Specialist, El Centro and Latine Student Success

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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.

The IRD for this job is: 05-27-2025

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The UC Santa Cruz Division of Student Affairs and Success (DSAS), led by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Success, consists of nearly 250 team members spanning 3 major units and 21 departments. The division provides campus-wide coordination and leadership for student success programs, activities, and initiatives. DSAS also does our work through a range of resource centers dedicated to providing direct student support. The division's work is grounded in educational equity, institutional responsibility, and an unfettered commitment to supporting the whole student. DSAS aspires to ensure every student feels welcome, supported, and a sense of belonging during their time on campus. The division's efforts are informed by robust and dynamic relationships with campus leadership, faculty, students, and staff from across the campus, reflecting the broad campus commitment to ensuring student success. Beyond UC Santa Cruz, the team is involved in numerous professional organizations and highly engaged in the local community.

The Student Success and Equity (SSE) portfolio of departments is a branch of DSAS focused on academic support services, advising/counseling, student life/co-curricular programming, student identity development and retention/student success initiatives. Student Success and Equity provides services to the campus community with over 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students and has over 90 career employees and 475 student staff employees operating in 8 facilities/locations. The Student Success and Equity area includes a wide array of multi-disciplinary academic and non-academic units including: Disability Resource Center (DRC), Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP), Learning Support Services, Services for Transfer, Re-entry and Resilient Scholars (STARRS), Renaissance Scholars Program (including Foster Youth), Veteran Resource Center, African American Resource and Cultural Center (AARCC), American Indian Resource Center (AIRC), Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center (AA/PIRC), Chicano/Latino Resource Center (El Centro), Women's Center (WC), the Lionel Cantu Queer Center (LGBTQ+), Undocumented Student Services (USS), the UCSC Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives (HSI), African Black and Caribbean Student Success, Career Success, and campus committees/programs, and the Administrative and Business team for the unit.

The Resource Centers' vision is for students to feel fully affirmed in their diverse and intersecting identities, empowered in their academic success, and graduate with a sense of belonging. The Resource Centers offer counter-spaces for students who are queer, trans, nonbinary, womxn, and people of color, as well as impact institutional policies and campus climate. Resource Centers include the following units: African American Resource and Cultural Center (AARCC), American Indian Resource Center (AIRC), Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center (AA/PIRC), El Centro: Chicanx Latinx Resource Center (CLRC), Lionel Cantu Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex Resource Center (Cantu Queer Resource Center), and the Womxn's Center. The Resource Centers align with UCSC's mission as a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), UCSC is both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI).

Through campus and community partnerships, the mission of El Centro is to promote a critical understanding of Chicane and Latine communities within the United States and internationally, by offering workshops as well as an extensive programming calendar. The Center serves as a hub of organized activities and resources that support student transition, retention, graduation and academic advancement. Students attending activities gain insight into cultural dynamics, social and political processes, and the historical significance of the contributions that Chicane and Latine communities have made in the U.S. and the broader world community. El Centro offers a comfortable space for students who are eager to learn more about campus resources, Latine student organizations, faculty and staff connections, and opportunities for campus involvement.

More information can be found at: https://aapirc.ucsc.edu/

JOB SUMMARY

Under the direction of the El Centro Director, the Specialist develops, plans, implements, and evaluates programs, services, initiatives, and activities for El Centro: Chicanx Latinx Resource Center. The Specialist, who assumes direct responsibility for the office in the absence of the Director, functions as the key architect in the development of the programs, policies, and practices. The incumbent carries out the mission through the administration of programs, projects, initiatives, celebrations, and ceremonies that not only assist in the retention of students but also help educate the larger campus community about Latine students. The Specialist is responsible for hiring, training, and supervising graduate students and undergraduate students to develop programs and activities. The incumbent works collaboratively to develop, implement, and sustain El Centro activities funded by Title V HSI federal grants.

