1.
Summary Statement: Major functions of the position and its role in the University
Director, Academic & Opportunity Support Programs
The Director is responsible for the overall administration of the federally funded TRIO Scholars
Program, the federally funded Ronald E. McNair Post baccalaureate Scholars Program, and the state
funded Academic Skills Center. The director also coordinates three financial aid programs that
provide approximately $200,000 in state and federal aid each year to students in the two TRIO
programs. The Director supervises, plans and executes staff training, evaluates program activities,
monitors personnel and participant records and manages a combined annual budget of approximately
$650,000. In addition, the director is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to meet
project objectives for the federal grant programs, writing the federal grants, preparing annual and
interim performance reports for the U.S. Department of Education and communicating with the U.S.
Department of Education on behalf of the University in all areas related to the federal programs. The
director is also responsible for providing program reports to the university on an annual basis and as
requested by university officials.
2. List the major responsibilities, including percentage of time devoted to each. Provide enough detail
to enable a person outside the department to understand the job.
25%
Staff Development, Training, & Supervision
 Provide supervision, training, and development opportunities for staff (four
administrative faculty, three classified staff, one LOA, two graduate assistants and up to
60 student workers).
 Provide the training necessary to keep staff current on pertinent federal regulations
including record keeping requirements, allowable costs, and assessment priorities.
 Meet with individual staff members and with program staff from the three programs on a
regular basis in order to provide appropriate coordination of effort and to monitor and
assist with individual staff and program needs.
 Complete annual performance evaluations for administrative faculty and classified staff.
30%
Program Development and Oversight
 Monitor the academic support programs included in the TRIO
Scholars Program including individual tutoring, supplemental instruction, writing
instruction, academic success workshops, and mid-term progress reports; Monitor and
develop the TRIO Scholars counseling program including freshman orientation, the
development of individual Education Action Plans and the Cultural Exploration
component of the program. Make changes to programs as necessary to maintain the high
quality of services needed to meet outcome objectives.
 Supervise all aspects of Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Program: recruitment of
participants and academic mentors; implementation of the summer research component;
design and content of the academic year seminar program; and the development of student
travel to professional conferences and for graduate school visits.
 Provide oversight to all aspects of the Academic Skills Center including recruitment,
training and evaluation of tutors and promotion of the center’s academic support programs
to the university community.
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Coordinate Financial Assistance Programs. Determine eligibility and recommend eligible
TRIO Scholars participants for federal TRIO grants. Coordinate and monitor state
matching requirement for federal TRIO grants. Determine eligibility and recommend
eligible students for the Davis Opportunity Grants. Determine eligibility and recommend
eligible TRIO Scholars participants for Wells Fargo Scholarships. Monitor the progress of
all grant/scholarship recipients. Supervise the allocation of McNair research stipends.
Oversee the technology needs of all programs within the scope of responsibility including
web site development, electronic data base management, electronic scheduling of tutoring
sessions, and web based submission of federal interim and annual reports.
20%
Program Assessment
 Supervise data collection and perform required analysis to determine the degree to which
outcome objectives are met for both the federal grant programs. Monitor formative
assessment measures as outlined in each federal grant’s Plan of Operation to identify
problem areas and/or methods that need to be modified in order to attain annual outcome
objectives.
 Identify and implement meaningful methods of evaluating all programs that will allow for
the efficient use of funds and effective services to students.
 Assure compliance with federal regulations and grant requirements including the
documentation of participant eligibility and services; preparation of required federal
reports; and oversight of electronic and hard copy participant files to assure that all
required documentation is included.
 Provide assessment reports to the unit, division, and university on a regular basis and as
requested.
10%
Budget Management
 Monitor the federal budgets to assure that all expenditures in both programs are
reasonable, allocable, are allowable.
 Manage carry-over funds on the federal budgets when necessary and allowable.
 Oversee the Academic Skills Center budget to assure that academic support services are
both effective and cost efficient.
 Monitor the financial aid budgets to make sure that compliance with federal and state
regulations is maintained at all times.
10%
Outreach and Collaboration
Serve on university committees as an advocate for underrepresented students including low
income students, students of color, and students with disabilities.
Collaborate with other university academic and other student support program to optimize
type and quality of services available to students
Participate in the strategic planning at the program, unit, division, and, to the extent
appropriate, at the university level.
Outreach to the academic departments to identify academic faculty to serve as research
mentors for the McNair Scholars Program.
Collaborate with other UNR TRIO programs in order to promote a campus climate supportive
of the retention and graduation of underrepresented students.
