The University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies seeks a Virginia Prison Education Program (VPEP) Coordinator to join its Bachelor degree completion team.

The VPEP Coordinator advances the School of Continuing and Professional Studies’ mission of providing high-quality, accessible education designed for adult learners. This position supports the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree completion program launching as a pilot at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women and expanding in subsequent years to additional cohorts and/or correctional facilities. This position supports the planning, execution, and evaluation of the program, from student-facing efforts and programs to administrative duties. This position plays a vital role in helping the team create a lasting impact with this new opportunity.

The VPEP Coordinator reports to the VPEP Faculty Director and is charged with supporting the Director in developing new processes and procedures, record keeping systems, collaboration between multiple stakeholders, student interactions, and more.

This position actively collaborates with teams across SCPS including the Financial and Business Operations team and the Student Services and Enrollment Management team. This position is based in-person in Charlottesville, VA. Regular travel to and work from program locations in Virginia is required.

Responsibilities include:

Administrative:

• Coordination of the Virginia Prison Education Program (VPEP) and initiatives
• Creating and organizing processes and resources
• Managing a wide range of administrative processes and functions
• Communicating effectively with students, VPEP faculty and staff, Department of Corrections employees and other stakeholders
• Serving as a crucial liaison between the VPEP and prison and community college administrators
• Contributing to strategic planning efforts for VPEP
• Assisting in the financial management of any grants and VPEP
• Ensuring adherence to budgets and resource allocations
• Completing required documentation
• Developing close working relationships with UVA Student Financial Services, UVA Career Services, UVA Libraries and other critical UVA units
• Maintaining compliance with educational criteria
• Gathering and maintaining relevant data
• Representing VPEP at community events and programs as appropriate.

Student Support:

• Traveling to the prison(s) to work with individual students to complete application requirements for full admission
• Create student onboarding process in cooperation with student services colleagues
• Explaining program requirements, including the procedures for the release of information
• Traveling to the prison(s) for onsite registration, coursework coordination, and related functions. Work directly with groups of students, and individual students, providing information, explaining procedures, and navigating academic and financial aid requirements
• Traveling to the prison(s) for regular onsite support, follow-ups with students who have absences and unsatisfactory grades, general check-ins, and supply deliveries
• Working with individual students to complete FAFSA applications and other grant or scholarship applications
• Ensuring students have appropriate library resources as requested by faculty
• Scheduling and evaluating peer tutoring programs
• Reporting class cancellations and schedule make-up sessions
• Monitoring student progress toward degree completion
• Providing other administrative and program support as necessary.

Minimum Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree
• Experience: At least three years of experience. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Ability to regularly travel to prison location(s)
• Strong communication, writing, organizational, technology and interpersonal skills
• Ability to quickly learn financial aid, admissions and student support processes
• Demonstrated ability to work independently
• Ability to build strong, positive workplace relationships
• Must be able to acquire clearance to enter and work inside prison facilities
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office
• Applicants must successfully pass a background check and all prison security training.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least 3 years’ experience in higher education
• Experience working with incarcerated populations and/or lived experience as a student who was incarcerated
• Experience with financial aid, admissions and student support processes
• Project management experience
• Demonstrated ability to use best practices to assist incarcerated students to overcome barriers for academic and career success.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders to drive successful outcomes
• Ability to develop long range goals and objectives while simultaneously managing a great deal of detail across multiple projects and tasks
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated understanding of financial aid and admissions processes in higher education
• Experience with prison education programs
• Experience working with marginalized populations
• Experience with reentry processes.

About the Position

This is a restricted position that is partially supported by a grant from Ascendium.

The anticipated hiring salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. This is a full-time, 40 hours per week, exempt level, benefited position operating during regular business hours, but with the occasional need to work outside traditional business hours to attend events, conferences, or industry gatherings. Flexibility exists to adjust your schedule while fulfilling duties and responsibilities. This position is Charlottesville-based with requirements to support programs on Grounds and in prison(s) location(s).

Visit here for more information on the benefits of working at UVA. Employees’ benefits package highlights include:

• 22 days of paid time off, increasing with service; 13+ paid holidays each year, in addition to paid time off
• Parental and Community Service Leave
• Health plan with options to meet healthcare and financial needs available immediately
• Retirement benefits
• Tuition and professional development benefits after the first six months of employment.

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does require traveling to the correctional facilities where the classes are located.

To Apply:

Create an account or log in and submit an application in the UVA Job Board, search for R0074170. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs' and attach the following:

• Cover letter
• Resume/CV

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process SkillSurvey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process, a total of three is required. For questions about the application process, please contact Michele Jarman, Academic Recruiter. This position will not sponsor cases for immigration.

Learn More About the University of Virginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies here: For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see https://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.