DescriptionSierra College is committed to increasing student achievement, shortening time-to-goal completion, and closing equity gaps through the implementation of Guided Pathways. In that spirit, the Executive Dean, Student Equity and Completion, is responsible for ensuring that areas of oversight afford an inclusive educational environment, focused on equitable outcomes for all. This position will serve as the dynamic and innovative leader for the college’s equity and completion efforts; establish a shared vision for providing systemic access, support, and opportunities to underrepresented and underserved student populations; and promote a culture of inclusion and belonging. To ensure that equity and student completion is fully integrated in the college’s transformational redesign efforts under the Guided Pathways framework, this position works in partnership with the Executive Dean of Student Success. The position will also work in close collaboration with other campus and community stakeholders and committees to determine and apply measures of success by which to close, and ultimately eliminate, the college’s equity gaps. The position reports to the Vice President of Instruction and the Vice President of Student Services.
Sierra College has a strong commitment to the achievement of equity and inclusion among its faculty, staff and students and values the rich diverse backgrounds that make up the campus community. The Executive Dean must demonstrate a profound understanding of and experience with successfully supporting individuals with varying backgrounds. This includes former foster youth, first-generation students, persons with disabilities, undocumented scholars, individuals from historically underrepresented communities, various gender identities, sexual orientation, and other groups to ensure the District provides strategies for success and pro-active, student-centered practices and policies committed to eliminating equity gaps.
Need Help With Your Online Account?- Use the online Help Guide or contact the NEOED Applicants Support Line at 855-524-5627 if you need assistance with your online applicant account.
- Applicant Support is available between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
Examples Of Functions and Tasks ESSENTIAL The following duties are typical for this job classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide executive leadership in the implementation of the college’s Equity and Student Completion Guided Pathways Strategic Plan, ensuring an equity-mindset is applied throughout design, implementation, evaluation and assessment processes;In support of District wide goals, make recommendations to the college planning process to address equity gaps through the employment of initiatives such as campus climate engagement, culturally responsive teaching and programming, historical trauma and cultural healing work, and the promotion of a campus culture of well-being, belonging, and respect.Work collaboratively with Executive Dean of Student Success and the college community, including Institutional Research and Planning, to facilitate assessment, planning, and evaluation efforts to mitigate identified disparities. Understand current research and apply data to address barriers, including both qualitative and quantitative data, to support systemic initiatives that improve student experiences, access to resources, and goal completion.Support the campus community, including college leadership, in developing an understanding of equity and student success goals and initiatives; build support for district-wide efforts to close equity gaps, increase student success, and identify and mitigate organizational biases.Supervise assigned Instructional or Student Services departments or programs.Identify and create opportunities to capture student voices in planning processes for Guided Pathways and Equity initiatives and implementation.Provide leadership to ensure the college provides culturally responsive programming to meet the needs of students.Coordinate with Professional and Organizational Development to develop and provide equity and inclusion training for faculty, staff and students, with a goal of institutional skills development to successfully support our diverse student populations.Formulate and make recommendations to the college’s executive team regarding improvements to college policies, processes, procedures, and practices pertaining to the college’s goals of student completion and elimination of equity gaps.Work with Executive Dean of Student Success to coordinate and complete various collegiate plans and Chancellor’s Office reports.Coordinate with Executive Dean of Student Success and the Research and Planning Office to track and monitor disaggregated cohorts of entering students to identify loss and momentum points along students’ paths through college; highlight variations by course and/or program and facilitate appropriate review and response.Devise and monitor systems of evaluation that measure equity and success, report evaluative results regularly to the college community, and employ strategies for continuous improvement.In partnership with the Executive Dean of Student Success, work with members of the college community to promote grant-writing, development and fundraising activities specifically to enhance efforts in equity, student success, and completion.Serve as liaison to develop and maintain effective relationships with key internal and external community stakeholders around issues of equity and inclusion and student completion.Engage faculty and staff in collaborative processes to achieve goals related to creating a culture of assessment including inquiry, reflection, and ongoing improvement.Serve on workgroups and project teams as either a facilitator, sponsor, or participant to help guide and implement equity and student completion-related initiatives.Work with Professional Development and other campus entities to provide high profile campus events that promote equity and inclusion, provide institutionalized trainings for faculty and staff to become champions for the work of student equity and completion, and enhance a diverse and inclusive campus environment.Serve as needed as a member of the District negotiations team(s).Maintain active membership in relevant professional associates and attend relevant conferences, trainings and institutes to remain current in emerging trends.Perform related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: The following describes the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enter the job and successfully perform the assigned duties.
Education and Experience - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Minimum: A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in any related field and (1) year of experience related to the duties of the position.
Preferred: Any additional combination of three or more years of experience in student equity, instruction, and/or student services program administration or coordination; documentable evidence of negotiation skills and ability to work with a wide range of constituencies.
License or Certificate:
Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid driver’s license.
QUALIFICATIONS - The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.
Knowledge of:
- Contemporary diversity, equity, inclusion and multiculturalism concepts and issues;
- Equity data, metrics, and effective use of analytics;
- Guided Pathways principles, practices, challenges, and opportunities;
- Effective equity, inclusion, and student success practices in an educational setting;
- Federal and state regulations pertaining to student equity;
- Effective research methodologies, including needs assessments and methods for determining disproportionate impact;
- Project management techniques and design-thinking frameworks;
- Participatory governance, collaborative decision-making processes, and team management techniques;
- Leadership and management techniques including planning, organizing, assigning, and reviewing work; faculty and staff performance evaluation, recruitment and selection;
- Methods to successfully support individuals with varying backgrounds, which includes persons with disabilities, various gender identities, sexual orientation, individuals from historically underrepresented communities and other groups;
- Historical and systemic inequities and the effects and trauma on underrepresented and underserved populations;
- Basic computer software use (e.g.: Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
Ability to:
- Research best practices and lead equity and student completion initiatives and programs;
- Navigate complex and emotionally charged issues with divergent perspectives to result in successful resolution and action;
- Work collaboratively and build strong relationships with faculty, students, staff, governance entities, and colleagues to ensure broad stakeholder input, engagement and support;
- Work effectively and collaboratively across a complex organization to identify and mitigate organizational biases;
- Multi-task in a fast-paced environment;
- Read, interpret and apply relevant and related laws, regulations, and policies;
- Exercise initiative and creativity to meet a broad diversity of perspectives and needs;
- Maintain accurate and adequate records to meet internal/external analysis, audits, planning, and reporting requirements;
- Prepare oral and written reports and presentations;
- As appropriate, administer the District’s collective bargaining agreements.
- Apply an equity-minded framework and ensure programs, services and processes are designed and delivered to meet the varying needs of all students.
- Approach all duties of the position with an equity-minded perspective that supports and promotes inclusion and diversity while supporting effective calling in practices.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT - The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting
Physical: Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally walk, stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information.
Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and to operate assigned equipment.
Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.
Supplemental InformationWHY SIERRA? - One of Aspen Institute’s Top 150 Community Colleges in thenation
- The Accrediting Commission recognized Sierra “for its exemplary practice of providing personnel with opportunities for continued professional development in order to meet its mission.” This includes providing students and employees with a robust set of programs, events, and conferences related to equity-mindedness and supporting the success of our students, etc.
- Public Employee’s Retirement System (PERS)
- 18 paid holidays (including extended time off during the winter break)
- 22 accrued paid vacation days per year (vacation accrual increases over time)
- Competitive benefits package
- Currently during summers, some employee groups participate in 4x10 schedules
- Qualifying Employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (in most cases)
Sierra College is a Community College located near Sacramento, California where a heavy emphasis is placed on academic excellence and student success. Since its founding in 1936, Sierra College has focused on quality instruction and meeting the evolving needs of the students and communities that it serves. The Sierra Community College District covers more than 3,200 square miles and serves the Northern California foothill counties of Placer and Nevada, as well as parts of El Dorado and Sacramento. We serve over 17,000 students throughout the region in both on-ground and online courses, including students at our main Rocklin Campus as well as at three centers located in Grass Valley, Tahoe/Truckee, and Roseville. Our District prides itself on academic excellence.
Sierra College has a strong commitment to the achievement of equity and inclusion among its faculty, staff, and students and values the rich, diverse backgrounds that make up the campus community. A strong candidate for this position must demonstrate a profound understanding of and experience with successfully supporting individuals with varying backgrounds. This includes persons with disabilities, various gender identities and sexual orientations, as well as individuals from historically underrepresented communities and other groups. Our District is committed to providing strategies for success and proactive student-centered practices and policies focused on eliminating equity gaps to ensure the District provides an inclusive educational and employment environment focused on strategies for success and equitable outcomes for all.