Facilitate communication with Student Financial Services in regard to the federal TRIO
grants, the McNair research stipends, the Wells Fargo Scholarships, and other state aid
reserved for TRIO participants.
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5%
Grant Writing
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Responsible for preparing and writing all sections of the TRIO Scholars Grant Proposal and the
Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program grant proposals (Competitive grant applications
submitted in the third year of each four-year grant cycle) including attending grant writing
workshops and compiling the data for the needs sections of the proposals and for securing the
university commitment letters needed to prepare successful grant applications.
Responsible for writing other appropriate grant applications that support the programs within the
director’s sphere of responsibility.
3. Describe how the decisions and judgments made by this position and the results of work
performed impact the department, division, and/or University as a whole.
The programs supervised by this position are located within the Student Access and Opportunity
Unit. The mission of the unit is to promote the success of underrepresented students at the
university. The TRIO Scholars Program, The McNair Scholars Program, and the Academic Skills
Center all support this mission. Success in each of these programs relates directly to the success
of the unit, the division, and the university in retaining and graduating underrepresented students.
Successful grant applications bring in well over $500,000 per year to the university. These funds
support staff, services, and some financial aid for UNR students. The Student Academic Support
Services Center provides academic support to a large number of university students. The support
available through the center assists the university to retain and graduate students who might not
otherwise succeed at UNR including low income students of all ethnicities and students with
disabilities as well as students from the general UNR population.
Poor judgment on the part of the Director could result in the loss of federal funds. In the case of
irresponsible decisions on the part of director, the university could be subject to a federal audit of
all programs receiving federal funds. In the case of misuse of federal funds, the university could
lose eligibility for all federal funds, including federal financial aid.
4. Describe the knowledge, skills and abilities essential to successful performance of this job.
Ability to understand and apply federal regulations to grants management. Ability to supervise
staff comprised of administrative faculty, classified professionals, and student employees; Ability
to design and carry out formative and outcome assessment for all programs and activities related
to the scope of responsibility; A well developed sense of diplomacy; Ability to manage state and
federal budgets; Understanding of student development theory; Understanding of the academic
barriers facing underrepresented students; Ability to work effectively on multiple projects;
Proficient in oral and written communication; Ability to establish rapport with a diverse
population of traditional and nontraditional age college students, co-workers and support staff;
Able to work as part of a team; Ability to adhere to deadlines; Able to work collaboratively with a
wide variety of service providers; Ability to work independently to achieve specified outcomes;
Proficient in the use of computer applications; Basic understanding of computer technology;
Understanding of issues facing project eligible students.
5. Describe the type of personal contacts encountered in performing the duties of the job. Explain
the nature and purpose of these contacts; i.e., to provide services, to resolve problems, to
negotiate.
Contact with the U.S. Department of Education to report annual performance outcomes for the
federal grants and to negotiate changes in scope as needed for each of the grants.
Contact with academic faculty, deans and vice-presidents to provide information on program
services and to recruit faculty research mentors.
Contact with administrative and academic faculty to collaborate on academic support projects of
mutual interest and to identify and recruit workshop and seminar presenters.
Contact with academic departments and administrative units to identify participants for the TRIO
projects and to identify students to serve as tutors in the Student Academic Skills Center.
Interface with UNR technology support personnel on behalf of the project.
Interact with residential life and housing and enrollment services to provide housing and class
credits for summer research program and to obtain focus reports for use in recruiting participants
for the federal programs.
Communicate with staff at other universities to identify appropriate model programs that could be
implemented at UNR as a means of strengthening existing programs within the scope of
responsibility and to coordinate graduate schools visits for McNair Scholars participants.
6. Indicate the minimum qualifications which are necessary in filling this position should it become
vacant. Please keep in mind the duties/responsibilities of the position rather than the
qualifications of the incumbent.
A. Minimum educational level, including appropriate field, if any.
Minimum:
Master's degree from an accredited college or university in education, counseling, student
development or a related field.
Preferred:
Doctoral degree in one of the above areas.
B. Minimum type and amount of work experience, in addition to the above required education,
necessary for a person entering this position.
Required:
Five years of professional (post masters) experience directing student support programs at the
postsecondary level. Experience supervising staff and managing federal and state budgets.
Grant writing experience. Experience with program assessment. Experience working with
first generation, low-income students and students of color in a postsecondary setting.
Preferred:
Experience directing federal TRIO programs, especially Student Support Services and Ronald
E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate programs and writing federal TRIO grants. Experience
working at a four year university.
C. Indicate any license or certificate required for this position.
None