Executive Director, Center for Community Based Learning at Occidental College
Occidental College
College, CA
Priority Deadline: 3/10/23; applications will be reviewed beginning 3/13/23.
Job Duties
- Overall strategic leadership of the Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL)
With support of the Faculty Committee for the Center for Community Based Learning, provide leadership and strategic direction for the CCBL to implement just and reciprocal community-based learning, teaching, and research throughout the College.
- Cultivate and maintain the CCBL portfolio of innovative and inclusive teaching and learning programming and partnerships for faculty and students
- Serve as a critical thought partner and pedagogical specialist, providing support for faculty learning and utilization of pedagogies for social change, social justice-infused methods, and other forms of engaged teaching and learning.
- In collaboration with faculty, lead and oversee community-engaged research activities including initiating and/or facilitating academic-community partnerships using participatory approaches.
- Develop curricular and workshop materials for faculty and staff to prepare students for community-based research project proposals, IRB submission, and work related to publication and presentation at academic conferences.
- Provide leadership with local, regional, and national networks such as Imagining America, Project Pericles, and other professional networks in the field.
- Serve as campus resource and conduit for best practices and expertise in community-based learning pedagogy and programming.
- Teaching and Curriculum Development
- Work with faculty to develop curricular initiatives and community-engaged courses.
- Work with faculty to develop students' capacity to engage in community-based learning and research (CBLR), e.g. through the Education in Action (EIA) program
- Teach CBLR and co-teach CBLR courses with faculty, upon request and/or as needed and as part of the CCBL mission. Such courses would contribute to the potential for curricular requirements and/or development of CBLR accreditation (e.g. a certificate program).
- Research, Assessment, and Data Management
- Evaluate and analyze the efficacy of CBLR in the academic program
- Collect data for proposals, report writing, and program assessment.
- Work with individuals across departments on assessment bridging academic and co-curricular engagement practices.
- Management and staff supervision
- Budget oversight and management to ensure compliance with established limits and policies.
- Develop and manage a staffing model to improve support for community-based learning across the College, which may include collaboration with other campus entities
- Oversee student-centered programs including the Education-in-Action program and work with faculty to identify student EIA facilitators and provide ongoing support for student leadership in community-based teaching
- Campus Leadership and Collaboration
- Lead and support partnerships directly contributing to the academic mission of the College.
- Liaise and work collaboratively with the Center for Research and Scholarship (CRS) and Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), Academic Commons including Special Collections, and other community-engaged units to provide leadership on campus and deepen the College’s impact of community-engaged learning and scholarship.
- Work with Sponsored Research Office and Institutional Advancement to identify and apply for extramural funding.
- Work with Faculty to develop language and practices for community-engaged faculty hires; participate in faculty searches.
- Represent CCBL in the Academic Affairs Leadership Forum and other Director level initiatives.
- Work with college marketing staff and Admissions Office to elevate visibility and impact of the CCBL. This includes coordinating the production and maintenance of the CCBL website, social media, and other publicity.