Retention Specialist Center for Inclusion & Diversity (Program Specialist 2)

Spokane Colleges; Spokane (WA); Hybrid; USD 43,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

State retirement plan

Paid vacation & sick leave

Job summary

Spokane Community College, part of Spokane Colleges, seeks a Retention Specialist to develop culturally responsive strategies that improve persistence, retention, and credential completion for CID scholars. You will recruit, support, and guide students from enrollment to completion, leveraging data and partnerships to remove barriers and promote inclusive excellence.

The role emphasizes collaboration with campus and community partners, travel for events, and supervision of work-study students to

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent mix of education and experience.
• Commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Experience with populations from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Experience using spreadsheets, databases, and word processing software.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings and weekends.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and ethical practices.
• Criminal background check required.

Responsibilities

• Develop targeted recruitment and enrollment strategies for CID scholars.
• Collaborate with SCC Student Services, faculty and partners to refer students.
• Provide structured, relationship-based support from onboarding to credential completion.
• Proactively outreach at transition points and during critical milestones.
• Create individualized success plans addressing academic progress, belonging, finances, basic needs, and completion goals.
• Occasionally travel with students to conferences and events.
• Supervise work-study students and assess performance.
• Use data to identify barriers and initiate timely interventions.
• Document contacts and outcomes in college systems.
• Support program assessment, planning, and reporting.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Diversity & Inclusion

Data analysis

Team collaboration

Education

Associate degree

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Tools

Spreadsheets

Databases

Word processing

Job description

Location: Spokane

Department:SCC Multicultural Student Services

Salary Range: $3,827 - $5,111

Starting salary for this position is: $3,827 (Monthly)
Employees hired at the entry step of this range receive salary step advancement after six months and every 12 months thereafter. An employee hired at anything higher than the entry step of the range will have salary step advancement after 12 months and every 12 months thereafter until they reach the top of the salary range. Each salary step advancement will be approximately a 5% increase.

About Us

Spokane Community College, part of Spokane Colleges, serves 15,000 students with career technical, liberal arts, and adult education programs in Spokane and surrounding rural communities.

About theRetention Specialist Center for Inclusion & Diversity (Program Specialist 2)

JOB SUMMARY

Under the general supervision of the Director of Student Success, Equity and Diversity, the Retention Specialist develops and implements proactive, culturally responsive strategies that improve persistence, retention, and credential completion for Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CID) Scholars. Through targeted recruitment, relationship-based support, disaggregated student data, and coordinated campus and community partnerships, the position identifies barriers early, connects students with appropriate resources, and helps students progress from enrollment through completion. This position is critical to Spokane Community College’s implementation of RCW 28B.10.149 and its responsibility to eliminate structural barriers, promote diversity, equity and inclusion, and improve outcomes for students from historically marginalized communities.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Targeted Recruitment and Enrollment

• Develop and implement targeted outreach and recruitment strategies of prospective and current students to increase participation in Student Academic Success Program, CID services, and other applicable student-success programs among systemically marginalized and underserved students. *
• Collaborate with SCC Student Services departments, faculty, and community partners to establish referral pathways for students who may benefit from additional support. *

Proactive Student Support

• Maintain an assigned cohort of students and provide structured, relationship-based support from onboarding through credential completion. *
• Conduct proactive outreach at identified transition points, including the beginning of the quarter, prior to withdrawal deadlines, during registration, and as students approach completion. *
• Work with students to develop individualized success plans that address academic progress, belonging, financial stability, basic needs, and completion goals. *
• Occasionally travel with students to conferences and educational events that support student success, leadership development, and inclusive excellence initiatives. *
• Supervise work-study students. Responsible for ensuring assigned work-study students adhere to acceptable behavior and performance standards. Explain to work-study students how their performance and behavior will be assessed and give timely and accurate feedback regarding performance. Ensure any observed performance and behavioral problems are corrected promptly. *

Data-Informed Intervention

• Use Faculty Alerts, student engagement information, academic progress, and other available data to identify barriers and initiate timely interventions. *
• Review disaggregated persistence, retention, GPA, and completion outcomes to identify equity gaps and recommend changes to programs, outreach, and institutional practices. *
• Document student contacts, referrals, interventions, and outcomes consistently within applicable college systems. *

