Director of the Center for Community-Based Learning

Center for Community-Based Learning
Job #531710
Close Date: October 24, 2023

At Cal Poly Humboldt, bold hearts and open minds shape the future.

Founded in 1913, Cal Poly Humboldt began as a small college for teachers. Today Humboldt has grown into a comprehensive university with rigorous science and liberal arts programs. Designated a polytechnic in 2022, Cal Poly Humboldt provides hands-on, impactful educational opportunities that lead to meaningful, measurable outcomes for the individual, for the state, and the world.

Cal Poly Humboldt is proud to have nearly 6,000 students of all backgrounds spread across 61 majors, 13 graduate programs, and 4 credential programs — all of whom contribute passion and creativity within their fields and set the stage for a future grounded in equity and sustainability. Hands-on learning, inspired teaching, ground-breaking research, and thought-provoking creative activity happen daily at Humboldt.

Cal Poly Humboldt is a Hispanic-Serving Institution that strives to foster an inclusive and equitable community to support our students of diverse backgrounds. We are committed to achieving the goals of equal opportunity and endeavors to employ faculty and staff of the highest quality committed to working in a multicultural and multiracial community that reflects the diversity of the state.

Finding a better future is a task for the bold and open, the down-to-earth and visionary. Cal Poly Humboldt strives to cultivate these qualities in leaders, innovators, and scholars in every field.

(Job #531710) Administrator I, Director of the Center for Community-Based Learning, Salary Range: $3,750 – $11,146 monthly. Hiring Range: $6,250 – $8,334 monthly. Appointments are typically made at the beginning of the salary range. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. This is a full-time, benefited, exempt, 12-month pay plan permanent position in the Center for Community-Based Learning. This position is an Administrator I in the California State University Management Personnel Plan (MPP). Under this plan, incumbents are subject to normal management reviews and serve at the pleasure of the University President. Additional information can be found at: http://www.calstate.edu/HRAdm/policies/mpp.shtml. This position comes with a premium benefits package that includes outstanding vacation, medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, voluntary pre-tax health and dependent care reimbursement accounts, a fee waiver education program, membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and 14 paid holidays per year. Additional benefits information can be found at https://hraps.humboldt.edu/employee-benefits.

Position Summary:

Under the general direction of the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs, the Director of Community-Based Learning provides vision and leadership for the Center for Community-Based Learning (CCBL) and its service to students, faculty, and community partners. The Director is responsible for oversight of all CCBL office operations, staff supervision, and timely reporting as required by the university, the CSU, and various grant-providing organizations. The Director acts as a liaison to university leadership, various university constituencies, and the Chancellor’s Office Center for Community Engagement, which supports similar community engagement offices across the CSU. 

The Director is responsible for all facets of program development and management, including strategic planning, initiatives, and development of campus community-based learning (CBL) practices grounded in a commitment to diversity, equity, and social and environmental justice—all amidst the university’s evolving polytechnic planning and growth. The Director leads the design, implementation, management, and assessment of various community-engagement projects while leading and managing CBL programs and services designed to enhance student success. CBL includes Service Learning, Academic Internships, and other community and civic-engagement practices. 

The incumbent must have a clear understanding of both student and academic affairs services as an integral part of the mission and strategic plan of the university.  Although this position is based in Academic Programs, the incumbent will work closely with personnel from a wide variety of campus units, including college and program community engagement staff; Place-Based Learning Communities; Retention through Academic Mentoring Program; the Center for Teaching and Learning; international programs; Cultural Centers for Academic Excellence; and the Office of Student Life, which includes Youth Educational Services and Career Services, on important issues of student leadership, success, and retention.

Key Responsibilities:

Under general supervision from the AVP for academic programs, major duties of the position include, but are not limited to, leading the Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL) and providing purpose-driven leadership and strategic planning around curricular and co-curricular community-engagement and service initiatives that include the following:

• Lead programmatic vision and management for the center as a hub for supporting community-based learning practices at Cal Poly Humboldt.
• Align and conduct CCBL strategic planning with Cal Poly Humboldt’s purpose statement and strategic plan and the expected growth in community-based learning practices emerging from the university’s conversion to a polytechnic institution.
• Hire, supervise, and evaluate CCBL support staff, AmeriCorps VISTA members, program coordinators, student assistants, and interns.
• Coordinate with college and department/program community-engaged learning staff.
• Serve as the primary advocate and communications source for Service Learning, Academic Internship, and other community-based learning programs, including oversight of CCBL’s Redwood Roots digital magazine (and student workers), which highlights campus-to-community connections; CCBL website, newsletter, and social media; and other informational resources in coordination with the university’s Office of Marketing and Communications. 
• Serve as the primary voice for community-based learning in its many exciting variations as a model practice for positive town-to-gown relations and impacts, including fueling the local workforce, supporting critical research, and addressing community needs.

