Director of Veterans Upward Bound en Rochester Institute of Technology (VUB program)

• Manage the day-to day program operations, activities, and services provided to low-income and first generation veterans
• Overseas the development of the program, including planning of academic curriculum, recruitment and outreach, and comprehensive services offered by the program to veteran participants
• Leads weekly staff meetings, bi-weekly CET meetings, and holds weekly 1-1 meetings with direct reports
• Provide direct supervision of professional staff, providing training and evaluating performance. (2 fulltime program staff, 5+ adjunct instructors, 5+ tutors, and part-time program assistant)
• Chairs the VUB Advisory Board which brings together community partners and key stakeholders for quarterly meetings
• Ensures mandatory grant objectives are met

• Recruit, select, train, and supervise all instructional staff and tutors (adjunct instructors in math, English and core disciplines and 1-1 peer tutoring)
• Organize and implements college-ready workshops, events, college tours, field trips and cultural enrichment activities for participants
• Work closely with the Offices of Admissions, Career Services, Financial Aid, Academic Support Programs, and Disability Services offices and Veterans Services at RIT, MCC, GCC, and FLCC to ensure successful post-secondary enrollment of veteran participants
• Ensure the federally mandated core curriculum, which is aligned with the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education, is implemented and the participants are engaged in college-preparatory courses and academic activities
• Work with Veteran Upward Bound (VUB) instructors to ensure courses that are in line with the program's curriculum and educational philosophy;
• Assess VUB course and tutoring effectiveness using pre and post tests and also surveys developed through Qualtrics

• Work closely with university veteran outreach to recruit students for the Veterans dual enrollment program; build and maintain strategic working relationships with a caseload of education, government, and/or social agency partners, in order to recruit additional students to meet the program's annual required number of served participants and its standardized project objectives;
• Regularly contact partner organizations to inform them of program services, semester dates, and special events; update database of education partners, social service agency, and/or government agency service providers who refer eligible participants to VUB;
• Represent the program by making presentations about VUB at educational institutions and other veterans organizations; travel to partner sites to conduct seminars and workshops and to develop and foster partner relationships;
• Work with Marketing team to maintain and enhance program website, marketing materials, and social media  

• Assist caseload of 20 students with the college and financial aid application processes; work with students to ensure they apply to and are accepted into post-secondary education and that they have adequate financial aid and access to any needed campus resources; 
• Act as a program's advisor and liaison to the University's Veterans Pathway students; 
• Provide personal advising or resources to address personal issues that may be barriers to students' educational goals, including confidential referrals to social service and veteran service agencies; secure and coordinate accommodations for students in need of disability services;
• Review caseload of students' academic progress reports, completed by program/dual enrollment instructors, with the students to facilitate understanding and also improvement, as needed; encourage students to participate in tutoring, program workshops, and take advantage of other resources, as needed, to facilitate their success and retention in the program; coordinate tutoring schedules and appointments to ensure students' tutoring needs are met;
• Maintain contact with alumni, particularly in the first two years, to monitor their progress through higher education, ensure they are connected to support, and encourage their participation in alumni events and opportunities

• Coordinate fiscal management of the VUB grant, preparing and monitoring budgets, and initiating purchasing documents. 
• Work with the Director of Finance in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Sponsored Research regarding budgetary procedures and expenditures for the project, ensuring compliance with both university and government rules, guidance and laws.
• Knowledge of rules and regulations and allowable/unallowable grant costs and reconciling budget monthly to the grant
• Manage Grant Reporting, Student Records, Database, and Assessment
• Responsible for accurate data management collection and reporting as required by the Department of Education for the Annual Performance report
• Manages Student Access database system and ensures proper 
• documentation and tracking of student information
• Monitors database to ensure proper information is collected and recorded
• Assesses program components using Qualtrics, gathers qualitative and Responsible for developing, maintaining and overseeing the Veterans Upward Bound Program and project staff

• Bachelor's degree 
• At least 3-5 years of significant professional experience related to the duties of the position, including curriculum development, leadership experience, students in a higher education setting.
• Grant oversight, including proposal writing, budget management, and reporting highly desirable
• Experience in developing and implementing programs; experience in conducting workshops

• Successful candidates must demonstrate leadership skills, high level of interpersonal skills, knowledge of student development theory, and an ability to maintain a culture of professional excellence and focus on student success. Organizational and leadership achievements will be considered strongly, in addition to the requisite qualifications.
• Ability to consider alternative and diverse perspectives, to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, remain poised under all circumstances, and to interact effectively with people in a positive manner that engenders confidence and trust.
• Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with diverse internal and external constituencies.

The Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) program is a pre-college program which assists veterans and military service members with enrolling in school, which can be any college or training program, not just RIT. This free program assists in all aspects of the college admissions process, including applying for and understanding financial aid benefits, providing refresher courses, one-on-one tutoring, laptop loans, and connections to local resources. The primary goal of the program is to increase the rate at which participants enroll in and complete postsecondary education programs.

VUB helps veterans and service members of all ages navigate the education system, gain access to information about college and career exploration, and improve academic skills needed for successful entry into education.