Completion and Graduation Support

• Identify students who are approaching credential completion and coordinate targeted outreach related to academic planning, registration, graduation requirements, and unresolved barriers. *

Systems Improvement and Advocacy

• Identify recurring institutional barriers affecting systemically marginalized students and elevate trends, recommendations, and potential solutions to department leadership. *
• Participate in cross-campus efforts to improve the student journey and experience, *
• Contribute data and program evidence needed for departmental assessment, Inclusive Excellence planning, and Washington State accountability requirements. *
• Perform other duties as assigned. *
• Model professional decorum and mutual respect in all personal interactions. *
• Comply with district policies, procedures and directives, state and federal regulations, orders and statutes and collective bargaining agreements. *
• Support and advance Spokane Colleges’ strategic plan and perform other duties as assigned. *

* Indicates this is an essential duty.

COMPETENCIES

• Manages Complexity
• Decision Quality
• Action Oriented
• Plans & Aligns
• Ensures Accountability
• Drives Results
• Collaborates
• Instills Trust
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness
• Self-Development
• Nimble Learning
• Situational Adaptability
• Values Differences
• Global Perspective

Learn more about our competencies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate degree. Or an equivalent mix of education and experience that demonstrates the candidate meets all competency requirements for this position.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering and supporting a teaching, learning and working environment that honors diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Demonstrated commitment working with populations from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and use interpersonal skills in a positive and effective manner with a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability of excellent verbal and written communications skills including presentations to large and small audiences.
• Experience using computers, spreadsheets, databases and word processing software.
• Ability to be supportive and sensitive in providing written or verbal information and services to students, in person or virtually.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and frequent interruptions, allowing for flexibility in prioritizing daily tasks with student needs.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate and complete short- and long-term projects.
• Ability to adjust schedule, on occasion, to support program needs including early morning, evenings and weekends.
• Ability to work constructively with others as part of a team.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and ethical work practices.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Experience planning, implementing, coordinating, and/or leading programs and services in an educational setting for systemically marginalized or at-risk populations.
• Knowledge or experience with SCC programs and student support services.
• Experience engaging in social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work.
• Proficiency in a second language, i.e., speaking, reading, and writing.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work is performed in an office environment with frequent interruptions and background noise.
• Work directly with students/clients by phone, in person and electronically.
• Occasional to frequent change in position from sedentary to active.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Full-time schedule (12-month, 40-hours a week).
• 6-month probationary period.
• This position is overtime eligible.
• May require local or regional travel.
• Criminal background check is required.
• May be required to work alternate shift, including nights and weekends.
• This position is covered under a collective bargaining agreement. Membership is optional.

Person hired must be able to provide acceptable documentation of U.S. Citizenship or lawful authorization to work in the United States. This is an absolute condition of employment. An offer of employment will not carry with it any responsibility or obligation on the part of the district to sponsor an H1-B visa. In addition, the Spokane Colleges maintain a drug-free work environment and prohibits all smoking in the college buildings and state-owned vehicles. Must be able to successfully work in and promote a multicultural work and education environment.

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position.Once an applicant is chosen for a position, they are required to complete and submit a declaration regarding sexual misconduct and investigation per state law.

Benefits Information

Medical, dental, life and long term disability insurance benefits are provided as currently administered under Public Employees Benefits Board; WA State Retirement Plan; vacation and sick leave begin to accrue at the rate of 11.33 hours vacation and 8 hours sick leave per month, upon employment. (For positions that are less than full time, leave accruals will be prorated to the percentage of the position.) This position is designated a bargaining unit position and union membership is not a condition of employment. Leave accruals and usage are governed by the WFSE collective bargaining agreement.

Public Employees Benefits Board

Additional benefits information

Equal Opportunity Institution

Spokane Colleges provides equal opportunity in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, age, sex, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, disability, veteran or military status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal. Spokane Colleges complies with applicable federal and state civil rights laws, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Washington state nondiscrimination laws.

Direct all inquiries or grievances regarding access, Title IX, ADA, equal opportunity compliance, and/or grievances to: Frederick Davis, MA Chief Human Resources Officer Spokane Colleges P.O. Box 6000, MS1004 Spokane, WA. 99217-6000 509-434-5040 / [e-mail].