Strategically plan for development of CCBL under polytechnic implementation to educate, expand, and leverage support for community-engaged practices: 

• Gather input from campus and community constituents on CCBL vision.
• Expand the CCBL team to provide increased support services for emerging polytechnic community-based learning courses, programs, and constituencies. 
• Collaborate with leaders of campus programs such as Place-Based Learning Communities, clinical internships, Academic Advising and Career Services, and others to develop and support curricular and high impact practices and retention efforts. 
• Build a faculty-development program and build capacity for research in CBL practices, in coordination with the Center for Teaching and Learning, the university’s institutional review board, and other relevant offices.
• Recruit, orient, and convene members of the CCBL Advisory Committee, composed of students, faculty, staff, and community partners, to plan, support, and amplify CCBL efforts.
• Develop an assessment structure to measure the impact of CBL practices on student retention and success. Aligning with the university’s purpose and strategic plan, this will evaluate high-impact practices and student-support efforts related to retention, graduation, and closing equity gaps while dovetailing with Graduation Initiative 2025 endeavors.
• Explore Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement for the university in collaboration with campus-wide programs.

Grant funding and budget management:

• Develop and oversee the CCBL budget and support additional grant-funded endeavors.
• Manage CCBL program, state, and grant-funded budgets.
• Collaborate with and oversee the CCBL’s adjacent College Corps grant program and staff.
• Seek and support external grant opportunities in collaboration with Cal Poly Humboldt programs, departments, and the Sponsored Programs Foundation.

Participate in university-wide efforts to provide support for community-based learning practices: 

• Serve on relevant campus governance and ad hoc committees to advocate for CBL programs and practices.
• Guide efforts to provide training and professional development for all constituencies relevant to community engagement and community-based learning practices.
• Support university-wide data collection efforts and research on CBL practices. Provide oversight for the S4 database, used by CSU CBL programs to report student placements, store risk management paperwork, maintain approved sites, and access reports.
• Lead implementation of the new Curricular Community-Engaged Learning attribute.
• In coordination with campus administrators, convene the CBL Round Table of campus constituencies involved in these practices to discuss and resolve emergent issues and build protocol.

Liaise with external and professional affiliations to support the entire ecosystem with which CCBL interfaces (i.e. nonprofit and private sectors; government programs, K-12 schools, community colleges, and regional universities; and CSU and national professional organizations):

• Participate on local and regional boards, task forces, and coalitions to understand community needs.
• Coordinate with the Chancellor’s Office Center for Community Engagement and systemwide directors to manage responsibilities and initiatives such as applying and reporting for Call to Service funding, facilitating the Curricular Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) attribute roll out, and attending systemwide directors meetings, trainings, and conferences.
• Network with California LEAD, National Campus Compact, and other local, state, national, and international professional groups to support awareness of campus, community, state, and federal service initiatives and funding opportunities.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Associated with this Position Include:  

• (In-depth knowledge of equitable community-engagement practices, including Service Learning pedagogy and best practices around sustained, reflective, and reciprocal collaboration with community partners that emphasizes community voice and agency in addressing community needs, particularly currently and historically marginalized communities
• Skills and experience leading trainings and workshops emphasizing community-engaged practices and issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion 
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of effective leadership, motivation, and performance evaluation
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills and awareness and appreciation of cultural and socio-economic diversity and strength-based approaches to enhance communication with diverse populations and to understand student, faculty, staff, and community needs
• Experience with assessment, accreditation, retention initiatives, and high-impact practices
• Experience managing organizational processes, including policy interpretation, policy development and evaluation, and process design
• Understanding of logic model approaches to developing evidence-based outcomes/impacts and of assessment components for grant writing and program evaluation
• Experience with personnel and operating budget development and management, including knowledge of fiscal policies and operations
• Strong organizational skills; ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities while adjusting quickly to daily change; and ability to meet the needs of a quickly evolving polytechnic campus emphasizing hands-on and high-impact practices
• Demonstrated ability to work with a team of colleagues who represent a diversity of work and conflict resolution styles.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in informal and formal teams with individuals from diverse communities and cultures.
• Demonstrated commitment and/or experience promoting and fostering a learning environment that is supportive of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated commitment to recruiting and hiring diverse candidates.
• Demonstrated knowledge and familiarity addressing issues of concern facing students from diverse backgrounds in higher education.
• An understanding of the dynamics of diversity in higher education and a demonstrated ability to incorporate this understanding, as appropriate, in all levels of your work.

