The American Indian College Fund (College Fund) was formed in 1989 to support Native students and tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). We believe “Education is the Answer” to transforming lives and communities.

We support American Indian and Alaska Native students in several ways: college scholarships, programs to expand their awareness of and access to higher education, and, once they get to college, the tools and support to help them succeed.

We also directly support the 35 accredited TCUs, most of which are chartered by tribal governments and are located on or near Indian reservations. Some of our current work with TCUs includes support in language preservation, early childhood education, Native arts, expanding academic programs, and faculty research.

Faculty are essential to the success of Native students, as well as to the growth and sustainability of TCUs. This position provides critical support for faculty success. Since 2004, we have offered faculty-focused programming. We currently offer several graduate fellowships; professional development opportunities to build faculty members’ teaching, research, and writing skills and knowledge; and an annual convening.

Position Summary

The Program Coordinator for Faculty Development will work closely with the Program Officer for Faculty Development (Program Officer) to support nearly 1,700 faculty in their multifaceted roles as instructors, academic program administrators, and researchers. Under the direction of the Program Officer, the Program Coordinator will concentrate their work in three areas: coordinating logistics of the annual faculty convening, administration of a new professional development grant program, and administration of the fellowship program. In addition to working with the Program Officer, the Program Coordinator will work closely with the Vice President of Research, Evaluation, and Faculty Development; other College Fund staff; TCU faculty, staff and leaders; and vendors for the annual convening (e.g., hotel, A/V provider).

Essential Position Functions And Responsibilities

• Coordinate the logistics of the annual faculty convening (35%)
• Manage master registration list and coordinate lodging of presenters and attendees; answer questions from presenters and attendees about convening
• Work with Program Officer and planning committee to create a logistics plan to ensure a successful conference experience for presenters and attendees
• Communicate closely with conference hotel on rooming list, food and beverage order, room setups, and A/V needs, and ensure accuracy of banquet event orders (BEOs)
• Work with travel agency on presenters’ flights
• Communicate regularly with presenters before, during, and after convening (e.g., to support their travel, request bios, provide details about their sessions)
• Plan and execute important conference details such as creating name badges, printing agenda and handouts, managing the registration table, logistics for cultural excursions, and preloading presenter slides to laptops
• Manage presenter travel reimbursements and vendor payments after convening
• Work with video editor after convening to develop videos for posting on our website
• Work with College Fund web administrator to post resources from convening on our website
• Coordinate the implementation of a new faculty professional grant program to TCUs (25%)
• Help develop and execute the grant application, award, and disbursement processes
• Communicate with TCU administrators and staff about the application process and grant award guidelines
• Help develop and administer a monitoring system to ensure proper and timely spending of grant funds by TCUs
• Develop a tracking system to track the disbursement, spending, and reporting of grants
• Communicate regularly with the Program Officer and College Fund leadership on the status of the grant program and outcomes.
• Coordinate the administration of faculty fellowship programs (25%)
• Provide technical assistance to applicants
• Update the College Fund faculty webpages and external application portal regularly with deadline dates and application instructions
• Ensure applications are complete before sending to reviewers; oversee application review process and communicate with successful and unsuccessful applicants
• Maintain multiple fellowship tracking spreadsheets which contain contact information, fellowship award details, and disbursement schedules
• Draft customized contracts for new fellows and obtain their signatures
• Build relationships with fellowship recipients and ensure they have the support they need to be successful
• Disburse funds on a timely basis to fellowship recipients at the start of each semester (i.e., fall, spring, summer)
• Provide other support to reach faculty development programming goals and College Fund strategic goals and objectives (15%)
• Work with Faculty Development Program Officer on other faculty success programs and activities as needed
• Create monthly summaries of faculty development program outcomes/data and budgets
• Engage with Research, Evaluation, and Faculty Development team to further the team’s and College Fund’s goals and objectives

Position Requirements

Competencies

• Highly organized and have a strong ability to keep track of details for multiple projects simultaneously
• Knowledge of higher education faculty role and responsibilities
• Knowledge of meeting planning, especially the logistics and communication required of a small, multiple day conference
• Demonstrated ability to create effective tracking systems (e.g., for budgets, conference logistics, fellowships)
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office programs, especially Outlook and Excel, and comfort with learning new software
• Knowledge of grant budget management, review and reconciliation
• Initiative to create and test new processes and propose program improvements
• Ability to meet deadlines and grant deliverables
• Excellent communication skills and ability to build trusting relationships with faculty members, staff, and administrators
• Demonstrated ability to receive feedback and continually improve work
• Understanding of the requirements to obtain a master’s and doctoral degree

Required Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience working directly with culturally diverse groups of people
• Experience working in a nonprofit, education, or higher education
• Experience planning events

Preferred Education And Experience

• Master’s degree
• Experience working with Native Americans and/or tribal colleges
• Experience working with higher education faculty
• 2 years of experience coordinating grants
• 2 years of experience planning multi-day, multi-session conferences

Work Environment

• Professional office setting
• Open, shared office workspace
• Dedicated work space required if hybrid/remote
• Travel up to 15% of time

Physical Activities

• Frequent keyboarding and viewing computer screen
• Occasional standing
• Occasional bending
• Occasional reaching
• Lifting to 35 pounds

Note: This position description does not provide an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with this position. The incumbent may perform other duties as assigned.

American Indian College Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer