Assistant Director of the Freedom Fellows Program in Atchison, Kansas at Benedictine College

Department: Student Life

Job Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Director of Center for Student Support and Engagement

Amount of Travel Required: Some travel required

Work Schedule: 8:00am-5:00pm plus some weeknights and weekends

Positions Supervised:

POSITION SUMMARY

The Assistant Director of the Freedom Fellows Program will operate within the Center for Student Support and Engagement and report to the Director. This position focuses on developing students in the College’s program of distinction, the Freedom Fellows. The Assistant Director will foster close working relationships with Fellows and establish a follow-up system to promote student development, integration, and success.

This role includes a significant emphasis on engaging and supporting female students within the Freedom Fellows program. The Assistant Director will design and implement initiatives that promote the participation, retention, and sense of belonging of female students, including mentorship, programming, and targeted outreach that supports their academic, social, and personal development.

The Assistant Director will support the Director with organizational and administrative tasks. Additionally, this role may occasionally support the Center for Student Support and Engagement and perform other related duties.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Support for Freedom Fellows

• Support, challenge, and hold students in the program accountable
• Ensure students in the program of distinction are adjusting to the institution
• Assist students in embracing college culture and navigating institutional norms

Freedom Fellow Development

• Connect Fellows with opportunities both on and off campus to support their overall development.
• Help Fellows develop social capital by connecting students and building a network
• Coach Fellows in developing the ability to shape their own paths, build self-agency, and advocate for themselves

Implementing Freedom Fellow Requirements

• Maintain a working relationship with Fellows through weekly meetings
• Manage program study and academic readiness procedures
• Assist with organizing and teaching mandatory program courses

Freedom Fellow Formation

Collaborate with Fellows to promote the principles of Freedom Fellow formation:

• Habituation through practice
• Reflecting on personal experiences
• Engagement with virtuous exemplars
• Dialogue that increases virtue literacy
• Awareness of situational variables
• Moral reminders
• Friendships of mutual accountability

Female Fellow Support and Engagement

• Design, lead, and implement programming that advances the engagement, retention, and success of female Fellows within the Freedom Fellows Program, in recognition of demonstrated program needs.
• Provide mentorship, coaching, and advocacy that directly supports the academic, social, and personal development of female students.
• Foster a strong sense of belonging, community, and peer connection among female Fellows as a central component of program success.
• Utilize proactive, non-clinical, solutions-oriented approaches to identify and support at-risk students, with particular attention to the needs and experiences of female Fellows.
• Collaborate with program leadership to ensure female student success strategies are fully integrated into broader Freedom Fellows development efforts.

Summer Programming

The Assistant Director will assist in the development, organization, and implementation of:

• Freedom Summer Program
• Freedom Fellow Summer Intensive
• The Family Summit

Freedom Fellow Extension

• Assist in recruitment for the Freedom Fellows
• Develop relationships with mission-fit high schools to partner with
• Research and identify possible donors for the program
• Maintain a relationship with recent graduates of the program to keep them engaged
• Assist director in development of Freedom Fellow newsletter
• Recruit and develop strategic connections with mission-fit schools that fit our target population
• Will identify and develop relationships with new donors

Center for Student Support

• Support students outside of the Freedom Fellows program as needed
• Assist at-risk student populations in navigating college successfully and addressing the hidden curriculum

Executive support for the Director

Provide high-level administrative support to the Director. This includes but is not limited to:

• Coordinating schedules, managing appointments, and resolving conflicts
• Managing correspondence and serving as a point of contact
• Documentation and report preparation
• Planning travel and providing logistical support

Additional Responsibilities

• Serve on college committees as assigned
• Perform any additional duties that may be assigned
• May supervise student work-studies and/or student volunteers/interns

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Competency Statement(s)

• Mission – Must understand, embrace, and live out the College’s mission and possess the ability and willingness to articulate these principles and translate them into programs, policies, and decisions. Must take specific steps to visibly witness and champion the College’s Values and inspire the expression of these values.
• Communication, Oral – Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.
• Energetic – Ability to sustain irregular hours working with college students. Must be able to seek out and engage students.
• Leadership – Ability to mentor students through relationships; to affirm men and women in their identity and vocation in the world; to identify strengths and weaknesses in students and foster their personal support; and to lead others using a Christian servant-leadership approach.
• Organization and Planning – Ability to structure multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and keep inventory. Ability to plan, staff, direct, and control work tasks and events.
• Problem Solving – Ability to think through issues and develop solutions to problems. Ability to think “outside the box” to identify innovative solutions.
• Team Building – Ability to build and maintain team cohesion and goal accomplishment. Must have an interest in building a dynamic campus community.

Education

Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s in Student Development, Social Work, or related field preferred.

Experience

Applicants for this position should have a minimum of one year of higher education experience in student development or related field.

Experience working with or supporting women’s initiatives, student organizations, or mentoring programs is strongly preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical Abilities

Stand F

Walk F

Sit F

Handling / Fingering F

Reach Outward O

Reach Above Shoulder O

Climb O

Crawl O

Squat or Kneel O

Bend O

Push / Pull

12 lbs or less F

13-25 lbs F

26-40 lbs F

41-100 lbs O

Lift /Carry

10 lbs or less C

11-20 lbs C

21-50 lbs C

51-100 lbs F

Over 100 lbs O

N (Not Applicable) Activity is not applicable to this occupation.

O (Occasionally) Occupation requires this activity up to 33% of the time (0 - 2.5+ hrs/day)

F (Frequently) Occupation requires this activity from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5 - 5.5+ hrs/day)

C (Constantly) Occupation requires this activity more than 66% of the time (5.5+ hrs/day)