Senior Fellow – Gateway Course Success Core Team Member, Kentucky Student Success Collaborative (KYSSC)

Positions: Hiring 4 -6 highly motivated and experienced higher education faculty members and/or administrators in math, English, academic support, and faculty development to serve as interim Senior Fellows
Commitment: 1-5 hours per week, August 2023 – May 2024
Location: Remote work; must have a Kentucky workstation
Travel: Attend three or more in-person convenings at Kentucky postsecondary institutions and the spring Student Success Summit (dates and locations listed below under “Duties and Responsibilities”)
Compensation: $35/hr.
Priority deadline for application: June 5, 2023

About the Council

The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is Kentucky’s higher education coordinating agency committed to strengthening our workforce, economy, and quality of life. We do this by guiding the continuous improvement and efficient operation of a high-quality, diverse, and accessible system of postsecondary education.

The Kentucky Student Success Collaborative (KYSSC) works with higher education institutions in the state to advance and support efforts to improve student outcomes. CPE, in partnership with the James Graham Brown Foundation, created KYSSC to advance large-scale change and help equip institutions with the tools and techniques needed to drive transformation and improvement.

Gateway Course Success Core Team Overview

The Kentucky Gateway Course Success Core Team will include 4-6 individuals from diverse institutions, functional areas, and experiences. In this role, you will be responsible for supporting and guiding strategies to improve student success and retention in gateway courses in KY (specifically math and English), which are essential academic milestones across all programs. By working collaboratively with key stakeholders from community colleges and universities, you will leverage data and research to identify best practices and help to maintain and sustain a culture of continuous improvement.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide input and feedback on the development of Kentucky’s statewide strategy to improve student success and retention in gateway courses.
• Support the implementation of Kentucky’s statewide strategy through convenings, trainings, professional development, and coaching support for key stakeholders.
• Broaden and deepen engagement among faculty and staff working toward gateway course success across all KY institutions through individual outreach and meetings.
• Facilitate in-person and virtual trainings and professional development opportunities to enhance faculty and staff effectiveness in supporting student success in gateway courses.
• Analyze data and research to identify best practices and ensure continuous improvement of gateway courses.
• Serve as a liaison between academic departments, student services, and other stakeholders to ensure coordinated efforts to support student success in gateway courses.
• Attend in-person convenings focused on gateway course success:
  • Gateway Course Success strategy development convening (June 20, 2023, CPE offices, Frankfort).
  • First Year Success convening (Sept. 29, 2023, location TBD).
  • Fall Student Success convening (Nov. 6-7, 2023, WKU).
  • Spring Student Success Summit (date and location TBD).
  • Other convenings as needed.

Essential Skills and Experience

• 10+ years’ experience supporting gateway course success.
• Experience with community college and/or university environments and students.
• Deep understanding of barriers and challenges faced from institution-level and student-level perspectives.
• Commitment to equity and student-centered approaches to student success.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
• Experience leading meetings and trainings preferred.
• Terminal degree preferred.

Application Instructions

Submit your Resume/CV and a written response to the following prompt (500 words or less) to Phyllis Clark (phyllis.clark@ky.gov) by June 1, 2023, for priority consideration:

In Kentucky, 21% of community college students and 44% of public university students successfully pass/complete both college-level math and English courses within their first academic year (dashboard). Institutional performance gaps are greatest in math for students of color and adult learners. Through your experience, what do you believe are the most promising approaches/strategies to increase gateway course success of all students and close institutional performance gaps?