Columbia Basin College (CBC) is committed to our vision to be the educational home that transforms students' lives through economic and social mobility. We are one of eight Hispanic-Serving Institutions in Washington state with Hispanic students representing just under half of our student population. As such, CBC is committed to discovering and enacting innovative ways to intentionally serve Hispanic students while serving all. We center equity in all that we do and seek to attract and retain engaged individuals committed to helping all students be successful in accomplishing their goals.     

The Retention Specialist will provide academic and transfer advising, nonacademic support and career exploration to enhance success and retention of all College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) participants at CBC. This position is grant funded and will assist the Director in developing individual action plans for each CAMP participant, in compiling and tracking of data and in preparing quarterly and yearly reports related to retention, graduation, transfer and baccalaureate attainment rates.

This position reports to the Director for CAMP.

This position closes on July 28, 2024 at 11:59 PM PST. The College will conduct initial interviews with selected candidates via Zoom and will conduct on-campus interviews with finalists. 

CBC is an equal opportunity employer and complies with the letter and spirit of all federal and state laws. CBC encourages applications from qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or other legal protected characteristics. Candidates who need any accommodation in the application process or in employment should contact the Office of Human Resources.

Primary Responsibilities

• Assist with planning, organizing, leading, and supervising the CAMP Peer Mentor Program; 
• Assist with the development, management and facilitation of all CAMP retention and academic plans; 
• Provide day to day and quarterly academic advising and career exploration; provide academic and programmatic resources available at CBC; provide students with timely and accurate information regarding CBC and university transfer requirements and programs; 
• Provide CAMP participants with non-academic support to help navigate their first year of college successfully;  
• Follow up with participants after their first year; assist in development methods to track student success and progression; 
• Assist in the development and facilitation of a communications plan to reach out to CAMP students who have stopped attending college; create individual action plans for at risk students; 
• Assist in the development and the facilitation of a CAMP Summer Bridge Program; 
• Conduct intake interviews for CAMP Program applicants; 
• Assist in the development and the facilitation of a CAMP Fall Orientation; 
• Assist participants with the financial aid (FA) process to ensure timely completion and submission of their FA application/renewals;
• Assist with completing individual parent meetings with CAMP participants; 
• Research, develop, and facilitate workshops/trainings on topics to include study skills, college and career planning, financial aid, scholarships, internships, financial literacy, resume development and transfer planning; 
• Monitor academic progress reports and work with faculty in order to provide follow up services and interventions for struggling students; 
• Develop and maintain a retention contact database to include CBC CAMP alumni, community resources, and other useful retention contacts; develop and cultivate relationships with CBC constituencies such as TRiO, High School Equivalency Program, and other CBC faculty, staff and students; 
• Use knowledge of CAMP federal regulations and policies to produce and assist in the production of program evaluation reports; assist the Director with annual reporting to the Office of Migrant Education; and 
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Social Work or a related field from an institutionally accredited college or university; 
• Two (2) years of progressively responsible direct work experience with low income, underrepresented and/or migrant/seasonal farmworker youth; 
• Two (2) years of experience in academic planning and developing retention strategies; 
• Experience working collaboratively in a diverse team environment with students, faculty, staff and the community; and 
• Bilingual in Spanish and English.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience with federally funded programs, preferably CAMP, HEP or TRiO programs; 
• Three (3) years of experience in a higher education setting, providing advising services to students who are educationally, economically, and/or otherwise disadvantaged; and
• Knowledge of the community college mission and goals.

About Columbia Basin College

Columbia Basin College (CBC) serves the citizens of Benton and Franklin counties in Washington state with two-year associate degrees for transfer to a four-year university, and applied degrees for workforce employment. CBC also provides one-year certificates and basic skills for those pursuing a GED or high school diploma. CBC serves approximately 7,000-8,000 students each quarter.Columbia Basin College now offers bachelor degrees in Nursing, Project Management, Applied Management, Cyber Security, Information Technology, and Dental Hygiene. These bachelor degrees are in direct response to the needs of our community. As a result of community needs, Columbia Basin College has recently opened our new state of the art Social Sciences and World Languages Center at the Pasco campus.In July 2017, CBC will open its second, four-story Health Science Center in Richland. In addition to training CBC healthcare professionals, the Wortman Medical Science Center will also be a functional medical clinic as part of Kadlec Regional Medical Center’s family medicine residency program.CBC will open a student housing facility in September. This first phase will house 125 students.Columbia Basin Co...llege continues its rich tradition of meeting our community's needs with a dynamic faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and a diverse student body from all walks of life.

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Connections working at Columbia Basin College