Prison Education Assistant Director

Special Note

This is a full-time, overtime exempt position on the Olympia campus of The Evergreen State College and in Washington prisons, jails, and youth carceral facilities. This position is an “at-will” appointment, exempt from Washington State Civil Service rules and the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime requirements.

Position Purpose

EPEP is developing a comprehensive education and support program for currently incarcerated and legally liberated (formerly incarcerated) students. This position excels in a team environment and is dedicated to supporting positive outcomes for currently and formerly incarcerated people. The position reports to the Co-Director, Evergreen Prison Education Project – Curriculum (EPEP Co-Director for Curriculum) and leads all aspects of student support programming development and implementation while ensuring the program operates in compliance with state and federal policies. This position requires close collaboration between the Department of Corrections (DOC), the Department of Children Youth and Families, incarcerated people, and multiple organizations and offices at The Evergreen State College to serve students directly. This position works to ensure students receive correct information and assistance to be successful. EPEP’s work is student-centered, with all curricula, professional development, and events organized around student success.

Nature and Scope

This position assists the EPEP Co-Director for Curriculum in developing innovative strategies to inaugurate the growth, well-being, and integrity of EPEP’s degree program, and supports the EPEP Network in embodying our mission, vision, and values. This work includes exposure to potentially difficult information, people struggling with health and other life circumstances, and sometimes challenging work environments. We aim to support the person in this position in processing difficult aspects of the work in healthy and productive ways, including support from supervisors, team members, and community and by engaging in training, group-care, and other practices which support wellbeing. We are deeply dedicated to positive change, collective liberation, and consistent compassion to provide effective support for incarcerated and legally liberated students.

We aim to support a healthy professional and personal life balance. This leadership role is also part of a growing team supporting education and reintegration services. Within the team there is cross-training for critical redundancy of select services to provide consistent, quality support for students. Tasks will be prioritized to fit within the position’s scope and to support wellbeing for the person in the position.

This position is responsible for managing and developing the centralized program support features for Liberation Scholars, Gateways for Incarcerated Youth, Education Reentry, and EPEP Bachelor’s degree programs, including supporting faculty and staff to implement the delivery of high-quality educational programming by performing the following duties:

Supervise, Lead, and Manage (~40%)

• Lead development, implementation, and operations management for programs and collaborations supporting diverse students throughout their academic journey.
• Supervise EPEP Network staff, including the Gateways program lead, the Education Reentry Navigator, Liberations Scholars program lead and other staff, students, and volunteers as needed; provide managerial support to program leads for day-to-day operations.
• Support Evergreen faculty working in the Bachelor’s degree program.
• Provide direct service and supervise other EPEP Network staff to provide student success services including outreach, recruitment, registration, onboarding and orientation, financial aid, academic and career advising, trauma-informed and healing-centered engagement, instructional support, and graduation management for incarcerated and legally liberated scholars pursuing higher education, transitioning into college and/or successfully completing a degree; manage staff also providing these student services.
• Support self and team accountability to ensure the best service to students; provide compassionate, effective, and actionable feedback that aims to inspire mutual learning, growth, and professional development; provide performance evaluations.
• Manage programs and staff to ensure all program logistics needs are identified (including necessary security clearances), completed or assigned, and done in an accurate and timely manner; work with others to effectively address security issues as they arise.

Essential Functions

Collaborations and Partnerships (~40%)

• Develop diverse partnerships, including with community organizations, state and federal agencies, education institutions, and multiple Evergreen offices and organizations; supervise staff leading collaborations with other agencies and organizations to provide student success services.
• Using a collaborative approach, lead communications to effectively address and resolve complex program and/or organization issues and challenges.
• Coordinate with Liberation Scholars and other existing student support services at Evergreen, such as Financial Aid, Academic and Career Advising, Admissions, Basic Needs Center, and others to support increased access to education, help address student success needs, maximize efficiency, develop critical redundancy, and engage in strategic differentiation.
• Assist with developing short- and long-term yearly objectives for EPEP to include administrative, service, personnel, and budget goals.
• Provide leadership in development of grants, contracts, and donations and manage resulting program or project implementation.
• Foster positive relationships with all partners, including incarcerated people, students, DOC, Community Colleges, and Evergreen, agency, and community organization staff and leadership.
• Engage in strategic activities that advance the mission of EPEP by leading and participating in meetings, conference calls, and working groups and presenting to a diverse range of audiences, including conferences, carceral settings, academic institutions, and community organizations.
• Supervise and support Gateways, Liberation Scholars, and Education Reentry Navigator staff in recruiting students, staff, and faculty support for programs.
• Coordinate with Evergreen’s Marketing and Communication’s office on communications, recruitment, and branding.

