Forsyth Technical Community College is a catalyst for economic mobility, empowering lives and transforming communities. In alignment with the College’s vision and mission, the Academic Coordinator for TRIO Upward Bound will provide comprehensive academic support, advising, and student-centered services to participants in Forsyth Tech’s federally funded TRIO Upward Bound programs.
The programs serve 120 first-generation and income-eligible high school students, including 60 students at Robert B. Glenn High School and 60 students at North Forsyth High School. The Academic Coordinator will support students in increasing academic achievement, improving retention and high school graduation rates, strengthening college and career readiness, developing knowledge of the college admissions and financial aid processes, and successfully enrolling in postsecondary education.
The Academic Coordinator will work collaboratively with TRIO Upward Bound staff, students, families, high school administrators, teachers, school counselors, Forsyth Tech departments, and community organizations throughout Forsyth County to identify student needs, remove barriers to success, and provide individualized academic and college-readiness support.
This position requires a strong commitment to serving first-generation and income-eligible students and supporting the mission of TRIO Upward Bound to prepare participants for successful entry into and completion of postsecondary education.
Minimum Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Education, Counseling, Social Work, Human Services, Student Affairs, Educational Administration, Higher Education, or a closely related field
- Minimum of two years of professional experience working directly with high school or college students in academic advising, counseling, college access, student support, case management, youth development, or a related area.
- Demonstrated experience supporting first-generation, income-eligible, historically underserved, and students with disabilities
- Working knowledge of the college admissions, financial aid, FAFSA, scholarship, career exploration, and postsecondary enrollment processes.
- Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule that may include afternoons, evenings, Saturdays, school-based programming, college visits, special events, and occasional overnight travel
- Ability to travel regularly between Forsyth Tech, Robert B. Glenn High School, North Forsyth High School, and other program locations throughout Forsyth County
Preferred Qualifications
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in Education, Counseling, Social Work, Student Affairs, Higher Education, Educational Leadership, Human Services, or a related field.
- Professional experience working in a TRIO program, college-access program, federally funded student-support initiative, or similar educational opportunity program.
- Professional and/or personal experience overcoming barriers similar to those experienced by TRIO participants, including being first-generation, income-eligible, or from an educationally underserved background.
- Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish, including the ability to communicate effectively with students and families.
- Experience planning, coordinating, and implementing pre-college programming for high school students, including academic enrichment, cultural activities, college visits, workshops, seminars, leadership development, career exploration, and group activities.
- Experience providing academic advising, college and career readiness, FAFSA/financial aid guidance, scholarship assistance, and college application support to high school students.
- Experience developing and maintaining partnerships with high schools, families, community organizations, colleges, and other student-support partners.
- Experience working with federal grants, including familiarity with program objectives, participant eligibility, documentation, data collection, compliance, and performance reporting.
- Experience using student information systems, databases, or other technology to track participation, academic progress, services, and program outcomes.
- Experience supervising and supporting high school or college students, peer mentors, tutors, work-study students, temporary staff, or program assistants.
- Experience supervising students in residential, overnight, summer, college-tour, or extended-day programming environments.
- Demonstrated ability to create engaging programming that promotes academic achievement, persistence, leadership, belonging, college readiness, and postsecondary enrollment.
Essential Duties
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities: include the following and other duties as needed.
- Manage an assigned caseload of approximately 120 TRIO Upward Bound participants, providing individualized academic, college-readiness, career, and personal support designed to promote high school graduation and successful enrollment in postsecondary education.
- Recruit, identify, and support eligible participants in accordance with TRIO Upward Bound eligibility requirements, grant objectives, and institutional procedures.
- Develop, implement, monitor, and regularly update Individual Success Plans based on each participant’s academic performance, goals, needs, interests, and identified barriers.
- Continually monitor participants’ grades, attendance, course completion, GPA, academic standing, standardized testing progress, and progress toward high school graduation, providing timely intervention and follow-up when concerns are identified.
- Maintain regular and meaningful contact with assigned students through school-based visits, individual advising sessions, phone and electronic communication, workshops, tutoring, and program activities.
