Job Summary
The Director of Pathways and the First-Year Experience is a full-time administrative position, reporting to the Director of Experiential Learning and Strategic Initiatives within the Office of Academic Affairs. This position will bring to fruition strategic-planning efforts aimed at a first-year experience guided by the Pathways program—a collection of six learning communities for students’ professional and career development that include curricular and co-curricular aspects. As such, the Director will set priorities that will secure common elements across the program and support the unique profiles of each Pathway.
In addition to the Office of Academic Affairs, this position will intersect with the work and expertise of the Center for Career Education, offices within the Division of Student Life, and Alumni Relations to coordinate efforts that will support a distinctive student experience guided by the Pathways program and initiated through the first-year experience.
This position is grant-supported for the first five years, with an increasing percentage of institutional support over that time that will result in full funding from the College, after grant support has ended.
Job Duties
- Collaborate with the Director of Experiential Learning and Strategic Initiatives to introduce and support 6 Pathways learning communities:
- Arts, Culture, and Communication
- Business
- Exploratory
- Health
- Law, Politics, and Social Leadership
- STEM and Data Science
- Set priorities that will secure common elements across the program and support the unique profiles of each Pathway
- Design and implement distinctive 4-year programming, curricular and career-focused tracks that include signature experiential learning opportunities
- Coordinate and collaborate with faculty/staff within each Pathway
- Identify and support contributing faculty/staff through relevant professional development opportunities
- Design and implement assessment plan
- Manage requirements and reporting responsibilities related to grant support
- Coordinate efforts with Offices of Marketing/Communication and Enrollment to market Pathways to prospective students
- Prioritize the Pathways program as the organizing structure for first-year students and include the following tasks:
- Support and collaboration with Student Life staff related to Orientation and Welcome Week activities as they relate to Pathways
- Collaboration with Assistant Dean of Student Success related to advising within Pathways
- Design and coordination of a first-year, course focused on academic skills-building and career interests
Required Skills and Abilities
- Expertise in career education, vocational exploration and student success
- Demonstrable skills in carrying strategic initiatives and/or project proposals into implementation through teamwork, coordination of expertise across campus and community, and evaluation of programming for quality improvement
- Strong communication skills, with both faculty and professional staff
- Ability to recognize needs and interests of the multiple constituencies that an institution of higher learning includes
- Knowledge of and commitment to innovative practice within the field of undergraduate education, especially within the small liberal arts model
- Candidates with teaching experience at the college/university level may have the opportunity to teach 1-2 courses per academic year
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in college student affairs, higher education or a related discipline
- 3-5 years of experience working within higher education
Application Procedure
Screening of qualified candidates will begin immediately and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Email letter of interest and resume’ to rolphsc@millsaps.edu with the subject line “Director of Pathways application”.
EEO Statement
Millsaps College values diversity within our students, faculty and staff, and strives to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people. Millsaps College does not discriminate in employment on the bases of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state and/or local laws.
A background check will be conducted for finalist candidates. Employment is contingent upon completion of a successful background check and establishment of identity and verification of employment eligibility as required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Millsaps College provides a competitive benefits package.
It is the policy of Millsaps College to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities for employment. If you require any accommodations to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact humanresources@millsaps.edu.
Compliance with Title IX
In compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Millsaps College does not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, student or applicant for admission on the basis of sex. Policies and procedures for addressing complaints of discrimination and harassment can be found at https://www.millsaps.edu/resources/title-ix. Reports can be made to the Title IX Team by filing a sexual misconduct or Title IX complaint at this link: https://www.millsaps.edu/resources/title-ix/#file-complaint. Inquiries related to the application of Title IX at Millsaps should be referred to the college’s Title IX team (contact information is found here: https://www.millsaps.edu/resources/title-ix/#coordinators) and external inquires can be made to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202-1100 (800) 421-3481, http://www.ed.gov/ocr.
About Millsaps College
Millsaps is an accredited, privately supported, national liberal arts college founded by members of the Methodist Church in 1890. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine, the John Templeton Foundation, The Fiske Guide to Colleges and Insight Magazine.
Millsaps College’s Vision
Building on its motto, Ad Excellentiam, its strong heritage of social justice, freedom of thought and reflection on life’s most important questions, and its central location in the capital city of Mississippi, Millsaps engages students in a transformative learning and leadership experience that results in personal and intellectual growth, commitment to good citizenship in our global society and a desire to succeed and make a difference in every community they touch.
Millsaps College’s Mission
Millsaps College is dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region.
