Indigenous Student Engagement Startegist | |
| Job ID | 12-A2-8F-69-D4-EA |
| Company | Bow Valley College |
| Location | Calgary |
| Province | Alberta |
| Date Posted | 2021-07-21 |
| Posted Until | 2021-08-06 |
| Job Type | Full-time |
| Job Category | Office |
| Description | |
| The Iniikokaan Centre – We are currently accepting applications for the position of Indigenous Student Engagement Strategist to support our team and Learners with the college's Iniikokaan Centre, a “Buffalo Lodge” for all Nations which s the central access point and gathering space for culturally-respectful relationships to support Indigenous success. Reporting to the Manager, Iniikokaan Centre, the incumbent is responsible for all aspects of Indigenous student success and retention predominately as they relate to factors outside the classroom. This unique opportunity will draw applications from peoples who are passionate about reducing barriers for Indigenous learners within the post-secondary environment. This position is responsible for event planning and management, programming and community collaboration to reduce duplication and enhance service offerings for Indigenous students. Existing knowledge of Calgary-based resources, organizations and community-based resources are an asset. Good-standing relationships and reputation among Treaty 7 First Nations and Metis Nation of Alberta will support a strong application. Critical attention to detail, strategic planning, events management and business acumen/reporting are essential to the role’s success. The incumbent will have a strong working knowledge and ability to consult on traditional protocol and Indigenous ways of doing, being and knowing while managing a large portfolio of concurrent projects. Why work at Bow Valley College? Bow Valley College is the largest and fastest growing Comprehensive Community College in Alberta. We have locations across southern Alberta helping over 17,000 learners each year. Our mission is to contribute to the vitality of communities and strength of the economy through innovative adult education programs and services which equip students for successful living, lifelong learning, and employment in a global knowledge-based environment. Areas of responsibility will include: Development Recommends program initiatives for Indigenous alumni engagement Creates responsive programming opportunities that meet student and community needs as expressed through consultation, retained and existing understanding of Indigenous peoples and students Researches Indigenous office and Indigenous student program offerings, best practices, surveys and canvases similar organizations for new, creative and collaborative implementation of programming Creates project plans, event plans, reports and business cases that meet Western standards Creates a comprehensive calendar of significant dates of note to Iniikokaan Centre, the academic student calendar and Indigenous knowledges (e.g. seasons, equinox, ceremonial times, etc.) to reference when program planning Creates and sustains a working knowledge of urban and rural resources to support Indigenous student success Reviews past event management and initiatives to identify areas of improvement. Develops business cases and associated budget proposals for consideration of Manager during the annual College business planning process. Collaborates with Fund Development to identify alternative funding/sponsorship sources for initiatives Identifies, creates, assesses and builds community partnership opportunities to support student life development and enhance the College’s community connectedness. Researches and understands the unique needs of Bow Valley College Indigenous students in all campuses and modalities of learning Creates and maintains strong relationships and leverage partnerships to access information and learnings within Indigenous student programming Works with staff who regularly engage with Indigenous communities external to the College to ensure contact information is up to date Gains knowledge in popular publications relevant to programming and highlights opportunities to feature Iniikokaan initiatives Plans annual Iniikokaan events that support Indigenous student development Maintains an in-depth level of statistics of Indigenous student applications, enrollment, registration, retention, graduation and alumni involvement. Provides leadership for the development of new and innovative Indigenous learner initiatives associated with student success and retention. Researches, seeks funding (in collaboration with Fund Development, proposes, develops, implements, and promotes new initiatives that support academic growth, College-wide learning outcomes, transition, retention and satisfaction of students at the College. Coordination Acts as a project manager for all Iniikokaan student-facing programming Streamlines existing engagement processes and procedures Facilitates purchasing and administration for gifting and honorariums where needed within a timely matter and in concert with cultural protocol Refers Indigenous students to existing internal and external resources as needed Documents all process and status updates Tracks metrics, feedback, evaluations, changes and lessons learned in a systematic way Tracks and monitors external payments to stakeholders and students Assigns tasks and monitors progress of support staff as it relates to Indigenous student engagement programming Engages Marketing and Communications as needed Provides regular updates to Manager and escalates issues when necessary Creates and organizes messaging for all programming to communicate opportunities to Indigenize practices if/where possible Delegates and communicates project responsibilities, and monitors tasks and progress assigned Identifies and communicates with presenters/facilitators, or acts as facilitator when needed for programming and engagement Builds and manages project budgets Collaborates with the Learner Success Services team and academic departments to ensure communications plans and material, delivery and evaluation meet both Western and Traditional methods Reporting and Evaluation Recommends systemic changes to better support Indigenous engagement activities Creates Indigenized reporting and evaluation measures for all programs Utilizes, documents and communicates progress reports, event management platforms and documentation and compiles for annual reporting Identifies gaps and develops methods or initiatives to address Designs methodologies to correlate orientation and other LSS statistics with student success rates Identifies and works closely with the College community to ensure that student concerns are thoroughly understood and addressed as necessary. Develops systematic mechanisms to track and demonstrate student participation and achievement of performance accountability for the area of responsibility RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT External Engagement Generates and maintains stakeholder contact information, relationship engagement, status reports and Knowledge Keeper profiles Consults with external community partners, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, Elders and Nations as directed by the Manager to identify partnership opportunities Leverages existing community relationships Works closely with the Indigenous Partnerships Officer, Indigenous Recruitment Officer and Offices of Indigenization to pursue further understanding of community needs as it relates to Indigenous learners. Accesses existing cultural teachings and resources to inform engagement activities Identifies, communicates and follows cultural protocol Liaises between Elders and Iniikokaan to provide support services for Indigenous students Recommends relationship-building opportunities for Manager and Iniikokaan representation Documents and tracks stakeholder interactions and flags relationship issues with Manager Identifies roles, responsibilities and communications between Iniikokaan and external organizations Student Engagement Acts as key contact for student inquiries related to programming or as assigned Communicates new and existing opportunities for community and College involvement for Indigenous students Identifies opportunities for Indigenous student contribution, advocacy and involvement across the College Creates two-way feedback opportunities for Indigenous voices to be heard within the College Creates and utilizes a mechanism to understand Indigenous students’ current issues, challenges, and accomplishments JOB REQUIREMENTS * Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree 4-6 years directly related experience Experience in the administration of operational budgets Knowledge of Alberta, other Canadian and International education systems Demonstrated knowledge of and appreciation for the diversity of cultural traditions and spiritual practices of First Nation, Metis and Inuit peoples Extensive experience working with and within Indigenous communities, in roles including community development and/or partnership building Substantial knowledge of Indigenous experiences in Canada, and particularly in educational setting An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered Preferred Qualifications 5-7 years of directly related experience Extensive existing relationships within Southern Alberta including the City of Calgary and agencies that support or are Indigenous focused. Formal education in event planning, project management, student support services Excellent leadership track record and ability Experience in the administration of operational budgets. Strong knowledge of marketing, communications, event management Strong knowledge of learner transition programs Strong project and team management/supervisory skills Good ability to manage resources and generate revenue Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, employees and students A knowledge of admissions, registration and financial aid in a public post-secondary setting is an asset | |
| Start Date | Immediate |
| Salary | $60,000-$80,000 |
| Languages | English |
| How To Apply | Please click Apply Now! |
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