Minimum Qualifications:

This position requires a minimum of two years of experience in higher education community-based learning and/or community-engagement practices; progressively responsible and applicable management and/or supervisory experience; and three years of teaching or other related professional experience. A bachelor’s degree in related fields of education and experience to provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position is required. Intermediate proficiency with computer office systems and ability to use a broad range of technology, systems, and software packages (Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, Google applications) are also required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field
• Managerial style that prioritizes social and environmental consciousness and team-building and strengths-based approaches, emphasizing the welfare of staff and the constituencies the CCBL serves

Application Procedure: To apply, qualified candidates must electronically submit the following materials by clicking the Apply Now button:

• Letter of Interest
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Contact information for at least three professional references

Application Deadline: The deadline to submit application materials is 11:55 p.m. on October 24, 2023.

Any inquiries about this recruitment can be directed to careers@humboldt.edu or Cal Poly Humboldt’s Human Resources Office at (707) 826-3626.

Cal Poly Humboldt sits on the traditional homelands of the Wiyot people in what is currently called Arcata, CA. The Wiyot people call the area Goudi’ni (over in the woods). Cal Poly Humboldt was the first campus in the California State University system to offer a stand-alone major in Native American Studies.

Cal Poly Humboldt is committed to enriching its educational environment and its culture through the diversity of its staff, faculty, and administration. Persons with interest and experience in helping organizations set and achieve goals relative to diversity and inclusion are especially encouraged to apply.

Working in the state of California is a condition of employment for this position. Even if part or all of an employee’s assignment can be performed remotely, the employee must maintain a permanent residence in the state of California. The employee must be able to accept on-campus work assignment, as assigned, and come to campus when needed.

CSU requires faculty, staff, and students who are accessing campus facilities to be immunized against COVID-19 or declare a medical or religious exemption from doing so.  Any candidates advanced in a currently open search process should be prepared to comply with this requirement.  The systemwide policy can be found at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/9779821/latest/ and questions may be sent to hr@campus.edu.

Cal Poly Humboldt hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. This position may be considered a “Campus Security Authority”, pursuant to the Clery Act, and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1107 a condition of employment.

CAL POLY HUMBOLDT IS NOT A SPONSORING AGENCY FOR STAFF OR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS (e.g. H1-B VISAS)

Evidence of required degree(s), certification(s), or license(s) is required prior to the appointment date. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check, employment verification, and education verification) is required for employment. Cal Poly Humboldt will issue a contingent offer of employment to the selected candidate, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or if it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information.  Certain positions may also require a credit check, motor vehicle report, and/or fingerprinting through Live Scan service. Failure to satisfactorily complete or adverse findings from a background check may affect the employment status of candidates or continued employment of current CSU employees who are being considered for the position.

This position is a “designated position” in the California State University’s Conflict of Interest Code. The successful candidate accepting this position is required to file Conflict of Interest forms subject to the regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission.” In reference to the full disclosure letter, please refer to HR 2010-08.

Cal Poly Humboldt is committed to achieving the goals of equal opportunity and endeavors to employ faculty and staff of the highest quality reflecting the ethnic and cultural diversity of the state. Additional information about Cal Poly Humboldt can be found at www.humboldt.edu.

Cal Poly Humboldt is a Title IX/Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.  Mandated Reporting: This position may be considered a “mandated reporter” under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Additionally, all CSU staff and faculty receive training annually on their obligations in responding to and reporting incidents of sexual harassment and sexual violence. You will be notified by email when you are required to take this mandated training.

Class Code: 3318
Publication Date:   September 25, 2023