TRIO SSS Program Coordinator

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TRIO SSS Program Coordinator

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Posting Details

 Posting Details 

Posting Number  | S296
Classification Title  | Grant Funded Program Coordinator 1
Working Title  | TRIO SSS Program Coordinator
Department  | TRIO Student Support Services (LH)
Home Campus  | Lock Haven
City  | Lock Haven
State  | Pennsylvania
Zip Code  | 17745
Bargaining Unit  | SCUPA
Work Location  | Home Campus
Position Type  | Staff
Temporary/ Permanent  | Temporary - Grant Funded
Full-time/ Part-time  | Full-Time
If Part-time, specify percentage (Examples: 0.75; 0.50; 0.25)  |
Benefits  | The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education provides a comprehensive package of employer benefits to eligible employees and their enrolled dependent(s), which include*:

Medical and prescription drug benefits. Generous retirement plans, two options: Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP) State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS)  Tuition benefits for employees and dependents. Paid time off. Employer-paid dental and vision benefits. Employer-paid life insurance. Voluntary insurances and additional retirement programs.*Specific benefits may vary based upon university, employee group and/or collective bargaining unit. Visit: http://www.passhe.edu/inside/HR/syshr/healthcare/Pages/Summary-of-Benefits.aspx for additional information regarding benefits.
To be eligible for most benefits, you must be a permanent, full-time employee (including temporary, full-time faculty with at least an academic year contract) or a permanent, part-time employee (including temporary, part-time faculty with at least an academic year contract) who is scheduled to work every pay period for at least 50% of full-time hours.
Start Time  | 8:00am
End Time  | 4:30pm
Hours Per Week  | 37.5 hours per week
Days Worked (Check all that apply)  | Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri
Salary  | $47,453.00/Annual
Anticipated Start Date  | August 25, 2025
Anticipated End Date  | *August 31, 2030
5-Year Federal TRIO SSS Grant with possibility of continued funding. As a grant-funded position, this position is subject to the availability of grant funding.

 Position Summary Information 

Position Purpose  | Under the general direction of the Director of TRIO Student Support Services (Commonwealth University – Lock Haven), the Program Coordinator assists in the leadership and overall management of the TRIO SSS program and supports the program objectives: increasing student retention and persistence, satisfactory academic progress, and graduation rates for TRIO SSS students.

The PC is responsible for data collection and entry, financial reports, assistance with scheduling activities and events, monitoring of the federal budget, managing the daily operations of the TRIO SSS office and student lounge space, internal and external reporting, and related training.

This position also provides leadership, guidance, and supervision to student employees within the TRIO SSS Office.

The PC must become familiar with the federal TRIO SSS grant program and operations, ensuring compliance with all federal guidelines for successful grant management, especially records management and budget/financial operations.

Description of Duties 
Facilitate students’ navigation of career pathways by referring and connecting students with relevant University and community career and professional resources and offer intentional and intrusive follow-up to ensure students are utilizing the resources available. Provide targeted professional and financial guidance to upper-division students as they prepare to graduate and enter the workforce or continue their education. Establish and maintain professional career networks in conjunction with the Office of Alumni & Professional Development to connect program participants with career opportunities and mentors as outlined in the federal TRIO SSS grant Develop and maintain ongoing program evaluation and assessment efforts to ensure programming is consistent with the program’s mission, vision, goals and objectives. Evaluation/assessments to include Peer Mentor reviews, focus group discussions and senior exit interviews. Use Blumen or other software/computer programs to input, compile, query, retrieve and report program data. Use of Blumen is an integral requirement for this position. Coordinate technology enhancements and electronic resources for the program. Provide administrative support for the SSS Director and staff. Enter data, answer phones, schedule appointments, order office supplies, prepare travel request forms, expense voucher forms and create various correspondences including: reports, forms, flyers, memoranda, TRIO website, social media, and other materials. Monitor budgetary information from the grant accountant, reconcile grant budget records and notify Director and grant accountant of any discrepancies. Reconcile monthly P-Card statement and process purchase orders/requisitions for program expenditures and purchases. Coordinate program recordkeeping, filing system and documentation for government reports and secure confidential records to ensure program efficiency and compliance. Establish/maintain confidential program participant files to ensure all required documentation is accurate to ensure compliance with grant requirements. Each year, the PC will assist the Director of TRIO SSS with all data entry, forms, and reports for the Annual Performance Report (APR), in compliance with federal guidelines. Assist with gathering/inputting data/information for annual APR for program. Assist with the coordination of faculty and student meetings, summer program, special events, campus activities, and cultural experience trips by making facility reservations, completing catering requests, creating event invitations, making transportation arrangements, etc. Prepare trip sheet outlines for all students and faculty/staff in advance of a trip. Utilize student information databases in order to produce student data reports for the Director including student schedules and student grade reports for the purpose of monitoring student progress. Assist with formatting and preparation of the grant proposal and reports, including data collection, tabulation, entry of statistics for annual performance and other reports required by Dept. of Education/federal/state government. Coordinate the distribution and collection of SSS program applications, review applications for completeness, verify the applicants meet the program eligibility requirements and track the eligibility of applicants to ensure the program is meeting its metrics for students served. Coordinate the hiring of peer mentors and tutors for the program and ensure the students complete all require HR employment paperwork, background clearances and other confidentiality forms related to the grant. Approve student employee hours in ESS and insure timely submission to the Payroll, Community Service, or Financial Aid Offices. Updates the SSS Policies and Procedures Manual annually and as requested by the Program Director and SSS faculty. Prepares the SSS Student Handbook each academic year, prepares materials for the TRIO SSS Summer Bridge program, and updates the website, emails, brochure, postcards, flyers, social media accounts, etc. on an ongoing basis. Emails will be promptly responded to (within 48 hours whenever possible). Develops a network of TRIO and CU-LH alumni; to liaise with these alumni, to work with students to connect them with potential mentoring, job shadowing, and internship opportunities.

Decision Making  | The PC makes independent decisions specific to the operation of the TRIO SSS program and activities assigned. Uses professional skills and training to create new initiatives, solve problems, and provide services to students. The PC reviews records and helps to evaluate current practices and procedures, makes recommendations for effective change and provides documentation to support recommendations. The PC also assists with planning efforts and can make decisions to support TRIO SSS programming/events.

Fiscal Responsibility  | The individual in this position is integral to ensuring fiscal responsibility and accuracy for federal compliance of the TRIO SSS budget. The PC assists with all purchasing needs for TRIO SSS, the overall management of the TRIO SSS budget transactions and reporting, internal controls surrounding the university purchasing and budgeting functions, financial reporting, time sheets and employment costs for student employees, and monitoring the overall TRIO SSS cost centers and budget. The PC is responsible for both purchasing and travel management systems, and will assist in planning and coordination of travel management for the Director of TRIO SSS, as well as student travel.

Supervisory Responsibility  | The Program Coordinator is responsible for supervising TRIO SSS student employees.

Minimum Requirements Profile  | Bachlelor’s Degree Knowledge of the principles and practices of personnel administration. The Program Coordinator must possess excellent communication and organizational skills.
Preferred Qualifications  | Bachelor’s degree in a business related field Working with grants and students in an educational setting. Experience with specialized student populations including but not limited to first-generation, low income and underrepresented individuals and/or knowledge of educational disparities faced by BIPOC, minority and low-income students.
Applicant Rating Criteria  |

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities  | Ability to gather, organize, and analyze material contributing to the development of sound operational procedures and records management; proficiency with computers, database management, and software use; ability to carry out research assignments in connection with the development and evaluation of programs; ability to perform public relations and liaison duties; ability to work with diverse populations and handle information confidentially. Ability to perform administrative, technical, and support functions for the SSS program, as assigned by the PD and in accordance with program regulations, to ensure the efficient operation of all program elements: payroll, travel, facilities, phones, computers, reservations, purchases, student and program records, websites and social media management, student employee supervision, documents, correspondence, data collection and entry, report production, and messages.
This individual must be proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel in particular, with strong spreadsheet skills. The PC needs to have excellent communication and interpersonal skills to assist with personnel management and communicate with students and their families, faculty, staff, administrators, and other university and community stakeholders. As demonstrated by work with SSS or similar programs, the PC must be able to work closely with students and families from disadvantaged circumstances; to express sensitivity to students’ concerns and needs, as well as a strong desire to help students succeed academically; and to refer students to appropriate resources when necessary. The PC should have prior or current experience with records management, financial reporting, and experience in an academic setting. The PC must have excellent written and verbal skills, be organized, detail-oriented, and the ability to multitask and prioritize assigned projects. The PC should be able to handle a wide variety of moderately complex tasks and prepare various types of records, reports, and media. As part of a team, the PC must be proactive, a team player, and possess time management and organizational skills. They should be student-focused and establish positive working relationships with all faculty, students, and staff involved with the TRIO SSS program. The PC must be adaptable to change or alteration of responsibilities to accommodate office needs and/or comply with federal grant guidelines.

