The Woodlawn Campus of the University of Chicago Charter School (UCW) opened in September 2006. It has a three-part mission: 1) to assist students in developing the habits of mind, work, and heart to be successful in college and good citizens of their community; 2) to contribute to the community through student research, service, and leadership; and 3) to improve teaching and learning by serving as a site of professional development for teachers and school leaders. UCW currently educates students in grades six thru twelve.

Job Summary:
Reporting to the Director of the College Graduation Office and serving on the College Graduation Office (CGO) Team, the Director of College Counseling oversees the development and administration of the College Counseling program. The Director of College Counseling has the overall responsibility for guiding students and parents through the successful transition to post-secondary education by establishing and maintaining successful relationships with students as well as colleges and universities across the country, being an active member of professional organizations, and having extraordinary interpersonal and organizational skills. This is a full-time, 12-month position.

The Director of College Counseling is a year-round, full-time, exempt administrative agreement with full benefits in accordance with the UCCS Employee Handbook. This position is responsible for all senior advising, though caseloads can be divided up amongst the CGO. This position will also involve some classroom instruction.

College Counseling Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the College Graduation Office Team to meet with students individually and with families throughout the college process

• Coordinate with the UCW middle school Director to work closer with their students, staff and parents on post-secondary events, summer planning and parent informationals.

• Manage Senior Seminar instructors and One Goal instructors on their curriculum, classroom management and Senior Milestones timeline

• Teach College Seminar classes to second-semester juniors and first-semester seniors

• Manage letters of recommendation process for college counselors, in addition to advising faculty in their writing of recommendations process

• Counsel college advisors and coaches on how to support students through the college selection process

• Analyze standardized test scores and make suggestions to improve them annually

• Regular Data collection that results in weekly team updates and biannual reports

• Ensure every senior graduates with a post-secondary plan

• Plan and manage the College Acceptance ceremonies hosted during the spring semester

• Plan and execute the annual College Invasion Tour

Outreach Responsibilities:

• Represent UChicago Charter School in professional associations

• Build intentional relationships with admissions representatives at colleges and universities throughout the U.S.

• Collaborate with Director of College Graduation Office to connect and recruit additional Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to support students in 6th - 12th grades.

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Attend weekly meetings with the School's core academic team

• Lead weekly or bi-weekly meetings with the Senior Seminar and One Goal instruction team

• Work closely with the Learning Specialist to address individual accommodations and testing needs

• Coordinate with the Director of the College Graduation Office on creating CGO quarterly newsletters and oversee maintenance of the college counseling portion of the school's website

• Establish and maintain yearly budget for the College Graduation Office

• Review, adjust and expand the college counseling program each year

• Review Senior Milestones timeline to ensure all dates are aligned with national and state requirements

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• 3-5 Years college admissions and/or college advising experience

• Master's and/or Counseling degree preferred

• Prior college counseling experience on either the college or secondary school side required; experience with both preferred

• Demonstrated counseling skills beyond college admissions extending to the context of family dynamics

• A willingness to learn and counsel in the context of the unique culture of UChicago Charter

• Proven knowledge base of working with urban student body as well as U.S. colleges/universities, and the ability to reasonably predict college admissions decisions, knowledge of liberal arts colleges is a plus

• Strong communication/marketing, interpersonal, organizational, and decision-making skills

UCCS recruits, hires, compensates, promotes and otherwise manages employees and prospective employees on the basis of individual merit without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status or any and all other factors protected by law. This policy includes UCCS's commitment to maintain a workplace free from sexual or other unlawful harassment or discrimination of any nature.