Dean, Equity, Pathways, And Inclusion

Job Duties

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

With the goal of ensuring the equal educational opportunity of all students, Santa Monica College embraces diversity among students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve as an integral part of our history, a recognition of the complexity of our present state, and a call to action for a better future. Embracing diversity means that we must intentionally practice equity and respect toward one another, and understand that discrimination and prejudices create and sustain privileges for some while creating and sustaining barriers for others. In order to embrace diversity, we also acknowledge that institutional discrimination and implicit bias exist, and that our goal is to eradicate those vestiges from our system. Our commitment to diversity requires that we strive to eliminate those barriers to equity, and that we act deliberately to create a safe and positive environment where individual and group differences are valued and leveraged for our growth and understanding as an educational community.

To advance the goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice for the success of students and employees, we must honor that each individual is unique and that our individual differences contribute to the ability of the college to prepare students on their educational journeys. This requires that we develop and implement policies and procedures, encourage individual and systemic change, continually reflect on our efforts, and hold ourselves accountable for the results of our efforts in accomplishing our goals.

We are invested as a community in cultivating and maintaining a climate where equity and mutual respect are both intrinsic and explicit by valuing individuals and groups from all backgrounds, demographics, and experiences. Individual and group differences can include, but are not limited to the following dimensions: race, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, religion, creed, military or veteran status, socioeconomic status, and any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. We acknowledge that the concept of inclusion and diversity is ever-evolving, thus we create space to allow our understanding to grow through the periodic review of this statement. In service of these goals, Santa Monica College is committed to fostering an employment environment that offers equal employment opportunity for all and an educational environment that ensures the equal educational opportunity of all students.

Position Profile

Under the direction of the Superintendent/President or designee, the Dean of Equity, Pathways, and Inclusion coordinates the implementation of the District's Guided Pathways and Student Equity redesign efforts with the goal of eliminating equity gaps in student outcomes to enhance the student experience at SMC. This position provides leadership to transform the College academic and support systems toward enhancing the learning community and promoting equity. This position requires a visionary and inspirational leader with a demonstrated ability to learn and respect the unique culture and history of Santa Monica College while working with faculty, staff, students and the community to transform our future. The Dean of Equity, Pathways, and Inclusion will work with faculty, staff and administrators from across the college to further the college's strategic goal to provide equitable student outcomes.

The Dean of Equity, Pathways, and Inclusion will support the college's strategic planning goals and objectives, provide guidance and direction for development of College/District procedures and practices that further those goals, and provide leadership that ensures that the District adheres to applicable state and regional laws and regulations.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Coordinate with the Vice Presidents and Deans on college-wide pathway and equity initiatives.

• Provides overall leadership to fulfill the District mission by directly assisting in the development, implementation, assessment strategies, and programs to enhance the student experience with a focus on racial equity, diversity, and inclusion at all levels of the college, specifically focused on increasing student success in target groups as identified in the Student Equity Plan.

• Coordinates with the Vice President of Human Resourcesand the Professional Development Committee to enhance the District's Professional Development Program as it relates to providing meaningful and professional opportunity experiences that will lead to creating an equity-minded campus.

• Represents the District at local, state, or national conferences, workshops, and trainings related to pathways and equity.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

(Examples of key duties are interpreted as being descriptive not restrictive.)

• Serves as a campus leader on issues of equity, pathways, inclusion, and diversity.

• Seeks to affirm the unique identities of people while building a community that strengthens itself from these identities and cultivates leaders who will integrate the value of human diversity to the world.

• Create, implement, and assess diversity and cultural initiatives and programming that are consistent with student development and cultural identity theory-based learning outcomes and promote cultural diversity, access, inclusion, awareness, and equity.

• Responsible for providing thought leadership, planning, development, administration, communication, and evaluation to help the District become more culturally welcoming, socially accountable, and intellectually transformative for prospective, current, and former students, faculty, and staff.

• Develops equity action plans and establishes annual goals and action steps in collaboration with senior staff, faculty, staff, and students.

• Coordinate and lead activities focusing on faculty, staff, and students related to equity and inclusion, and relevant special projects.

• Develop and strengthen relationships with the different constituency groups working towards meeting the College's diversity, equity, pathways, and inclusion goals.

• Develop, maintain, and assess the College's dashboard and accountability measures as it relates to diversity, equity, pathways, and inclusion.

• Take a data-driven approach to examining, and changing policies, practices, and structures that serve as barriers to diversity, equity, inclusion, and pathways, while centering the experiences and voices of the most impacted by systems of oppression including racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, xenophobia, and ableism.

• Develop consistent communication and feedback mechanisms to ensure equity and inclusion concerns impacting the College are identified, discussed, and addressed.

• Stay abreast of research and best practices in equity, inclusion, and pathways in the California Community College system.

• Leads the development and implementation of a District-wide plan for equity, diversity, and inclusion with an emphasis on eliminating racial disparities.

• Works collaboratively with and builds effective relationships with all departments to strengthen and expand support programs such as, but not limited to, pathways initiatives, student success and support, diversity, inclusion, and equity programs.

• Works in conjunction with the Grants Office to actively solicit and manage (as appropriate) new funding initiatives to support equity and closing the gaps in student outcomes at SMC.

