Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio, is a career-oriented liberal arts institution founded by and closely affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Access for students to education where they are located is part of the institution’s DNA. The College has a long history of serving incarcerated students and is pleased to be offering degree programs to these students. We encourage you to review our website and learn about our history, what we are doing today, and how we are preparing students for tomorrow (www.wilmington.edu).
Wilmington College invites applications for an administrative position as Student Success and Reentry Navigator for the Prison Education Program, to begin as soon as possible. This is a full-time, 12-month administrative position that is responsible for assisting currently and formerly incarcerated Wilmington College students with the resources and support they need to achieve their academic goals. Wilmington College currently provides bachelor’s degree programs at Lebanon Correctional Institution (LeCI), Warren Correctional Institution (WCI), and Dayton Correctional Institution (DCI).
To support students’ academic goals, the Student Success and Reentry Navigator works with incarcerated students to determine what resources are needed to reach the student’s academic and professional goals. For students who transition into the community, the Navigator will engage with formerly incarcerated students as an initial point of contact. In addition, the Navigator provides learning services to support students enrolled at the College’s Prison Education Program sites. The Navigator liaises with the PEP Academic Area Coordinator, Site Coordinators, the PEP Program Manager, and the Academic Resources Office at the main campus to oversee and coordinate the recruiting, training, and evaluation of tutors, including peer tutors. This position also oversees and coordinates the supplemental instruction program as needed by PEP instructors.
This position works directly with incarcerated students in the correctional facilities and is expected to work alternating sites for program support in the Lebanon Correctional Institution, Warren Correctional Institute, and Dayton Correctional Institute, including some evenings each week. Travel to the Wilmington College campus is also required.
Primary Responsibilities
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Academic Support and Student Success (70%)
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Serving as primary academic support and student success liaison to the Wilmington College main campus, LeCI, WCI, and DCI for enrolled students, maintaining strong working relationships with ODRC staff and Wilmington College PEP team members
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Collaborating with colleagues to recruit, train, and evaluate students, including incarcerated students, and other interested individuals who will serve as tutors
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Designing, executing, and evaluating a tutoring and academic success plan that best serves the students of the PEP program
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Providing tutoring in an area of academic need (such as writing support, quantitative skills, or business management skills)
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Working with English faculty to provide undergraduate writing support services
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Working with Business and Math faculty to provide quantitative skills and business skills support services
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Coordinating the assignment of peer tutors to students requesting assistance
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Tracking the time and schedule for all tutors
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Overseeing and coordinating a supplemental instruction (SI) program as needed by PEP instructors
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Collaborating with faculty on a regular basis regarding the SI program, including soliciting student names regarding SI positions
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Facilitating scheduling times and locations for SI sessions
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Supervising, tracking time, and evaluating SI leaders
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Serving as a testing proctor for placement testing, assessment tests, midterms, and finals; responsible for organizing the distribution and collection of course evaluations
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Developing specific program standards and helping identify areas in need of development and training for student support personnel
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Working with the PEP Academic Coordinator and a team of key individuals to develop a multi-year student success strategic plan for PEP that includes sustainable budgets to support PEP and institutional strategic goals
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Working with the PEP Area Coordinator to update sections of the PEP catalog, student handbook, and faculty/adjunct handbook related to academic and student success each year as appropriate
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Working to understand PEP retention each semester and find solutions for increasing student retention at all locations
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Conducting data analysis of entering and continuing cohorts, as well as reentry students
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Collaborating by keeping all parties informed through intrusive communication (faculty of PEP courses, ODRC personnel, PEP students, College personnel, and others) to ensure that students’ concerns, issues, or additional assistance in enrolled courses are addressed
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Participating in all related PEP meetings
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Working with Site Coordinators to plan and facilitate study sessions at the correctional sites
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Interpreting and determining program-specific policies for strategies that support student success.
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Alerting the Disabilities Services Office of potential accommodation needs and services for PEP students and organizing visits to the site locations
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Working with the Associate Vice President – Compliance and Title IX Coordinator/Disability Services Coordinator to schedule compliance and Title IX training
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Attending staff, conference, and training meetings to maintain current knowledge of academic support best practices, corrections education, and institutional procedures
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Maintaining and making available a current work schedule to accommodate student learning and advising needs, including office hours, on-and off-campus meetings, classes, etc. Maintaining flexibility to meet instructional and prison classroom schedules
Reentry Support (20%)
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Understanding of course transferability, the unique needs of offenders as students when seeking employment, financial aid upon release, and the ability to communicate and relate to students
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Working with the Associate Vice President for External Relations and Workforce Development and PEP Manager to develop reentry programming and also oversight of the career-related courses like ID170
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Providing incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students with advising and planning specific to their unique needs to increase completion post release
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Coordinating localized navigation models, referral platforms, intervention efforts, relationships with community-based organizations, etc.
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Meeting and coordinating with regional organizations who will assist formerly incarcerated people with housing, financial needs, healthcare, employment, and other basic services
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Partnering with like-minded programs in Ohio to develop regional re-entry workshops
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Networking with other college reentry navigators to share best practices and facilitate connecting students with community resources
Other Support (10%)
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Works with students, faculty, and staff to provide test proctoring services. This includes but is not limited to tests for student with assigned accommodations, make-up exams/quizzes and placement tests
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Working with the PEP Academic Coordinator, Site Coordinators, Academic Affairs Office, and other relevant personnel to create the academic and administrative calendar for PEP each year
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Assisting with site supervision needs, including during evening hours and some weekends
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Supporting and assisting with special projects and events that benefit incarcerated students
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Working with the PEP Area Coordinator and Academic Affairs Office to update the PEP catalog, student handbook, and faculty/adjunct handbook each year as appropriate
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Performing other duties as assigned to support the mission of Wilmington College’s Prison Education Program
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
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Master’s degree is required
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Training, tutoring or teaching experience is required. Additional academic experience is preferred
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Strong skills and experience with MS Teams, Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and different databases
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Must be a process-oriented individual and have exceptional record-keeping skills
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Professional communication skills, good judgment, and high ethical standards
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Ability to work on multiple tasks simultaneously while providing great attention to detail and meeting deadlines
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Ability to exercise collaborative skills in the unique and complex environment of a correctional facility
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Strong customer service orientation, creativity, and problem-solving skills
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Commitment to higher education opportunities for incarcerated individuals
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Ability to work varied schedules each week, including weekends and evenings
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Must have a valid U.S driver’s license and a reliable car for travel between the various locations
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Finalization of the hiring contract will be contingent upon receiving clearance to enter ODRC facilities and access necessary files/databases in those facilities for program administration
To Apply
To apply, submit a letter of interest, current resume, and the names and contact information of at least three professional references.
Wilmington College is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate unlawfully in employment matters on the basis of race, religion, gender, color, ancestry, national origin, age, and disability, or any other category protected by law.
Wilmington College conducts background investigations including criminal, work history and credential confirmation on all employees as a condition of continued employment. Must be able to provide documentation for proof of eligibility to work in the United States.
Review of applications will begin immediately and remain open until the position is filled.