• Manage tracking, reporting, shared file, and program evaluation systems and submit reports to funders and EPEP leadership, including student enrollment, financial aid, outreach, recruitment reports, etc. to comply with college, funder, state, and federal requirements.
• Manage records and correspondence with incarcerated students to support education and reentry/reintegration via approved communication and tracking systems and in accordance with federal, state, DOC, and Evergreen policies, trainings, and agreements.
• With EPEP Program Coordinator, support, manage, and monitor program budgets using Excel and Banner.
• Complete all required training courses and ensure direct reports also comply with training requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional Duties

• Excellent interpersonal and advising skills, including active listening, cultural competency, caring and supportive approach, support for healthy group dynamics, respect for differences, and ability to help students clarify their educational, career, and life goals.
• Knowledge of academic and reentry/reintegration issues impacting incarcerated and legally liberated student populations, including people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.
• Skill in leading, planning, developing, managing, and coordinating education, student success, or related programs within correctional facilities.
• Ability to lead EPEP Network staff and faculty in completing program logistics, such as security clearance processes, resolving program operation issues, tracking, reporting, and complying with training and policy requirements.
• Ability to supervise and coach staff, student employees, interns, and volunteers, including scheduling, assigning work, prioritizing tasks, setting clear goals, training, evaluating performance, and addressing job performance issues.
• Ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships while consistently extending respect and compassion to all team members, partners, students, and other community members.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills, including presentation, training, facilitation, agenda development, time management, and conflict management skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, including incarcerated and legally liberated people, DOC officials, college administrators, staff, faculty, and community partners.
• Ability to expand student success resources through partnerships, networking, and collaborations.
• Skill in demonstrating and supporting self-care, compassion, and community building.
• Proficiency with software applications, such as Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Excel, Teams, etc. and other file and record management systems.
• Strong skills in file management, tracking and reporting, and documenting program models, systems, and procedures, including ability to design, develop, and manage systems to track student metrics at all stages from recruitment to graduation.
• Skill in managing a budget, allocating resources, and tracking expenditures; ability to follow fiscal policies and procedures.
• Ability to work independently, be self-directed, and work collaboratively as part of a team involving multiple offices and institutions.
• Knowledge of FERPA and understanding of the importance of confidentiality of student advising sessions.
• Knowledge of and ability to stay current in curricula and reentry/reintegration resources, including through the lens of gender, racial, and social equity; knowledge of college admissions, financial aid, student employment, academic advising, counseling, tutoring, and other resources available to students.
• Ability to adapt to continually changing circumstances, address and resolve complex issues, effectively identify and manage project priorities, and develop and maintain effective systems to organize and track programs and processes.
• Demonstrate high value for professionalism, equity, inclusion, supporting positive change, and working across differences to increase access to education.
• Ability to provide and respond to feedback in a positive and productive manner; maintain a personal and professional growth mindset; listen to, learn from, and demonstrate value for lived, academic, and professional experience; and work effectively with all organization partners.
• Ability to transition between multiple work locations on a regular basis.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment for all students and colleagues and an ability to work effectively with diverse populations.
• Understanding teaching and learning models at The Evergreen State College.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel to prisons, jails, and youth carceral facilities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• One year of experience in program/project management, including experience in the following: program planning and operation, managing budgets, reporting, and supervising staff.
• Two years of experience coordinating or providing higher level leadership for education, student success, reentry/reintegration, or related programs for justice-involved/system-impacted people.

Desired Qualifications

• Five years of experience managing educational, student success, or reentry/reintegration program(s).
• Experience working with underserved, diverse populations, and/or people in transition.
• Experience establishing and maintaining diverse partnerships, including successful cross agency/organization collaboration.
• Direct or indirect experience with systems of incarceration.
• Experience working with incarcerated or legally liberated people in an educational setting.
• Advanced training, education, or experience in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Conditions of Employment

• Must provide proof of identity and employment eligibility within three days of beginning work.
• Prior to an official offer of employment, a Declaration Regarding Sexual Misconduct form must be submitted to the college per RCW 28B.112.080. The college will contact current and past employers to verify this information. Applicants who provide inaccurate information in their declaration will be disqualified and, if the inaccuracies are discovered after the applicant has been hired, it shall be grounds for termination.
• Prior to a new hire, must successfully pass DOC and Juvenile Rehabilitation security clearance; information from these checks will not necessarily preclude employment.
• Must be able to travel and work in off-site locations, including carceral facilities throughout the state.
• Must comply with college travel policy.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be in compliance with the college’s eligible driver requirements.
• Must be able to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Benefits

A full state benefits package which includes: paid sick and vacation leave; paid campus holidays; a generous medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; optional deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts. For more information about Evergreen’s excellent employee benefits, please view https://www.evergreen.edu/payroll/benefits-package.