Essential Functions  
1. Sitting – 80%; walking – 10%; standing -10%
2. Working indoors – 90% and Outdoors (for errands or events) – 10%
3. Frequent lifting of objects weighing less than five pounds
4. Occasional lifting of objects weighing twenty-five pounds
5. Reaching for object at, above, and below the shoulder
6. Occasional twisting at the waist and stretching to reach objects
7. Basic math skills and reading skills, including the ability to comprehend and understand written documents
8. Sensory skills (i.e. visual, hearing, and speaking)
9. Keyboard skills
10. Ability to multi-task and function in a complex, high-paced environment

 Posting Detail Information 

Open Date mm-dd-yyyy  | 07/16/2025
Close Date mm-dd-yyyy  |
Open Until Filled  | Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants  | For full consideration, applications must be received by July 30, 2025. Finalists for this position must communicate well and successfully complete an interview process. Completing this search is contingent upon available funding.

Background Clearances  | Offers of employment are conditional, pending successful completion of the background clearances mandated by Act 153 of 2014 and Board of Governors Policy 2014-01-A: Protection of Minors. In order to qualify for a provisional appointment, the Applicant Acknowledgement Consent Form, Provisional Hire Form, Pennsylvania State Police and Justifacts portion of the clearance process must be successfully completed prior to your start date. The remaining PA Child Abuse History Clearance and FBI Clearance must be successfully completed and returned as soon as possible within the first 90 days of employment.

Diversity Statement  | At Commonwealth University we recognize our responsibility to continuously support a living, learning, and working environment that values the diverse contributions from all members of our campus community. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion enriches our campus community and is instrumental to our institutional success. Commonwealth University strives to cultivate a campus climate that allows all members to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion as we achieve success both in and out of the classroom, in our work responsibilities, and in our professional lives beyond Commonwealth University. We uphold our commitment to DEI by:
• Actively supporting and promoting the intellectual and personal growth of our students, inside and outside of the classroom.
• Providing workshops, trainings, programs designed to broaden the knowledge and understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion within our campus community.
• Ensuring that all learning and living environments throughout our campus are welcoming and capable of serving all individuals.

Title IX/Clery 
The University prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, race, color, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, marital or family status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability in any decision regarding admissions, employment, or participation in a University program or activity in accordance with the letter and spirit of federal, state, and local non-discrimination and equal opportunity laws, such as Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and ADA Amendments Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.

The University also complies with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crimes Statistics Act, as amended by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Title IX prohibits retaliation for asserting or otherwise participating in claims of sex discrimination. VAWA imposes additional duties on universities and colleges to investigate and respond to reports of sexual assault, stalking, and dating or domestic violence, and to publish policies and procedures related to the way these reports are handled. The University has designated the Title IX Coordinator (Jennifer Raup, Elwell Hall, ORL, 570-389-4808, jraup@commonwealthu.edu or titleixcoord@commonwealthu.edu), to coordinate the University’s compliance with Title IX and VAWA and to respond to reports of violations. The University has directed the Police Department to coordinate the University’s compliance with the VAWA-related Clery reporting requirements. For information on the University’s crime statistics, which is available in a publication called “Annual Security Report”, please contact Commonwealth University – Bloomsburg Police at 570-389-2211, Commonwealth University – Mansfield Police at 570-662-4900, or Commonwealth University – Lock Haven Police at 570-484-2278 or by accessing the following website: https://www.commonwealthu.edu/offices-directory/university-police/annual-security-report. Additionally, inquiries concerning Title IX and its implementing regulation can be made to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Region III, The Wanamaker Building, 100 Penn Square East – Suite 505, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Phone: (215) 656-6010; Fax: (215) 656-6020.
About Commonwealth University of PA  | The Power of Three Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities have joined forces to boldly transform higher education in our region and beyond. While we are uniting as Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, you can expect a college experience that is anything but common.

We’re Honoring our History by preserving the founding principles of each campus and continuing our vibrant on-campus student experience, serving as pillars of our communities, supporting students and our neighbors alike.

We’re Investing in Today by answering the greatest challenges facing higher education: accessibility, cost, quality, and relevance through the combined strength of our storied institutions.

We’re Building a Powerful Tomorrow by boldly changing the trajectory of public education to position ourselves for growth, increased access, and to meet economic and workforce development needs in our region, across Pennsylvania and beyond.
Quick Link  | https://commonwealthu.peopleadmin.com/postings/4340

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Contact Us If you have questions, please contact The Office of Human Resources at (570) 389-4415 or email