Bard Prison Initiative/Microcollege

Program Director - Bard Microcollege for Just Community Leadership in Harlem

Employer Website: http://apply.interfolio.com/109089
Bard College seeks a Program Director to lead the Bard Microcollege for Just Community Leadership in Harlem.

Building on the values and 20-year success of the Bard Prison Initiative, the Bard Microcollege brings tuition-free, high-quality, liberal arts education to communities most often excluded from the university experience. The strength of the Microcolleges rests in assembled alliances between institutions that are conventionally separate from one another but have overlapping missions, common purpose, and shared core values. These partnerships create opportunities for academic success and disrupt traditional expectations about the kinds of students who can and will succeed in college.

The Bard Microcollege for Just Community Leadership enrolls students in a tuition-free Bard College associate degree program at the Countee Cullen branch of the New York Public Library on 104 W 136th St. This newest Bard Microcollege launched in 2021 and includes students of all ages who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system, as well as those aspiring to careers in advocacy, community building or social justice. It is a partnership among JustLeadershipUSA, College & Community Fellowship, and the Bard Prison Initiative, organizations that put education and community-based advocacy at the core of criminal justice reform.

The Program Director will be responsible for helping to make the Microcollege a hub of learning, teaching and thinking among the community of formerly incarcerated people in New York City, one that engages the full breadth of a robust, liberal arts faculty and curriculum. The Program Director will contribute to faculty recruitment and support; participate in curricular development; act as academic advisor and coordinate additional advising; and maintain student and college academic records. Communication and collaboration with partner organizations are essential to this role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Cultivate an inclusive community, foster shared ambition, and inspire intellectual curiosity among Microcollege students;
• Lead efforts to promote student engagement, retention, and progress to degree;
• Ensure the smooth day to day functioning of the Microcollege;
• Carry out primary administrative duties for the program;
• Maintain accurate student and college records;
• Maintain communication with NYPL and library branch administrators and staff to ensure mutually beneficial operations;
• Collaborate with CCF and JLUSA on programs, extra-curricular projects, new initiatives, and events;
• Work closely with BPI administrators on academics, faculty development, student support, and continuing education;
• Advise students and oversee academic advising;
• Oversee tutoring by the Microcollege Learning Commons at this location; and
• Supervise the program coordinator, full-time lead tutor, and part-time tutors.

Qualifications

• Commitment to the missions of BPI, JLUSA, and CCF.;
• College teaching experience in an area of the liberal arts and sciences strongly preferred. 
• Leadership skills along with the capacity to collaborate with BPI colleagues, faculty, students, staff and organizational partners.
• Ability to build relationships with and support a student body that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills;
• Ability to self-manage, maintain focus, and balance multiple tasks;
• PhD or other terminal degree preferred.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time and work in standard office environment;
• Must be able to occasionally lift 20 pounds;
• Must be able to work occasional weekends and evenings as needed.

Application Instructions:
To apply, please submit a cover letter that includes a description of how you have practiced diversity and inclusion as part of your educational or employment experience, a resume, and the names of three references through Interfolio:  http://apply.interfolio.com/109089

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Bard College is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental, or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information.

Bard is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities.

AA/EOE