and activities that reach out to economically disadvantaged students and contribute to enrollment, school readiness, and retention. Serves as the first point of contact for inquiries and assists with outreach, registration, courses, and targeted services to student and community groups. Distinguishing Career Features The Student Programs Specialist provides clerical and program support for students applying for and actively engaged in the programs. Programs such as EOPS, CARE, CalWORKs, and Foster Youth are state-sponsored and designed to attract and retain economically and socially disadvantaged, and otherwise, at-risk students into higher education. The Specialist serves in an outreach capacity to support a program.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Specific duties may vary among departments, divisions, and jobs. Incumbents typically perform a substantial portion or all of the following types of duties, as assigned:

• Provides information to potential students regarding extended opportunity programs, application procedures, and college enrollment, along with referral to other services. In addition, assists with applications to related student services including first-time college, concurrent employment, and student co-curricular activities.
• Provides intake of students. Determines eligibility of students. Reviews financial and other information and applies guidelines for acceptance. Certifies continuing eligibility of students receiving services.
• Conducts and coordinates outreach activities targeting economically disadvantaged students eligible for financial aid assistance and/or services. Assists students with enrollment, including inputting data into student databases.
• Distributes and delivers advertisements, brochures, newsletters, informational materials, and other media to promote interest in special programs such as EOPS, CARE, CalWORKs, NextUp, and Guardian Scholars.
• Collects and records statistical and demographic information about potential and current students. Inputs data onto an automated information system using established data entry screens, including information used for determining funding levels. Prepares, organizes, and maintains a variety of comprehensive and confidential files and records. Establishes and maintains records of student contact. Inputs student data and follows up as needed with telephone calls and correspondence.
• Coordinates and participates in day-to-day student service operations for the program's students. Monitors and disseminates services balancing workflow and priorities. Provides support to students concerning class schedules, career goals, instructors, and academic progress. Assists students in resolving problems and in communicating effectively with others.
• Refers students to various community employment and social service organizations, employment/unemployment offices, and other local businesses. Provides case management oversight and direct service to program participants. Meets with appropriate campus departments including administration, instruction, EOPS/CARE, Guardian Scholars, NextUp, CalWORKs, Financial Aid, Counseling, Special Services, Student Health Center, Career & Transfer, and Enrollment Services for collaborative support of foster youth students and appropriate referrals for services.
• Coordinates all planning, organizing, and providing a variety of student support services, workshops, and advisory board meetings.
• Communicates with student services personnel, faculty, and student body groups to exchange information and coordinate activities. Provides information and assistance to students, staff, faculty, administrators, and others concerning student success and support objectives. Participates in advocating and resolving student issues relating to assessment and orientation.
• Assists with hiring, training, and providing work direction to assigned student workers, peer counselors, and volunteer staff. Resolves performance issues as needed.
• Maintains currency of knowledge and skills related to the duties and responsibilities.
• Assists with developing and implementing program objectives, student service outcomes, assessment measures, policies, and procedures.
• Attends and presents at conferences, workshops, seminars, and other professional development activities for technical training, updates on program requirements, and current information related to programs, as well as outreach and recruitment purposes.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with community partners to increase student community resources.
• Attends meetings with community partners, produces end-of-year narrative for the state, and advisor for the EOPS/CARE/Guardian Scholars Club.
• Creates, updates, and monitors counselor schedules in the SARs database.
• 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.

Qualifications and Physical Demands
Knowledge and Skills

• Requires working knowledge of state-funded programs and resources encompassing socially and economically disadvantaged students with an emphasis on foster youth services, juvenile court system, and trauma-informed best practices.
• Requires knowledge of methods, practices, terminology, guidelines, and procedures used in the college foster youth processes and the students served within these services.
• Requires working knowledge of higher education certificate and degree requirements that can accommodate disadvantaged students.
• Requires a working knowledge of Title 5, EOPS, and other related state regulations.
• Requires knowledge of the social and cultural programs that can enhance student retention.
• Requires a working knowledge of funding sources and requirements, as well as the services that may be available to students from other agencies including, but not limited to, Chafee Grant, AB12, SB1023, and other financial aid compliance reporting.
• Requires sufficient human relations skills to convey technical concepts to students, exercise patience, and make presentations to secondary schools and outside agencies.
• Requires sufficient language and writing skills to prepare reports and correspondence.
• Requires working knowledge of common office productivity software such as student databases, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation graphics.
• Requires math skills sufficient to maintain financial and statistical records.

Abilities

• Requires the ability to perform the essential responsibilities and functions of the position.
• Requires the ability to implement programs and services that enhance disadvantaged student admission, retention, and outplacement into the job market.
• Requires the ability to demonstrate sensitivity to a diverse population of individuals.
• Requires the ability to determine student eligibility to participate in special-funded programs by interpreting rules and regulations.
• May require the ability to perform work assignments at all college locations and off-campus settings.
• Requires the ability to maintain productive and cooperative working relationships with others.

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 and demonstrated evidence of D.E.I.A. (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility):

• The position typically requires an Associate's degree in social science or education and two years of experience working with special populations.
  • Additional experience may substitute for some higher education.
  • A Bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology, human services, or a related field and experience in psychology, counseling, social and behavioral sciences, communication, and/or trauma-informed care is preferred.

Or, any combination of education and experience which would provide the required equivalent qualifications for the position.

AND

• Demonstrated evidence of responsiveness to and understanding of the racial, ethnic, dis...