Program Manager- College Programs

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position as well as college program management experience.

The Office of Educational Opportunity Initiatives (EOI) is housed within the Division of Student Affairs at UM-Flint and equips students with the skills, support, and exposure necessary to succeed in college and beyond. Through its high-quality programs and holistic approach to student success, EOI advocates for underrepresented students at the University of Michigan-Flint, and the broader Flint community. EOI offers a range of College Access and Success programs, including Committed to Excellence & Opportunity, GEAR-UP, Promise Scholars, MPowering My Success, and new initiatives focused on First Generation Students. Each year, over 500 students and their families benefit from programs and services through EOI.

EOI recently revamped its College Success programs to improve retention, persistence, and graduation outcomes among its student participants. Through strategic collaboration with various campus units, and an increased emphasis on student engagement within high impact practices, EOI seeks to bolster its program effectiveness through evidence-based practices, data-driven decision making, and a laser-focus on holistic student care.

Central to this effort is the work of the College Program Manager position which is dedicated to managing the success of the Promise Scholars Program. This is a grant-funded position with annual renewals from the funding source.

Promise Scholars is a four-year cohort-based program or first-year undergraduate students provisionally admitted to UM-Flint. Each year, approximately 50 students are selected to participate in the Promise Scholars Program.

Oversight of the college level programs includes the following overarching responsibilities:

• Implementation of the EOI standardized program curriculum including clear processes for planning, implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of all program activity;
• Development of a multi-faceted outreach and engagement strategy targeting both prospective and current students, specifically Promise Scholars and transfer students;
• Establishment of an individual student success coaching process which aligns with the UM-Flint student advising procedures;
• Student and program-level tracking, analysis and reporting through campus-level data management systems, and
• Compliance with all grant requirements for the King Chavez Parks Competitive Grant Program, and other identified funding sources.

The College Program Manager will be supervised by the EOI Director. While this is an exempt position, the Program Manager is expected to maintain regular office hours, usually 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with periodic afternoon, early evening, and weekend, and overnight sessions with students. The College Program Manager is expected to conduct and participate regularly in and otherwise monitor such sessions.

Program Management

• Formalize communication and ongoing relationships with prospective students who are initially identified as Promise Scholars through the University of Michigan-Flint Admissions process.
• Provide programs and services supporting admitted Promise Scholars each semester ensuring satisfactory student progress at UM-Flint.
• Develop opportunities for Promise Scholars to engage with a variety of campus and community-wide stakeholders.
• Collaborate with the CEO program manager on the program design, implementation and evaluation.
• Oversee recruitment and selection processes of program participants and conducts appropriate screening and monitoring of all participants regarding their eligibility, attendance, and participation.
• Overall design, development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of assigned programs and their curriculum components in accordance with EOI and institutional directives as well as state legislation and guidelines, and other funding agencies' regulations. Assist in developing content for all required evaluation and performance reports.
• Design, Plan, implement and collaborate with campus departments to offer college student success workshops, mentoring experiences, community engagement opportunities to foster life-long learning, balance, resiliency, and high levels of academic achievement and baccalaureate degree completion among program participants.
• Provide programming in accordance with the EOI’s standardized program design including summer residential experiences and academic year programming engaging both incoming and current UM-Flint students.
• Establish engagement strategy connecting program participants with key campus and community partners in order to increase awareness of key resources and broaden their professional network.
• Align programming to support student participation in at least two of the following high impact practices: student leadership, study abroad, undergraduate research, or career-based internship.

Leadership

• Supervise the delivery of comprehensive direct student services such as academic success coaching, mentoring program, career guidance, civic engagement projects, general academic assistance, and promote academic decision-making skills leading to successful college graduation and/or graduate school admission. Execute content delivery to select participants on an as needed basis.
• Secure all appropriate material, resources, facilities, services and supplies for the implementation and delivery of effective programming.
• Actively participate in designated EOI, UM-Flint, and external committees, task forces, community agencies and related bodies, including appropriate professional associations and as otherwise assigned by the EOI Assistant Director.
• Serve as a member of the EOI Management Team, assumes shared responsibility for the overall success of EOI, and performs other duties as required by the EOI Director.

