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About the Role

The Black Unity Center (BUC) Student Engagement Specialist serves and advocates for students of Black and African descent to increase their access to and success in higher education. This role provides student advising, support, mentoring, coaching, guidance, and appropriate referrals, aligning with student development and learning models that incorporate the experiences of historically marginalized students. The specialist organizes and implements educational, social, and cultural programs to enhance the success of students of Black and African descent, working to improve outcomes related to their success, development, inclusion, retention, and overall experience by addressing systemic barriers and building individual student capacity.

Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive individual and small group advising to address obstacles to the success of students of African descent, including academic, personal, financial, or career-related issues.
Conduct in-depth assessments of student needs, skills, abilities, and academic progress to provide timely, appropriate, and critical resources.
Partner and collaborate with the Center, Black Student Organizations, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and community-based organizations to support student needs for program planning, course advisement, and major/career exploration.
Implement advising strategies that support pathways to graduation for students of African descent.
Develop, implement, and sustain academic support modules to assist students in identifying obstacles, critically evaluating interventions, and engaging in self-assessment for successful graduation strategies.
Plan and implement retention-related student engagement workshops, sessions, and events.
Develop data-driven and community-informed programs engaging the community in current trends, data, narratives, and issues related to the success of students of African descent in higher education.
Collaborate with the Director to assess all student engagement programs, initiatives, and projects of the Center.
Represent the Black Unity Center at selected campus, community, and statewide CSU events, counselor meetings/conferences, and other special events.
Participate in department and campus committees, programs, and projects as assigned.
Collaborate and partner closely with the Center, Black Student Organizations, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and community-based organizations on student retention and engagement initiatives for students of African descent.
Maintain comprehensive knowledge of current trends related to the success of students of African descent in higher education.
Implement timelines and calendars for retention-related student engagement events.
Serve on campus committees and workgroups at the discretion of the Director and Senior Associate Vice President for Community Inclusion and Student Life.
Assist the Enrollment Management Recruitment and Retention team in alignment with the SFSU Strategic Enrollment Plan.
Assist with Enrollment Management duties as assigned.
Manage multi-media projects and plans including the Center’s social media, web, and email communication plans for students of African descent.
Develop emails, videos, presentations, and print pieces to engage students in the services of the Center.
Capture and post campus events on social media to showcase Center activities for prospective students and applicants.
Assist in the planning and implementation of on and off-campus special events, including Sneak Preview, College Fairs, Counselor Conferences, and various meetings.
Develop and implement communication and marketing plans for students of African descent in coordination with the Director, the other Student Engagement Specialist, and the Executive Assistant.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in a related field, including or supplemented by upper division or graduate coursework in counseling techniques, interviewing, and conflict resolution where such are job related.
Thorough knowledge of the principles of individual and group behavior.
General knowledge of the principles, practices, and trends of the Student Services field.
General knowledge of the policies, procedures, and practices of the program area to which assigned.
General knowledge of individual counseling techniques.
Ability to analyze complex situations accurately and adopt effective courses of action.
Ability to advise students individually and in groups on complex student-related matters.
Ability to determine appropriate courses of action and proper techniques for personal interactions of an argumentative or sensitive nature.
Ability to interpret and evaluate descriptions and explanations of problems brought forward by individuals or student organizations, analyze and define the problem, draw valid conclusions, and project consequences of various alternative courses of action.
Ability to carry out a variety of professionally complex assignments without detailed instructions.
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with a variety of individuals.
Equivalent of three years of progressively responsible professional student services work experience.
One year in the program area to which assigned may be preferred but is not required.
A master’s degree in counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work, or a directly related field may be substituted for one year of experience.
A doctorate degree and the appropriate internship or clinical training in counseling or guidance may be substituted for the three years of experience for positions with a major responsibility for professional career or personal counseling.
Some evening/weekend hours may be required during peak academic periods.
May be required to travel to off-campus locations for special activities or conferences.
Must be able to transport and load/unload outreach materials or arrange for the transportation of outreach materials weighing up to 50 pounds each.
Must be able to competently interact with a culturally, ethnically, and racially diverse population of students, faculty, and staff.
Must adhere to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the California Information Practices Act by maintaining confidentiality of student information.
Successful completion of a background check.
Must be able to provide proof of US Citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, within three business days from their date of hire.

Skills

Knowledge of various African/African American histories and cultural realities.
Knowledge of Student Affairs, Student Development and/or Student Services in higher education.
Knowledge of multicultural identity development models/theories as they relate to students of African descent.
Strong communication skills and the ability to provide information accurately and effectively, both orally and in writing, to large groups and to individuals of culturally and economically diverse backgrounds.
Ability to effectively advocate on behalf of students of African descent with faculty, staff, and administrators.
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with individuals across different communities while carrying out a variety of professionally complex assignments.
Particular knowledge of California and the CSU higher education environment.
Demonstrated experience with supervising and training student employees.
Knowledge of a wide range of communication and design applications, including InDesign, Microsoft Office suite, Drupal, Adobe Creative, page layout software, html, email and social networking applications.
Ability to acquire and maintain current knowledge of community issues that impact the success of students of African descent in higher education.
Thorough knowledge of SFSU, its philosophy, policies and procedures, programs, and services related to the engagement and retention of students of African descent.
Excellent time management skills.
Ability to work effectively independently, and/or in teams on multiple tasks or projects.

Location

San Francisco, CA

Work Type

Full-Time
On-site

Experience Level

3 years of progressively responsible professional student services work experience
1 year in the program area to which assigned may be preferred
2 years of experience at a post-secondary institution working with programs that address equity, social justice, and/or trends that impact the success of students of African descent (Preferred)

Education Level

Bachelor's degree in a related field
Master's degree preferred

Salary/Compensations

$66,480.00 Annually

Benefits

Medical
Dental
Vision
Pension
401k
Healthcare Savings Account
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Vacation and Sick Leave
State Holidays
Dynamic Fee Waiver program

About the Company

San Francisco State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
San Francisco State is a 100% Smoke/Vapor-Free Campus.
The California State University (CSU) is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California.
CSU prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California with very limited exception.
All work is expected to be performed in the state of California, and this position is assigned to on-campus operations.

Equal Opportunity

San Francisco State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, National origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status.
Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting the Senior Human Resources Manager.
Applicants may visit titleix.sfsu.edu for more information on SF State's policy prohibiting discrimination, and how to file an online report using the procedures under Executive Order 1096 Revised.
Inquiries can be directed to the campus Title IX Coordinator and Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Administrator by calling (415) 338-2032 or emailing vpsaem@sfsu.edu.