Description

The Transition Advisor is an employee of CCC&TI hosted by public schools in a cooperative agreement between the community college and the public schools. The primary responsibility is to promote academic rigor within the public schools, provide information on Career and College Promise, Articulated Credit, and the various other educational programs of CCC&TI, and assist in efforts to reduce the drop-out rate in the county of placement.

Examples of Duties

Essential and other responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essential Functions:

• Promote college access opportunities and the cooperative programs offered by the college; be available at least four days per week within the assigned school; offer information and advisement to students, parents, faculty, and staff on the college programs being offered, as well as maintain a broad understanding of the methods of securing articulated credit.
• Provide education as requested on any of the various degrees, diplomas, and certificates offered by the community college; assist with high school registration, as permitted by respective schools' policies and procedures; provide regular, updated information for school's website, as allowed, to provide the community with an ever present source of information regarding the cooperative efforts between the high schools and the community college.
• Promote increased academic rigor at the high school level; provide at least weekly contact with members of the student body of respective high school to discuss and clarify the benefits of participation by delivering a message of the benefits of increased academic rigor.
• Advocate for accurate, uniform, and streamlined assessment practices regarding student performance; assist, whenever possible and appropriate, in the administration and interpretation of necessary placement tests used by the community college to help establish a baseline against which each student can develop an understanding of what constitutes academic "rigor."
• Utilize online programs to assist in accountability documentation and provide to the High School Student Services Team members.
• Offer referral assistance to Career Connections, Counseling services and Academic Support for students as appropriate
• Provide contact, at least twice per academic year, with high school faculty and staff to promote encouragement of increased student involvement in cooperative college courses, and articulated credit opportunities. Function as a resource specialist for faculty and staff at both institutions.
• Assist in the development of strategies for resolving inconsistencies and/or contradictions in the policies and procedures that may occur between the public school, and the community college, in an effort to streamline integration into the college for those students.
• Cooperate in efforts to reduce the high school drop-out rate for Caldwell and Watauga counties; keep abreast of current statistics related to the drop-out rate of high school students nationally and locally: a) Know why students drop out, b) Know what happens to them when they do drop out, c) know who returns to school and why, and d) know what are the most effective retention tools or methods.
• Assist with drop-out prevention and referral as appropriate; maintain an understanding of local factors contributing to the local drop-out rate; maintain a current and accurate understanding of the referral process for entering into the college's high school equivalency programs.
• Promote a broader, more encompassing definition of the concept of "Team," as it relates to the goal of providing a seamless educational experience for the students of Caldwell and Watauga counties; serve as a consultant, resource specialist to high school instructors and guidance staff, to offer information, resources and in-service training on methods of incorporating post-secondary educational planning activities into academic coursework.
• Offer assistance to grade level counselors with arranging for college tours, or for independent College Days, for college or technical school-bound students; assist in the scheduling of individual career assessments and educational planning appointments both for students matriculating from area middle schools to the high school, and for high school graduates who will be transitioning to the community college.
• Participate in orientation and registration sessions for pending high school graduates who plan to attend CCC&TI; attend meetings, conferences and in-service trainings to keep abreast of best practices and professional trends in both secondary and post- secondary settings.
• Maintain weekly contact with fellow Transition Advisors to foster a cohesive department and model a pro-active approach to problem identification, success replication, and contextual learning; participate in the Cooperative Efforts Leadership Committee to assist in the coordination of efforts between the public schools and the college; actively seek out opportunities to collaborate with college access programs with similar goals, such as TRIO, Gear Up, Communities in Schools, the College Foundation of North Carolina, Dream Program, etc.
• Model legal and ethical practices and guidelines as related to academic advising and/or counseling; adhere to FERPA guidelines, especially in regard to ethical standards, record keeping and confidentiality; adhere to the code of ethics as mandated by any professional organization in which you hold licensure, registration, or certification.
• Assist Student Services during public school closures or summer months; including, but not limited to: testing, advisement, admissions, and/or administration.
• Participate in professional development opportunities and required employee training.

Marginal Functions:

• Represent the Student Services department at campus committee meetings.
• Assist in assuring compliance with SACSCOC accreditation standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

This position description covers the most essential functions and duties associated with this position. The President or appropriate supervisory personnel may assign additional duties. The College reserves the right to alter duties, responsibilities, conditions, working hours, and job title with or without notice.

Qualifications and Working Conditions

Knowledge of:

Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment.

Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation.

Principles and procedures of record keeping.

English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Policies and procedures of the college.

Local area community agencies.

Ability to:

Respond to requests and inquiries from the general public.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

Work independently in the absence of supervision.

Understand and follow oral and written instructions.

Document and maintain reports.

Environmental Conditions:

The employee should have the ability to effectively handle a work environment and conditions which involve an office and classroom workspace.

The employee must maintain the office and teaching environments by maintaining equipment and supplies, ensuring overall cleanliness, functionality, and conformance to OSHA standards to provide a safe work environment.

Physical Conditions:

Physical and marginal functions require the ability to maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, which may include the following; standing, walking, or sitting for extended periods, moderate lifting and carrying, general manual dexterity, operating assigned equipment, and extended exposure to computer screens.

The employee is required to maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, reading and writing, operating assigned equipment, communicating with others, and handling varied tasks simultaneously.

Additionally, the employee must maintain mental capacity, which permits making sound decisions and using good judgment, demonstrating intellectual capabilities, and evaluating the effectiveness of programs and personnel.

Scheduling Conditions:

This is a full-time, 12-month position, which requires the employee to be on campus or at an approved alternate location for at least thirty-six hours per week, Monday through Thursday, 8:00am-5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am-12:00pm, including one evening per week till 7:00 PM. This position generally works daytime hours, but has the potential for occasional evening or weekend hours.

Traveling Conditions:

Local travel between the Caldwell campus, Watauga campus, or any off-campus sites may be needed. Out-of-state travel is limited but may be required for training and conferences.

Experience and Training

Experience:

Minimum of 2 years of experience in high school or college counseling, or academic administration and advisement preferred. Computer/MS Office skills desired.

Training:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required. Prefer degree in counseling, psychology, social work or education.