As an institution, Sierra College is committed to eliminating the equity gap in all student populations with dynamic, learner-centered practices and policies that fully engage the college community. The ideal candidate will share the College’s commitment to helping its racially and socioeconomically diverse students succeed in their degree and career objectives. Currently, Sierra College enrolls 17,800 students per term, where approximately: 23% of Sierra College’s students are Latin(o)(a)(x)(e), 3% are African-American/Black, 2% are Filipino, 6% are Asian, 1% are American Indian/Alaskan Native, 8% are Multiethnic and 55% are White.
The successful candidate will join a College dedicated to the use of culturally responsive strategies and methods that meet the varying needs of our students, faculty, staff, and surrounding community. Sierra College demonstrates its commitment to equity by supporting ongoing professional development for students, faculty, and staff. These opportunities include trainings and workshops on equity and inclusion, active Academic Senate standing committees concerned with student success and equity, a Presidential Equity Advisory Committee (PEAC), culturally responsive student engagement centers, support for our undocumented and AB540 students, campus-wide equity summits, a robust set of programs, events, and conferences related to equity-mindedness and supporting the success of our diverse students.
Need Help With Your Online Account?- Use the online Help Guide or contact the NEOED Applicants Support Line at 855-524-5627 if you need assistance with your online applicant account.
- Applicant Support is available between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
Helpful Tip:Please note that as described above a strong candidate for this position must demonstrate a profound understanding of and experience with successfully supporting individuals with varying backgrounds; and therefore, hiring committees assess candidates for these knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Applicants may want to consider incorporating culturally-inclusive/equity-minded strategies practiced and/or evidence of the responsiveness to and understanding of the racial, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity of community college student populations throughout their application materials (including application and documents uploaded, if any).
Please see the Sierra College website for additional helpful tips and tools for prospective applicants .
Travel expenses may be partially reimbursed for candidates traveling beyond a 150 mile radius for second round interviews. All other travel expenses will be borne by the candidate (if in person interviews).Terms and Conditions of Employment: Other terms and conditions of employment are specified in the applicable collective bargaining agreements on file in the District Human Resources Department. Position description of record on file in the Human Resources Department.
*Sierra Community College District currently operates campuses in Rocklin, Roseville, Truckee and Grass Valley. In its management of a multi-campus environment, the District reserves right of assignment including the right to change assignment locations and shift assignments based on District need. Although this position may currently reside at the Rocklin campus, the assignment location may be subject to change as needed. Additionally, the district reserves the right to cancel, revise or re-announce this position as well as any and all positions at any time.
EEO / TITLE IX EMPLOYERSierra College is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to nondiscrimination and the achievement of diversity and equity among its faculty, staff, and students. Persons with inquiries about the application of Title IX and/or EEO may contact the Director of Diversity, EEO & Title IX (Title IX Coordinator) at the address below, at (916) 660-7006 or via email at EEOT9@sierracollege.edu .
Persons with questions regarding reasonable accommodation of physical and other disabilities should contact the Sierra College Human Resources Department at (916) 660-7105.
If you have limitations hearing or speaking, the State of California offers a specially-trained Communications Assistant (CA) that can relay telephone conversations for all of your calls. Dial 711 to reach the California Relay Service (CRS). Dialing 711 is for everyone, not just those who have difficulty hearing on a standard phone. If you prefer having your calls immediately answered in your mode of communication, dial one of the toll-free modality and language-specific numbers below. The call will be routed to the CRS provider.
TTY/VCO/HCO to Voice English 1-800-735-2929
Spanish 1-800-855-3000
Voice to TTY/VCO/HCO English 1-800-735-2922
Spanish 1-800-855-3000
From or to Speech-to- Speech English & Spanish 1-800-854-7784
Sierra Community College offers benefit packages to full-time employees including: family coverage health, dental and vision insurance, Public Employee's Retirement System (PERS) OR State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) retirement, income protection, life insurance, sick leave, vacation, and holidays as provided according to District policy.
Closing Date/Time: 10/2/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
