Employment Opportunities at ACU

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. All applicants must be professing Christians and willing to support the Christian mission and purpose of Abilene Christian University while employed by the university.

A. Ensure proper and efficient administration of the SSS grant project.

B. Project Director will be responsible for the day-to-day supervision and evaluation of all Project staff.

C. The Project Director will communicate the project to all relevant audiences; recruit and retain eligible participants; create a strong network of support services to address Participants’ needs; assess needs and monitor progress of each Participant; and provide services that address the goals and objectives of the
project, all as outlined in the grant proposal.

D. The Project Director will implement an appropriate and comprehensive evaluation plan that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, as outlined in the grant proposal.

E. The Project Director will implement an appropriate, continuous and comprehensive evaluation plan that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, as outlined in the grant proposal, and use the findings to implement educated and informed decisions about how to adjust and improve Project activities, services, policies, and procedures to more appropriately meet Participants’ needs and accomplish all Project objectives.

F. The Project Director will provide any and all compliance reporting as directed by the grant administrator and the ACU Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

A. Ensure proper and efficient administration of the SSS grant project.

1. Project Director will work in conjunction with the ACU Business Office to ensure accurate and efficient recordkeeping procedures and employ effective practices in keeping with ACU’s financial management system and Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), including monthly reporting and reconciliation of the monthly budget statement
2. Project Director will ensure that all individual Participant forms, eligibility documents, and academic records will be placed in official Participant files that will be stored in a secure and locked filing cabinet in the Project Director’s office per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
3. Project Director will maintain the Project database, including an electronic log of all Participants’ meetings and group workshops.
4. Project Director will ensure that all Project and student records will be retained for a minimum of three (3) years after the conclusion of each five-year funding cycle.

B. Project Director will be responsible for the day-to-day supervision and evaluation of all Project staff.

1. Project Director will ensure that all Project staff are recruited, hired, trained, and supervised in a manner consistent with ACU policies and procedures.
2. Project staff will complete and sign monthly time and effort reports to document work schedules and their time and effort spent.
3. Project Director will conduct weekly meetings with Project staff to discuss the administration and implementation of Project activities, new or revised policies and procedures, Participant issues and concerns, and progress toward the achievement of all Project objectives.
4. Project staff will receive ongoing training throughout each year in the areas of student retention, persistence, academic advising, financial aid information, TRIO legislation and regulations, Project and student database procedures, FERPA, etc.
5. Project Director will monitor the work performance of all Project staff regularly to assess the achievement of specific duties and responsibilities that will be documented on annual performance evaluations as required by ACU.

C. The Project Director will communicate the project to all relevant audiences; recruit and retain eligible participants; create a strong network of support services to address Participants’ needs; assess needs and monitor progress of each Participant; and provide services that address the goals and objectives of the project -- all as outlined in the grant proposal.

1. The Project Director will inform ACU students of the SSS Project
2. The Project Director will identify, recruit, select and retain eligible project participants with academic need.
3. The Project Director will collaborate with ACU programs and departments to create a strong network of support services to address Participants’ needs.
4. The Project Director and their team will be responsible for assessing each individual participant’s need for specific services and monitoring each participant’s academic progress at the institution for satisfactory academic progress.

D. The Project Director will implement an appropriate, continuous and comprehensive evaluation plan that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods --as outlined in the grant proposal (Logic Model, Goals-Based Evaluation, Outcomes-Based Evaluation, Quasi-Experimental design Study and Process-Based Evaluation)-- and use the findings to implement educated and informed decisions about how to adjust and improve Project activities, services, policies, and procedures to more appropriately meet Participants’ needs and accomplish all Project objectives.

1. The Project Director will collect and assess data on a daily, weekly, monthly, semester, and annual basis.
2. The Project Director will examine in specific and measurable ways, using appropriate baseline data, the success of the project in improving academic achievement, retention, and graduation of project Participants.
3. The Project Director will use the results of an evaluation to make programmatic changes based upon the results of the project evaluations.
4. The Project Director will ensure the evaluation results and findings will be reviewed weekly at Project Staff Meetings and at the end of each semester at Data Review/Program Improvement Meetings.
5. The Project Director will ensure the Outcomes-Based Evaluations will be disclosed in a formal report to supplement the findings on the Project’s Annual Performance Report (APR) at the end of the year and distributed to SSS Project Director, Executive Director of University Access Programs, and Provost’s
   Office.
6. The Project Director will ensure the results of the External Process-Based Evaluation and Quasi-Experimental Design Study will be reviewed by the Provost at least once per Project cycle.

E. The Project Director will provide any and all compliance reporting as directed by the grant administrator and the ACU Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

A. Training Modules Required

1. Gallup Strengths Finder

2. Banner

3. Slate

4. TRIO legislation and regulations

5. FERPA

6. Student Success components (retention, persistence, advising, financial aid, etc.)

7. Other related training as needed

A. Master’s degree required; doctoral degree preferred in education, counseling or related field from an accredited college or university.

B. Professional or personal experiences in overcoming barriers similar to those confronting participants.

C. Minimum of three (3) years of experience in the areas of staff supervision, budget management, program development and evaluation, reporting, and compliance with federal regulations.

D. Minimum of three (3) years of experience with federal TRIO programs, academic support programs, or similar programs for disadvantaged college students.

E. Ability to administer and manage educational opportunity related programs.

F. Knowledge of educational advising strategies, learning styles, and developing non-cognitive behaviors for the success of SSS Eligible Students.

G. Knowledge of practices of administrative organization and management.

H. Knowledge of applicable federal, state, local, rules, and regulations. Ability to develop budgets and monitor expenditures.

I. Ability to collect and analyze data and conduct internal Project evaluations.

J. Ability to provide leadership and establish effective working relationships.

K. Knowledge of barriers to postsecondary education faced by low income and first-generation college students.

A. High energy level, ability to maintain several activities at one time.

B. Ability to manage stress and be an independent problem solver.

C. Ability to remain focused and in one place for long periods of time.

D. Ability to lift up to 30 lbs for workshop/event set-ups

E. Occasional overnight travel required- 2-4 times per academic year

F. Occasional weekend and evening hours

ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law.

ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets.  Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions.