Career Center

The Trio Upward Bound Program at the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John’s University (SJU) invites applications for the full time (.92 FTE), benefits eligible position of Program Advisor. 

Upward Bound is one of many federal TRIO programs in the U.S., and is hosted at colleges all over the nation. Our Upward Bound program was first introduced at CSB and SJU in 1995 and has been continuously funded ever since. We serve approximately 60 area high school students, providing opportunities to explore colleges and career paths, set goals for their current and future academic plans, and to complete the enrollment process into a college or university after graduating. Program Advisors are responsible for supporting students at two area high schools, implementing the program’s activities and events, and providing 1:1 college-preparation coaching sessions.

The College of Saint Benedict is a liberal arts college for women, and Saint John's University is a liberal arts college for men and a graduate School of Theology and Nursing for both men and women and is also the home of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library and the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research. The campuses are located in the central lakes area of Minnesota, surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of pristine forests, prairies, and lakes. The campuses are minutes away from St. Cloud, an increasingly diverse regional center with a population of over 100,000, and 70 miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Some CSB and SJU faculty and staff choose to reside locally, while others commute from the Twin Cities. Both St. Cloud and the Twin Cities offer a wide range of fine arts, cultural, dining, recreational, and sporting opportunities.
 
CSB and SJU are Catholic colleges in the Benedictine tradition enlivened by values of community, hospitality, stewardship, and justice. The schools are dedicated to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons. Students, staff and faculty from many diverse belief systems and backgrounds collectively bring a rich dimension to the academic, cultural, and religious experience at CSB and SJU. Learn more in our Institutional Statement on Diversity and in our brochure regarding Higher Education in the Catholic and Benedictine Tradition.
 
With a total enrollment of approximately 3,200 students, CSB and SJU are unique in all of higher education, distinguished by their commitment to the holistic transformational development of women and men within the context of a unified, coeducational experience. All students, faculty, and staff have the opportunity to experience and engage with the two institutions. For further information, see http://www.csbsju.edu/about.
 
CSB and SJU offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program.   

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized support for program participants. (50%)
  1. Promote the Upward Bound program at assigned high schools, including generating student referrals, interviewing potential participants, and collecting admission documents.
  2. Assess participant needs in terms of academics, career exploration, social and emotional learning, and financial literacy.
  3. Provide individualized counseling to participants based on their assessed needs.
  4. Monitor student academic performance and maintain student academic records.
  5. Assist students in taking the ACT, applying for financial aid, locating scholarship opportunities, and applying to colleges.
• Collaborate as a team to develop and implement programming. (20%)
  1. Curate academic, career, financial, and social/emotional content to post in our students’ social media server.
  2. Locate, develop, and/or deliver occasional workshops for participants.
  3. Coordinate college visits, field trips, and special guests for group events.
  4. Screen, interview, and assist in training and supervising temporary college-student staff for our annual summer program.
• Manage academic tutoring for program participants. (15%)
  1. Evaluate the academic needs of participants to inform tutoring strategies.
  2. Coach college-student tutors in effective tutoring strategies.
  3. Manage the tutoring schedule and changes with the tutors at your assigned high schools.
• Align professional practices with grant requirements. (10%)
  1. Document all engagement with participants in our Student Access database.
  2. Collect participant sign-ins at every Upward Bound-hosted event.
  3. Ensure the retention of participants throughout their high school career.
  4. Attend weekly staff meetings and occasional off-site trainings.
• Maintain collaborative relations within the community. (5%)
  1. Maintain contact with assigned high school’s teachers, counselors, and administrative staff to build a sense of support and advocacy in the partnership.
  2. Communicate with participants’ parents to address academic or behavioral concerns and promote strong family and student engagement in programming.

• Associate or bachelor’s degree, preferably in psychology, sociology, secondary education, or a related field. 
• Two years of customer relationship experience, preferably serving individual customers over an extended period of time.
• Interest in working extensively with high-school-aged youth, culturally diverse populations, and community partners.
• Willingness to learn best practices in advising processes, human relations, managing budgets, the college admissions process, and financial aid.
• Focus on equity and inclusion, especially in the needs of first-generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students from non-dominant cultures.
• Confidence in and passion for building rapport, motivation, and engagement in youth.
• Ability to work as a small team and to work on-site.
• Flexibility to work occasional Saturdays and evenings, less than once per month.

Physical Requirements:

• Sitting up to 8 hours per day, using computer monitors and phones.
• Occasional lifting of up to 10 pounds during set-up and tear-down of Upward Bound-hosted events.

Travel Requirements:

• Local travel to assigned high schools 2 days per work-week. Advisors can choose whether to work the full day at the assigned high school, or half the day in the office and half at the school. Occasional off-site trainings are offered throughout the year, attendance for which is optional.

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About College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University

The College of Saint Benedict (CSB), a liberal arts college for women, and Saint John's University (SJU), a liberal arts college for men, are located in the central lakes area of Minnesota, surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of pristine forests, prairies, and lakes. The campuses are minutes away from St. Cloud, an increasingly diverse regional center with a population of over 100,000, and 70 miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Some CSB/SJU faculty and staff choose to reside locally, while others commute from the Twin Cities. Both St. Cloud and the Twin Cities offer a wide range of fine arts, cultural, dining, recreational, and sporting opportunities. CSB and SJU are Catholic colleges in the Benedictine tradition enlivened by values of community, hospitality, stewardship, and justice. The schools are dedicated to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons. Students, staff and faculty from many diverse belief systems and backgrounds collectively bring a rich dimension to the academic, cultural, and religious experience at CSB/SJU. We welcome faculty who devote themselves with passion and integrity to their disciplines and to a transformative ed...ucation of their students. With a total enrollment of approximately 3600 students, faculty members develop relationships with students in small classroom settings and have opportunities to work closely with students on research projects, experiential learning experiences, and study abroad programs. Recent initiatives to create a dynamic general education curriculum and to develop plans for a new teaching and learning center demonstrate strong institutional support for faculty development. CSB and SJU offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program.

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Connections working at College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University