Budgeting, Grant Writing and Reporting

• Monitor all expenses in accordance with the approved budget. Maintain a ledger of all expenses and reconcile expense reports provided the Office of Sponsored Programs.
• Ensure that expenditures are directly related to implementation of project goals, objectives, and activities.
• Assist the EOI Director with identifying and writing proposals to increase funding support for college-level programs
• Prepare, write and submit timely reports to the EOI Director/Assistant Director and funding agencies.

Staff Supervision

• Supervise the Assistant Program manager on outreach, engagement, and events/activities for student population.
• Supervise and support temporary student staff.
• Identify, screen, and select appropriate staff in accordance with the practices, policies, and procedures of funding agencies and the University.
• Supervise program staff and conducts or provides for appropriate staff orientation, training, and technical assistance in accordance with EOI departmental guidelines.

Assessment and Evaluation

• Collect, aggregate, and analyze relevant program data to inform required evaluation and performance reports.
• Use Data management system to oversee program assessment efforts, including the following:
  • Developing and implementing meaningful, manageable, and sustainable assessment plans
  • Developing and articulating student learning outcomes/objectives and expectations of quality
  • Systematically aligning program activities and learning outcomes with program, department, and institutional goals
  • Routinely collect, assess, and reflect on assessment results
  • Act on assessment results

Community Engagement

• Interacts effectively with local target communities including school boards, public school administrators, counselors, and teachers, as well as educational opportunity programs such as TRIO programs, community agencies, and related organizations.
• Develops and cultivates relationships with students and families, including key administration and staff from the local community.

Primary Responsibility

Management of Assigned College Programs and Services

• Bachelors degree and combination of additional college training and relevant work experience equivalent to Masters from an accredited institution.
• Must have at least two (2) years’ experience in secondary and/or postsecondary education as an instructor, counselor, and/or administrator. This must include at least one-year experience as an educational administrator in a secondary or postsecondary institution or as an administrator of an educational program in an established agency.
• Must have at least one-year administrative experience in staff hiring, orientation, supervision, training, and evaluation.
• Some program management experience or knowledge/skills in this area.
• A minimum of one-year experience with educationally underprepared students at the college level; demonstrated thorough understanding of the characteristics and needs of the low-income and first-generation college students; and broad and significant experience with underrepresented minorities at the postsecondary education levels.
• Some grant writing experience or demonstrated ability to write grants.
• Understanding of budgets and expense monitoring.
• Some experience using data management systems.
• Proven ability and experience collaborating/interfacing with key campus stakeholders and external partners to bolster program services, student success and resources.
• Proven ability to develop short and long term planning coupled with day-to-day operational management skills, and the ability to establish goals and objectives, directives, policies, practices and procedures necessary for the effective and efficient operation of the assigned programs.
• Must have strong writing and general communication skills; proven ability to generate various types of proposals, reports, evaluation studies, and general correspondence; and the ability to make effective and high quality oral presentations.
• Must have the maturity and self-discipline to assume demanding and comprehensive administrative, educational, instructional, and counseling responsibilities.
• Demonstrated skill in respectful, sensitive communication with people who are diverse in their cultures, language groups and abilities.
• Skill in the use of a variety of software to create spreadsheets, reports, correspondence, and other written materials.
• Skill in training and leading the work of others.
• Experience with the organization and implementation of various complex office procedures and forms.

• Two or more years’ experience leading college Bridge programs,
• Two or more years’ Grant writing and reporting experience,
• Two or more years’ experience interfacing with campus wide data management systems
• Two or more years’ experience managing comparable college programs for low-income and first-generation college students; and broad and significant experience with underrepresented minorities at the secondary and/or postsecondary education levels.
• Two or more years’ administrative experience in staff hiring, orientation, supervision, training, and evaluation within educational programs.

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

Review of applications will begin immediately after the minimum posting period has ended. You are encouaged to apply early.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.