• Ensures that institutional outcomes pertaining to equity are monitored and that ongoing and effective evaluation and continuous quality improvement of equity-funded activities occurs.

• Works in conjunction with the Dean of Counseling on retention strategies and student success initiatives.

• Actively fosters and maintains effective relationships and collaborations between various departments and groups to enhance support for programs that increase accessibility, impact, and combined effectiveness of the programs and services for new and continuing students.

• Participates in the accreditation processes.

• Works within a participatory governance environment serving as an administrative representative on committees as assigned.

• Prepares and delivers oral and written reports, recommendations, and presentations to committees, administration, the Board of Trustees, and external constituencies as needed.

• Assumes leadership for other related projects and perform other duties as assigned by the Superintendent/President or designee.

• Other duties as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Knowledge of current research and best practices in student success and equity.

• Knowledge of and understanding of diversity and equity-minded principles.

• Knowledge of grant proposal writing and special funding resources.

• Skill and ability to reconcile divergent views of others and to work collegially with others.

• Understanding of technology as it relates to improving student learning and project management.

• Demonstrated success in using a student leadership approach.

• Ability to develop strong relationships with faculty, as well as other college constituents, and ability to successfully manage relationships and projects.

• Ability to develop, administer, and manage a complex budget.

• Knowledge of and ability to interpret and comply with applicable laws and codes relevant to the assignment.

• Knowledge of the statutes, regulations, and principles that guide participatory governance.

• Ability to supervise academic and classified personnel.

• Execute effective presentations.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Willingness to work in a dynamic environment that requires flexibility, and to balance multiple responsibilities.

• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multi-tasking skills.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university.

• One year of formal training, internship or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment.

• Must have sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse socio-economic, academic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, including those with physical and/or learning disabilities as these factors relate to differences in learning styles.

Preferred Qualifications

• An earned master's degree from an accredited institution plus educational administrative experience directly related to described duties and responsibilities within a community college setting.

• Two (2) years of management experience.

• Four (4) years of relevant experience in a position closely related to this assignment (teaching, counseling, academic leadership experience, at an accredited institution of higher education).

• At least four (4) years of academic leadership experience, which must include the oversight of equity focused programs at an accredited institution of higher education.

• Demonstrated experience in leading services and/or developing equity minded policies that have proven successful outcomes for racially minoritized students.

• Faculty experience at an accredited institution of higher education.

• Demonstrated commitment to student success and a vision of a learning-centered, equity-minded institution and community, including working with undocumented students.

• Experience and knowledge of equitizing communities and/or college campuses.

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in consensus building and conflict resolution.

• Documented successful experience with participatory governance.

• Demonstrated experience supervising multiple employees and management personnel.

• Demonstrated success in improving student learning and engagement.

• Demonstrate excellent analytical, organization, and presentation skills.

• Demonstrate excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

Additional Information

Academic Administrator Application Requirements

A standard application consists of the following:

• Online District Application

• Cover Letter

• Resume

• Transcript

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ARE SELECTED FOR A FINAL INTERVIEW YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THREE (3) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION TO BE REVIEWED BY THE HIRING COMMITTEE.

Diversity Statement

Recent experience working with African American, Latinx, Native American, and other racially minoritized students in the classroom; and a willingness to use culturally responsive instructional practices.

Demonstrated sensitivity to issues of diversity, and ability to motivate and teach community college students of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, cultures, and learning styles, as well as students with disabilities or varied levels of academic preparation.

Please review our Diversity Report: Faculty/Staff Diversity Reports - Santa Monica College (smc.edu)

Equity Statement

Santa Monica College encourages candidates that are equity-minded to apply. SMC is a minority-serving, Hispanic-serving institution. We actively seek to attract candidates from minority groups that value equity, diversity and inclusion. Equity, diversity and inclusion are built into the culture at SMC and are an essential component of the work that we do. SMC is committed to racial and socioeconomic diversity as it is a reflection of our student population and we strive to hire candidates that share this commitment.

Equal Employment Opportunity Disclosure

The Santa Monica Community College District is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants for employment, as well as District employees, shall have full and equal access to employment opportunity. No person shall be subjected to unlawful discrimination in any program or activity of the District. The District's Board Policy 3420 (Equal Employment Opportunity) may be accessed at: http://www.smc.edu/ACG/Documents/Board_Policy_Manual/Updated%20Board%20Policies%202017/Board%20Policy%20Chapter%203.pdf

Equivalency Statement

The Santa Monica Community College District, in its desire to select outstanding faculty members from the largest possible pool of qualified applicants, recognizes the fact that candidates may attain expertise in a discipline through a variety of means. Certain combinations of education, experience and other accomplishments in the field may be judged by the District as equal to the stated minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates who feel they possess such equivalent qualifications are encouraged to apply and provide appropriate documentation of their qualifications. For further details regarding equivalency criteria, please download the Equivalency Application Statement Form available at: https://www.smc.edu/administration/human-resources/employment/documents/equivalency-statement-for-application.pdf

Conditions of Employment

Appointment is subject to verification of official transcripts, current or previous employment, tuberculosis and fingerprint clearance. Selected candidate must provide identification and work authorization.