- Advise students regarding course selection, graduation requirements, advanced coursework, Career and College Promise opportunities, and completion of an appropriate college-preparatory pathway.
- Provide comprehensive college-access and postsecondary planning support, including college exploration, admissions applications, FAFSA and financial aid processes, scholarship searches and applications, career exploration, and enrollment-transition activities.
- Plan, coordinate, and implement after-school tutoring, Saturday Academies, summer programming, academic enrichment activities, college visits, cultural experiences, workshops, and other TRIO Upward Bound events and opportunities.
- Coordinate tutoring and academic intervention services based on student performance and identified needs; communicate with tutors, instructional staff, and school personnel regarding student progress, as appropriate.
- Develop and facilitate engaging workshops and activities addressing study skills, time management, goal setting, leadership, financial literacy, career readiness, self-advocacy, college readiness, social-emotional development, and life skills.
- Meet regularly with high school counselors, teachers, administrators, social workers, and other school personnel to monitor participant progress, coordinate services, identify concerns, and support achievement of program objectives.
- Establish and maintain consistent communication with parents and guardians, including individual conferences, family outreach, informational sessions, workshops, program updates, and referrals to college or community resources.
- Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with Forsyth Tech departments, community organizations, colleges and universities, and other external partners that provide educational, social, financial, health, career, or family-support resources to participants.
- Identify students experiencing academic, financial, social, or personal barriers and coordinate appropriate school, college, and community referrals and interventions, while following applicable confidentiality, safety, and reporting requirements.
- Maintain accurate, timely, and comprehensive records of participant eligibility, student contacts, services, attendance, academic performance, Individual Success Plans, referrals, parent engagement, program participation, and other required program documentation.
- Enter, maintain, and verify participant information in applicable student information systems, program databases, spreadsheets, and federal program records to support grant compliance, evaluation, and reporting.
- Assist with the collection, verification, and analysis of data related to TRIO performance measures, Annual Performance Report requirements, grant objectives, and overall program effectiveness.
- Monitor progress toward program objectives and work collaboratively with the Director to identify individual students, student groups, or program areas requiring additional intervention or support.
- Assist with the coordination and supervision of tutors, mentors, work-study students, temporary staff, volunteers, and other personnel supporting program activities, as assigned.
- Provide appropriate supervision, leadership, and support to students during after-school programming, Saturday Academies, summer programming, college visits, cultural activities, field trips, special events, and overnight travel.
- Participate in staff meetings, professional development, program planning, recruitment activities, grant-related initiatives, evaluation processes, and other departmental or institutional activities as required.
- Maintain professional boundaries, confidentiality, sound judgment, and a student-centered approach when working with minors, families, school personnel, college employees, and community partners.
- Work a flexible schedule as required to meet program needs, including afternoons, evenings, Saturdays, summer programming, special events, college tours, and occasional overnight travel.
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned and as necessary to support the goals, objectives, and successful operation of Forsyth Tech TRIO Upward Bound.
- All roles include additional duties not captured in the job description, and responsibilities may evolve in response to future innovations, including emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and new models of work
Physical Demands
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here 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 functions.
The employee will need to regularly operate and use computers, phones and other electronic equipment.
- The employee will frequently communicate and must be able to exchange accurate information with others.
- The employee may need to move around their office and/or campus to attend meetings/ classes and to access files, machinery or other job-related tools.
- The employee may need to lift and/or move equipment, tools or paperwork up to 30 pounds.
- The employee may need to position themselves by reaching, stooping, kneeling or crouching in order to adjust or collect equipment and/or supplies.
- Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Required to function in various environments in office, classrooms, conference rooms, business and industry manufacturing, assembly operations and outdoor settings.
- Must have a North Carolina valid driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle.
- May be required to have ready access to a motor vehicle for travel purposes.
Workplace Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Encounters low to moderate noise levels in the work environment.
Posting Detail Information
Special Instructions to Applicants
If you have trouble, please call HR at 336-734-7302. EOE.
