The Foundation is the trusted partner of the California Community Colleges— facilitating collaboration, accelerating innovation, and increasing system wide resources. The Foundation’s Success Center for California Community Colleges is looking for an individual to join our team who has experience in criminal justice and higher education to lead the Rising Scholars Network (RSN). The Rising Scholars Network is an assembly of California Community Colleges committed to serving incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students by providing degree-granting programs in correctional facilities and on-campus support for students who have experienced the criminal justice system. We partner with every community college to build strong pathways from incarceration to higher education.
What You’ll Do
The Rising Scholars team actively works to incorporate the unique needs of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students into its operations as an equity initiative in the California Community College system.
The Assistant Director plays a pivotal role in leading a meta-regional team of Regional Coordinators, contributing to the realization of the Chancellor’s Vision 2030 through engaging directly with colleges and key partners to collaboratively work towards widening access and opportunity for students impacted by the justice system. You will additionally provide human-centered leadership, fostering equity and inclusion while serving as a liaison between the Foundation, Chancellor’s Office and the colleges served in the meta-region.
- Provide technical assistance to community college practitioners and partners, facilitating activities such as action planning, network building, site visits, consultations, and events related to Rising Scholars Network programmatic inquiry, design, and implementation.
- Attend and actively participate in meetings with community colleges, partner organizations, and public agencies to build organizational relationships and advance the positive academic outcomes of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students in alignment with Vision 2030.
- Demonstrate initiative and creativity in developing and delivering dynamic presentations and professional development for various audiences, including high-level leadership, faculty, administrators, professional staff, industry partners, and others.
- Develop and lead professional communities of practice to enhance knowledge sharing and improve service to students.
- Act as a liaison to partner organizations, including the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, jails and prisons, consortia leadership, committees, and content-specific workgroups, etc., for Rising Scholars Network projects and initiatives.
- Track and synthesize the implementation and progress of Rising Scholars Network related initiatives at the college and regional level for internal and external Foundation and Chancellor’s Office reports, including ensuring data is collected and reported in alignment with system strategic goals.
- Collaborate with the Rising Scholars Network leadership team to support organizational development and contribute to ongoing process improvements, streamlining operations, and enhancing efficiency within the regional coordination framework.
- Contribute to policy development and work related to key educational reforms and initiatives, providing liaison and communications back to the Rising Scholars Network leadership team.
- Manage Rising Scholars Network operations in the assigned areas, serving as a resource for teams and actively seek opportunities and innovations to scale work in the region by developing and implementing strategies to enhance regional coordination and collaboration
Attributes for Success
- Familiarity with the community college system and/or postsecondary pathways and/or interventions that support student success including improved transition from incarceration to college, course-sequencing, program and pathway design, industry-aligned competencies and credentials, and acceleration in developmental education.
- Knowledge and substantial experience working with incarcerated populations, education, and workforce development partners.
- In-depth knowledge of and demonstrated success in implementing the principles, best practices, and emerging trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Quantitative and qualitative research, statistical, and analytical skills, and the ability to examine different sources of evidence to find common themes.
- We’re recruiting for mission-driven, passionate, equity-minded individuals with a strong desire to impact and change people’s lives for the better
- Our work holds great weight and responsibility, and the opportunity to impact the lives of millions
- Innovation, creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship are encouraged as employees work to achieve organizational goals
- FoundationCCC blends the impact of a non-profit, the culture of an entrepreneurial start-up, and the scale of a state agency
- Team members are hired for their expertise in niche areas across our areas of impact and higher education overall, and for their knowledge of business, philanthropy, technology, communications, and more
- We have a commitment to professional development and an emphasis on shared leadership, to ensure growth for employees and the organization overall
What we Offer
FoundationCCC is fully committed to a “remote-first” philosophy, and recruits and hires talent across the state in fully remote positions, where virtual work is possible. Our headquarters are located in Downtown Sacramento, just blocks from California’s State Capitol.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation, generous PTO, holidays
- Medical, dental, and vision plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Wellness offerings
- CalPERS retirement program and optional 403(b) and 457 Retirement plans
- Tuition reimbursement
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness certified employer
This posting is a condensed version of the full job description. To request the full job description, please email us at [email protected].
Budgeted Annual Salary Pay Range:
$115,000.00 - $125,000.00
Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.
What We Do
The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) works to benefit students, colleges, and communities by reducing barriers to opportunities for all Californians and accelerating paths to economic and social mobility. The organization was founded in 1998 and serves as the official statewide nonprofit organization supporting the California Community Colleges, the largest system of higher education in the nation.
FoundationCCC operates just over 70 programs and services that improve educational access and affordability, address basic needs, connect students to work-based learning, and tackle local climate change effects. These programs are organized across six priority Areas of Impact: Student Success, Workforce, Development, Equity, Community Impact, Climate Action, and System Support. The organization’s work is made possible through funding from and partnerships with philanthropy, public agencies, corporations, and donors.
Since inception in 1998, FoundationCCC has grown to be one of the largest operating foundations in higher education, with over 550 full-time employees and annual revenues of over $167 million.
