Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support

Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support
Department: College Success
FLSA Classification: Salary/Exempt
Employee Type: FT/11 month
Reports To: Executive Director, Principal

The Job: The Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support is responsible for overseeing the alumni advising program and maintaining a vibrant college-going culture on campus. The primary role of an Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support is to lead the alumni advising team by creating a vision and strategy to raise the alumni college graduation rate to 60%. This includes developing and successfully implementing creative solutions to support and address the academic, social, emotional, financial, and other challenges facing a diverse community of young adults to get back into college or/and complete college within 6-years. 

Purpose: It is the goal of the College Success department at Cristo Rey Jesuit, through guidance and education, to ensure that all students have the ability to succeed to and through college, specifically raising the 4-year college graduation rate to 60% or higher. 

The Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support seeks ways to conduct oneself in a professional manner through actions and communications with others. They interact in a positive and caring way with alumni, students, parents, outside contacts and staff by taking an active professional position in celebrating and upholding the Catholic and Jesuit identity of Cristo Rey Jesuit.

Responsibilities: Include, but are not limited to:

• Commit to the CRJ mission to inspire and prepare students of limited economic resources to succeed in college and lead their communities as compassionate, committed, and competent men and women for others for the greater glory of God.
• Lead the Academic Advising team and provide content training, direction, and solutions-oriented support.
• Quickly b uild rapport and trust with young adults from predominantly first-generation, low-income backgrounds. 
• Ensure the alumni advising team provides a dynamic, culturally-relevant, marketing approach to creating, communicating, and delivering programming to meet the specific needs of young adults.
• Ideate and create within the existing parameters and context of the school.
• Create and implement creative strategies to increase alumni engagement.
• Create and implement multi-faceted strategies to increase the number of alumni that have stopped out. 
• Create and implement multi-faceted strategies to increase the number of alumni graduating from 4-year colleges within six years, prioritizing graduates at risk for non-persistence.
• Create and implement a program evaluation strategy.
• Identify alumni needs and develop partnerships to better support those needs.
• Establish a robust network of advocates at local and national colleges and universities to ensure graduates’ access to on-campus resources and support.
• Visit alumni at college campuses in Texas, and when possible out of state.
• Assist with events related to seniors transitioning to alumni (ie. Senior College Readiness, Checkout Day, Senior Signing Day, etc.)
• Update GradForce and utilize alumni data to continuously refine the college counseling program.
• Organize outward-facing alumni events and communications (ie. social media presence, alumni gatherings, alumni panels, etc.).
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with various departments across the school to support student formation, including Student Counseling, CWSP, Dean of Students, Activities & Athletics, and Campus Ministry.
• Collaborate in the school’s professional development program as needed.
• Point of contact with the Network and other CRJ leaders to disseminate new information to the department.
• Create and maintain strategic partnerships and data-sharing agreements with local, state and out of state universities.
• Network with, prepare reports for, and maintain a professional working relationship with associations such as the Jesuit Schools Network (JSN), the Cristo Rey Network (CRN), the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and TCCB-ED.
• Assist in hiring future members of the Department. 
• Assist in performing formal evaluations of the alumni advising team 
• Oversee, coordinate, and communicate aspects of standardized testing, including TSI
• Coordinate and lead alumni parent meetings and events for orientation and support the college process 
• Establish the College Success Department as an active participant in the improvement of the surrounding community and shares programs, resources, and facilities.
• Create systems for communication and proactive and problem-solving strategies to maximize alumni persistence and graduation from college within 6 years,
• Ability to respect, promote, accommodate and not be in conflict with the mission, moral and social teachings, doctrines and laws of the Roman Catholic faith in the way one speaks, acts and instructs.
• Build a school-wide college-going culture of high expectations, reflected by its traditions, norms, events, physical environment, curriculum, and consistent messaging by all staff to its students and families.

Job Duties: Include, but are not limited to:

1. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to be present and available for service of the School within the School Period
2. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to act in a manner as outlined in the mission, objectives, and policies of the School as articulated in the Employee Handbook.
3. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to participate in administrative meetings, Communities, student supervision, record-keeping and reporting, parent-teacher relations, and other duties as assigned.
4. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to participate in major school events including but not limited to the chaperoning dances, Mass of the Holy Spirit, Back to School Event, Open House, Baccalaureate Mass, and Graduation.
5. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to respect and help form the spiritual values of the students and to support the Jesuit, Catholic identity of the School by exemplifying in his/her own actions the characteristics of Christian living, being a leader of prayer, and supporting the liturgical and spiritual life of the school.
6. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to participate in the faculty and staff formation in Ignatian Spirituality, Ignatian Pedagogy, and Jesuit education.
7. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to support and promote the success of the Corporate Work-Study Program.
8. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to actively implement the Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures as outlined in the Student Handbook when applicable.
9. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to undergo a School-initiated initial and 3-year criminal background check, to complete required trainings, including but no limited to, an Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Catholic Mutual Group Safe Haven online training seminar on child abuse and mandatory reporting, and to repeat their Safe Haven online training every 5 years.
10. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to accept any special assignment that from time to time may be required for the efficient operation of the School, as assigned by the Principal.
11. Associate Academic Director of Alumni Outreach and Support agrees to be adept at building rapport and trust with people from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, including underrepresented urban youth and first-generation college students.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four year educational institution, a Master’s Degree in Education is preferred.
• A licensed Social Worker is preferred. 
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission of the Cristo Rey Network and model
• Prior experience working with high school/college students/families and college counseling/or college admissions.
• Strong working knowledge in all Microsoft Office programs: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Naviance and SalesForce is a plus

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

• Regularly interact with students, parents, staff and visitors.
• Travel out of state.
• Work at a desk and computer screen for extended periods of time.
• Be able to occasionally lift up to 30 lbs.

Application Materials: 

Please submit the cover letter, resume, and school transcripts through the school career page.

Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston and Cristo Rey Work Study Program, Inc are equal opportunity employers.