Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator

College of Lake County; Grayslake (IL); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

College of Lake County is seeking an ECE Program Coordinator to serve as the primary liaison for students enrolled in Spanish Language Early Childhood Education. This role focuses on providing a personalized and culturally responsive advising experience to support students from their first day of classes through to credential attainment and career transition.

The Coordinator will engage in academic advising, case management, and planning efforts across departments to foster an inclusive ECE community. Responsibilities also include creating workshops, managing student challenges, and ensuring students achieve critical academic milestones.

Qualifications

• Experience in advising or mentoring in an educational setting.
• Knowledge of FERPA and regulations regarding student privacy.
• Ability to develop and deliver workshops.

Responsibilities

• Provide personalized advising and coaching to students.
• Manage a caseload of ECE students effectively.
• Collaborate with faculty and departments on student challenges.

Skills

Culturally responsive advising

Case management

Financial planning

Academic advising

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

Tools

EAB Navigate

Microsoft Office

PeopleSoft

Job description

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program Coordinator serves as the primary liaison for an assigned caseload of students enrolled in Spanish Language Early Childhood Education at CLC. This position is responsible for providing a personalized, holistic, and culturally responsive advising, coaching, and mentoring experience for each student from their first day of classes through credential attainment and career or transfer transition. Responsibilities include academic advising, transfer guidance, career planning, financial planning, case management, progress monitoring, proactive outreach, support service planning and referral, and referral to student engagement opportunities. ECE Program Coordinators act as partners with the ECE department and various student support departments in their efforts to develop, implement, and provide programs and services that foster an inclusive and engaged ECE community.

Student/Customer Service - 40%

• Apply appreciative (strengths-based) and culturally responsive advising as teaching approaches to help assigned students determine, discover, design, and create a pathway to their academic, career, and personal goals.
• Embed cultural competence in mentoring practice.
• Interpret and explain college policies and procedures related to curriculum, grades, student success, and degree completion.
• Help students understand stackable credentials and select a starting point. Ensure students achieve critical academic milestones.
• Maintain detailed notes and semester-by-semester course plans for each student.
• Maintain current knowledge regarding FERPA and other regulations.
• Maintain current knowledge regarding Gateways credentials.
• Provide support for students to secure funding for their education and develop a financial plan.
• Collaborate with Financial Aid to understand various funding opportunities, including scholarships and grants. Provide appropriate referrals and assist with necessary paperwork.
• Assess student needs and connect them to existing college resources; identify resources to enhance both academic success and personal development.
• Create an environment in which students strengthen their self-advocacy, ownership, decision-making, critical thinking, and goal-setting skills.
• Promote healthy approaches to balancing the demands of college, work, and family.

Project and Process Management - 30%

• Proactively manage a caseload of ECE students, effectively addressing their needs.
• Establish mutually respectful one-on-one relationships with assigned students and provide individualized coaching and ongoing feedback.
• Meet regularly with individual ECE students to check in.
• Work with PR to design and create communication tools for ECE student supports such as emails, Canvas groups, flyers, webpages, and print materials.
• Encourage persistence through enrollment reminders about registration due dates, scholarship deadlines, and other institutional processes.
• As appropriate, hold group support meetings for ECE students throughout the semester to review ECE content, build community, and promote peer-to-peer relationships.
• Collaborate with ECE faculty to troubleshoot student challenges with textbooks, technology, and/or online course access.
• Provide students with information and instructions regarding college and department policies and procedures and assist as needed.
• Utilize analytics to subdivide caseload into tiers based on need to deploy efforts in a more equitable and effective manner; designate highest-need students for intensive support and regular touchpoints during the term.
• Communicate regularly with faculty regarding student progress and identify course-specific strategies that promote student success.
• Monitor students’ progress by closely tracking registration and success data in real-time; develop intervention strategies to assist students in their development.
• Celebrate students’ achievements and completion of key milestones.
• Explore individual problems with students that might lead to academic challenges.
• Respond to student concerns and issues by advising and referring them to appropriate resources.
• Handle immediate or sensitive issues requiring confidentiality or quality assurance; elevate matters requiring senior leadership intervention to the Department Chair or Dean level.
• Use web services and software programs including EAB Navigate, PeopleSoft, transfer planning tools, Microsoft Office, ImageNow, and other programs to assist in meeting student needs and College objectives.
• Maintain data to gauge student learning and success; help assess student learning outcomes related to advising.

Other - 30%

• Utilize effective communication and conflict resolution skills to mentor students in constructive inquiry, action, and resolution of concerns related to faculty, the institution, and IL Gateways.
• Perform outreach to education-related student organizations.
• Develop and deliver workshops for ECE students on topics such as goal setting, transfer planning, study skills, and time management.
• Support recruitment efforts by giving presentations and workshops, staffing information tables, and engaging at prospective student events.
• Participate in campaigns to promote ECE student engagement, progression, and retention.
• Collaborate with ECE faculty and staff in support of the College’s comprehensive student success model.
• Support the College’s initiatives to promote diversity and appreciation for multiculturalism.
• Help implement and evaluate new coaching processes and procedures; make recommendations for process improvements.
• Participate in team and department planning, professional development