POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Director, Citizenship and Service Learning
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 2404
GRADE 46
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Associate Provost for Public Affairs and Assessment
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Director, Citizenship and Service-Learning (CASL) provides leadership for the development, expansion, and administration of the University’s academic service-learning program and other community-based programs, such as MSU Vision Screening and the Springfield Community Gardens partnership. The Director, Citizenship and Service-Learning recruits participants in the programs, promotes the scholarship of civic engagement, and encourages publication and dissemination of outcomes of civic engagement activities. The Director, Citizenship and Service-Learning works with faculty to provide guidance for incorporating service-learning into the classroom experience. The Director, Citizenship and Service-Learning seeks external funding to support the program beyond what the University provides and works cooperatively with University administrators to facilitate program development. The Director, Citizenship and Service-Learning works with community partners to develop learning sites and initiates agreements.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Master's degree is required; an earned doctorate is preferred.
Experience: At least three years of leadership or management experience in higher education or the public sector is required. Experience in collaborating with public and private not-for-profit agencies is required. A commitment to the maintenance of academic integrity in service-learning experiences is required. Experience interacting with diverse groups of students, staff, faculty, and external constituencies is required. Experience developing and managing program budgets is required. A record of scholarship and/or teaching experience in higher education is preferred. Familiarity with college student life issues is preferred.
Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills as well as excellent interpersonal skills are required. Organizational, management, and supervisory skills are required. Research and analytical skills required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required. Demonstrated knowledge of effective strategies for working with diverse faculty, staff, and students is preferred.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Ensures the Citizenship and Service-Learning program achieves its stated goals by recruiting the participation of high quality teaching faculty, community partners, and students, providing professional development and support for faculty engaged in service-learning course development, undergraduate research, and Service-Learning and the First Year Experience, establishing relevant curriculum and program objectives to be incorporated into participating classes, establishing and nurturing an identified group of classes across many disciplines as active participants in the program, promoting support of the program with University administrators, soliciting financial support from funding agencies, managing two satellite service-learning sites, and managing the Service-Learning Faculty Fellows and CASL Research Stipend programs.
2. Facilitates the successful participation of students in the service-learning program by providing information to prospective service-learners, collaborating with CASL staff to provide orientation, training, and advisement to service-learners, and solving problems related to the service-learning experience.
3. Informs and advises the University faculty and administration, the local community, and the student population about the goals and objectives of the civic engagement concept by preparing and distributing publications, multi-media materials, and informational materials about Service-Learning, coordinating with Strategic Communication to publicize CASL program outcomes and events, presenting at conferences and forums to disseminate Missouri State University Service-Learning information to various groups, preparing the CASL Annual Report, and required reports for accrediting agencies.
4. Communicates the success of the Citizenship and Service-Learning program and civic engagement both internally and externally through national recognition applications, i.e. Carnegie Community Engagement Elective Classification and President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
5. Ensures the effectiveness of the Citizenship and Service-Learning program by assessing the participants (students, faculty, and community partners), evaluating the results, and recommending changes to the program to the Associate Provost for Public Affairs and Assessment.
6. Identifies, develops, and manages collaborations with other campus offices and community partners, such as MSU Vision Screening program, Springfield Community Gardens partnership, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Veterans Administration, etc. to promote community engagement that creates development opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
7. Ensures the service-learning program is compliant with standards established by the University, Faculty Senate, the Missouri Department of Higher Education, the Higher Learning Commission, and Carnegie Foundation’s Elective Classification for Community Engagement.
8. Assures publication of Service-Learning courses and accurate recordkeeping by coordinating with the Registrar’s Office.
9. Supports administration of the Citizenship and Service-Learning program by providing daily office management and addressing personnel issues as they arise.
10. Facilitates a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures and backgrounds.
11. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses required by the Associate Provost for Public Affairs and Assessment.
12. Contributes to the overall success of the Citizenship and Service-Learning program by performing other essential duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed.
SUPERVISION
The Director of the Citizenship and Service Learning Program is supervised by the Associate Provost for Public Affairs and Assessment.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
REVISED JANUARY 2021
