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Program Administrator, Prison and Reentry EducationOverview
The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life is a national leader in civic education, whose teaching, research, and community partnerships are setting the standard for higher education’s role in civic engagement. As the only university-wide college of its kind, Tisch engages Tufts students in transformational learning opportunities via hands-on field-based experiences, community building, and public service. These engagements prepare them to become active citizens and community leaders. Tisch research centers conduct groundbreaking research on young people’s civic and political participation and forge innovative participatory action research partnerships with communities.
Tisch College’s North Star—building robust, inclusive democracy for an increasingly multiracial society—seeks to cultivate knowledge, leaders and living experiments that expand possibilities for democratic development in the context of increasing risks to democracy worldwide. Our work supports the University’s efforts to become an anti-racist institution. Our programs and research centers focus on strengthening the political participation and voices of historically marginalized people, especially youth, and on addressing the challenges of building and reviving democratic institutions needed for multiracial/ethnic societies.
The Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College (TUPIT) offers a degree pathway in three prisons in Massachusetts, the maximum-security Souza Baranowski Correctional Center, the medium-security MCI-Shirley, and the minimum-security Northeastern Correctional Center, with most programming run at MCI-Shirley. By taking Tufts University courses while in prison, students earn the associate degree in the liberal arts from Bunker Hill Community College and the bachelor’s degree in civic studies from Tufts. TUPIT also offers a robust, accredited college, reentry, and restorative justice certificate program at Tufts, MyTERN, for people home from prison.
What You'll Do
The Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College (TUPIT) Program Administrator for Prison and Reentry Education will play a pivotal role in the direction, administration, and operation of this programming in prison, on campus, and in the wider state and national reentry communities. The Program Administrator for Prison and Reentry Education will provide direct service engagement with students in prison and on campus at Tufts and at Bunker Hill Community C ollege. Work with reentry network partnership cultivation. Work with degree and certificate program coordination and leadership, and administrative support to the Executive Director. This will include events, hiring student workers, reimbursements and keeping track of budget and payment schedules.
Reporting to TUPIT’s Executive Director and working closely with the Academic Support staff, the Program Administrator for Prison and Reentry Education will also manage a small volunteer team of student assistants and serve as TUPIT’s liaison to the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life and other units in the university.
Responsibilities include:
TUPIT –
Co-create and deliver the reentry pathway at the prison through weekly sessions engaging full group and individual sessions alternately Order course materials and travel between the prison and both colleges, ensuring document delivery and book distribution, course evaluations, BHCC registration forms, applications, among others Support Executive Director in fundraising Represent TUPIT in state government and local and national organizations Co-construct and deliver phase 1 and phase 3 orientations for faculty and traditional Tufts student teaching assistants and co-teach weekly TA class Manage student assistants to support semesterly composition of TUPIT newsletter and updating of TUPIT website MyTERN –
Coordinate student recruitment and admissions Cultivate reentry network of partner organizations to increase students’ access to reentry support Represent TUPIT outside of Tufts by attending events and creating on-campus events contributing to organizational partnership cultivation and engagement Keep the MyTERN calendar, and manage partner visits to MyTERN and MyTERN student speaking events Support student reentry processes, including identification, housing, and employment Coordinate with Academic Support staff to ensure students in MyTERN and after MyTERN at Tufts and BHCC remain successful in academic pursuits on campus during MyTERN and afterwards at Tufts and at BHCC, the latter in partnership with the HOPE Initiative Utilize TUPIT Student Assistants team to support recruitment and supervision of traditional Tufts student teaching assistants and students for MyTERN Co-plan and co-facilitate with ED multiple annual community events with the support of Tisch College staff, taking the lead on logistics Update and maintain student degree completion reports for MyTERN students Facilitate with TUPIT student assistants the semesterly data collection from MyTERN students for the program impact study OTHER DUTIES –
Help prepare and manage budgets, track and reconcile expenses Attend team meetings, all-Tisch staff meetings, and other regular programming including events sponsored by the Tisch College DEIJ committee Participate in relevant committees, workshops, and trainings at Tisch and across Tufts to develop professional competencies and explore content of interest What We're Looking For
Basic Requirements:
Knowledge and skills as typically acquired through completion of Bachelor’s degree with 3+ years of relevant experience or Associates degree with 5+ years of relevant experience A year or more of direct knowledge of the criminal justice system, the reentry process, and the justice-involved community Employment experience in program administration Formal peer mentoring support experience Extensive familiarity with the field of higher education in prison Preferred Qualifications:
Lived experience within the carceral system Special Work Schedule Requirements:
Occasional evening and weekend work might be required during peak program times Pay Range