The Specialist advocates for the well-being of students, with a specific focus on Latine students, with an intent to advance the knowledge of and awareness of Latine student success at a Hispanic Serving Research Institution. In collaboration with the El Centro Director, the incumbent develops and implements partnerships with other Division of Student Affairs and Success units, academic departments, and community partners to improve outcomes and provide high-impact student services related to the recruitment, development, enrichment, inclusion, retention, degree attainment and enhancing the student experience of Chicane/Latine students in all disciplines across the campus. The Specialist represents El Centro and the Director on campus committees to advance the mission of the center.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $75,500.00/Annually.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
• Shift Includes: Day

Employee Classification: Contract appointment

Job End Date: 4 years from date of hire, with the possibility of extension

Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus

Union Representation: Non-Represented

Job Code Classification: 004565 (STDT LIFE DEV SPEC 4) - Grade 21

Travel: Never or Rarely

JOB DUTIES

50% - Program Management

• Collaborates with the Director to determine vision, goals, policies, processes, and procedures.
• Provides leadership to the El Centro team in the design, development, implementation, assessment, coordination, and continuous evaluation of programs and services for prospective students, undergraduate students, graduate students, alumni, and community members.
• Works collaboratively to develop, implement, and sustain El Centro activities funded by federal grants. Contributes to writing and submitting formative and summative evaluation reports for federally funded activities.
• Responsible for recruiting, selecting, training, and supervising student interns. Chairs or participates in search committees for Resource Center staff positions.
• Supervises students in planning and developing diverse and intersectional programs for outreach and orientation, drop-in services, academic support, leadership development, educational, and community building.
• Collaborates with El Centro Coordinator in planning high-impact programs including La Bienvenida, Dia de los Muertos, and Chicane Latine Graduation. Plans prospective student and family workshops.
• Supervises students in managing electronic newsletters and online presence, to share campus and community resources.
• May contribute to development of curricula and training for guidance courses and internship programs.

20% - Fiscal Oversight

• Develops El Centro's spending plan; ensures that the use of funds is consistent with project and program goals and regulations. Monitors the fiscal performance of El Centro to ensure programs and services are managed in a fiscally responsible manner in compliance with all University, State and Federal policies and regulations.
• Implements strategies for generating resources and/or revenue for the Center, within public and private sectors, such as preparing funding proposals, seeking co-sponsorships, and fundraising campaigns.
• Manages program budgets for federally funded activities and ensures expenditures adhere to the Department of Education and UCSC spending policies.

15% - Student Advising

• Provides holistic advising and crisis intervention, working with undergraduate and graduate students on a host of issues related to personal, academic and career concerns. Makes referrals to on and off campus resources when appropriate. Serves as a resource person to provide advice, counseling and referrals to students regarding specific types of student grievances, including discrimination and harassment, based on identities.
• Responsible for development of student leaders participating in student government, co-curricular programs and / or organizations on a wide range of issues. Advises student leaders on complex and sensitive issues.
• Brings extensive knowledge to a student-generated field of interest and supports, guides and mentors students in formulating projects related to those issues. Coaches student leaders on communication and leadership skills.

10% - Campus and Campus Climate Impact

• Advocates for diversity-related issues on campus and in the community, and provides resources to the campus and community on Latine issues and needs. Provides leadership on topics related to Latine issues and serves on numerous campus and divisional committees and task forces.
• Works in collaboration with other Resource Center Directors, Counseling and Psychological Services, Health Center, Educational Opportunity Programs and other campus units in providing specialized training related to mental health, wellness and wellbeing.
• Provides consultation assistance, current research data, and resources for students, faculty, and staff regarding Latine university students.
• Participates in national, state, and system-wide professional organizations as appropriate, and develops relationships with off campus organizations.

5% - Other Duties as Assigned

• On occasion, drives students and staff to off campus events, trainings, and meetings.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Strong leadership skills and experience to motivate, train, and supervise a team of student staff.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage in public relations, team and consensus building, teaching, facilitation and public speaking.
• Substantial knowledge of relevant and current issues that impact the retention and academic success of undergraduate and graduate Latine students in higher education and ability to implement strategies to meet the needs of Latine identified students.
• Experience in policy formation, administrative planning, project management, budget management, program development and assessment, creative problem solving; and ability to interpret and convey to employees on their team.
• Substantial cultural competency with intersecting identities and experiences, such queer and trans, race, ethnicity, culture, class, religion, and ability, and implementation of programs to meet diverse needs.
• Substantial experience with holistic advising undergraduate and graduate students, and ability to apply good judgment, especially in confidential, sensitive, and/or crisis situations, in accordance to university policies and procedures.
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to prepare program evaluations, annual reports, and a variety of other publications.
• Knowledge sufficient to use computers for email, basic website development and maintenance, word processing, desktop publishing and database development.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree.
• Bilingual in Spanish.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
• Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
• Must possess a valid license to drive in the state of California.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
• Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.
• The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
• Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.

SAFETY STATEMENT

All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

EEO/AA

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.