Job Description
Special Advisor for Community Engagement
Salary
Colby College seeks a dedicated professional to serve as the Associate Director for FLI (First-Generation and Low-Income) and Multicultural Programs. This position supports co-curricular programs that enhance student success and promote inclusion with a particular focus (while not exclusively) for first-generation-to-college, low-income, and students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Through direct student support, mentorship initiatives, and leadership development, this role focuses on fostering a sense of belonging, increasing access to opportunities, and strengthening student connections to campus resources.
Reporting directly to the Special Advisor to the Provost and Dean for Community Engagement, the Associate Director will be an integral part of the Dean’s leadership team in the Pugh Center. This role will work in close partnership with the Associate Dean and Director of the Pugh Center, and will play a key role in developing and managing programs, working closely with students, overseeing peer mentorship initiatives, and supporting multicultural student organizations. This is a full-time position that may require evening and weekend availability to support student needs and programming.
Essential Functions
To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.
Student Support and Community Building:
Develop, implement, and assess programs that support the academic, personal, and professional growth of first-generation, low-income, and multicultural students.
Serve as a visible and accessible resource, providing direct support and mentorship to students from all backgrounds.
Assist in creating an inclusive and welcoming environment generally at the College and specific in the Pugh Center.
Guide and support peer mentorship programs by training and advising student fellows and mentors.
Programming and Leadership Development:
Plan, execute, and assess social, cultural, and educational programs that enhance student engagement and leadership development.
Implement culturally sustaining practices and programming that intentionally fosters an inclusive environment for all, ensuring students (particularly those from FLI and various cultural backgrounds) feel a sense of belonging as integral members of the Colby community.
In collaboration with the Associate Dean and Director, work with multicultural student organizations to facilitate annual leadership retreat and on-going leadership training, organizational support, and event planning assistance.
Assist in coordinating orientation programs for FLI and multicultural students.
Campus Partnerships and Collaboration:
Work closely with campus offices, including Student Financial Services, Civic Engagement, DavisConnects, International Programs, Residential Experience, and Admissions (among others), to connect students with resources and opportunities.
Partner with the Dean and other campus leaders in fostering cross-cultural dialogue and a restorative campus culture.
Operations and Administration:
Assist in day-to-day management of the Pugh Center.
Oversee student staff hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
Assist with budget management, including purchasing, vendor contracts, travel arrangements, and financial reconciliation.
Develop and maintain marketing and communication strategies, including website updates, social media outreach, newsletters, and event promotions.
Represent the Pugh Center and FLI Programs at campus meetings and external conferences.
This position is expected to participate in the ‘Administrator on Call’ rotation.
Position Qualifications
Required education and/or experience:
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Education, Student Affairs, or related disciplines).
Minimum of 2 years of experience working in a post-secondary education setting with first-generation, low-income, or multicultural student populations.
Experience in event planning, leadership development, and student mentorship.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt to evolving student needs.
Proficient with Microsoft Office and Google applications.
Valid driver’s license and ability to meet Colby’s Fleet Safety Policy requirements.
Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, or a related field.
Experience supporting student identity development and engagement.
Knowledge of best practices in multicultural programs, student support, and leadership programs.
Experience managing social media and digital marketing for student programming.
Experience in crisis management.
Physical/Mental Demands
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same.
The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; there will be multiple occurrences of sudden, urgent task completion required.
There may be occurrences of employees, past employees, members of the general public, and others who express opinions, may exhibit strong emotions, which will require the employee to interact professionally, diplomatically, and appropriately in such situations.
While performing the essential duties of this position, an employee would frequently be required to move around the office space as well as within hallways, meeting rooms, and other parts of the campus facilities.
There may be multiple/daily instances of prolonged personal computer use which would include keyboard and/or mouse usage as well as viewing a computer monitor.
An employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds to perform essential position functions.
Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.
The overall work environment requires the mental ability to shift focus quickly due to interruptions; an employee must be able to mentally track multiple projects and tasks as well.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, there may be unexpected instances of somewhat loud sounds.
To Apply:
Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply Now” button on the Colby College website. Please upload a cover letter and resume to your application.
