The Director of the Washington Semester Program is a full-time, eleven-month or twelve-month (negotiable) administrative faculty position responsible for overseeing all aspects (including residential, academic, internships, financial, risk management, alumni networking, and student support) of the program for 38-40 Holy Cross student participants annually. This interdisciplinary program housed in the J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World currently consists of three primary components for student participants: a 32 hour a week internship experience, one public policy course, and an independent research project. In addition to administrative responsibilities, the Washington, D.C. based Director will teach one in-person course per semester to students participating in the program.

Major Areas of Responsibility

Provide leadership and vision for the Washington Semester Program that aims for an excellent, inclusive educational experience for student participants. Work collaboratively with J.D. Power Center and other Holy Cross colleagues to develop goals and strategies to implement this vision.

Continuously remain updated on ideas, thinking, and trends in Washington Semester Programs to ensure the program is remaining aligned with best practices.

Teach an in-person, weekly public policy course (or another closely related, relevant topic) that provides an intellectual framework to support student learning in the Washington, D.C. internship experiences.

Oversee the recruitment, application, and selection process of students in collaboration with the Coordinator of Semester Programs. Strive for inclusive excellence in seeking to recruit participants that are representative of the student body as a whole.

Travel to Holy Cross at least three times a year to recruit/select prospective students, provide support to future participants, and meet with faculty advisors.

Identify potential internship sites and meet with existing internship sites at least once each semester to ensure that the internships are appropriate to the goals of our program. Communicate regularly with internship sites to outline program expectations. Work with the Coordinator of Semester Programs and the Center for Career Development to develop and maintain records on Handshake of DC internship opportunities.

Advise accepted students about internship opportunities. Work collaboratively with the Center for Career Development and the J.D. Power Center staff to design and co-facilitate a multi-session workshop for students before they go to D.C. to ensure they are supported in the internship search process and are prepared to get the most from their time in D.C. Include representatives from areas such as residence life, student development, and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to prepare students for the independent living aspect of this experience.

Select a housing vendor for the DC Semester Program with consideration of convenience to internship sites, student safety, and costs. Work with the Coordinator of Semester Programs to finalize contracts and payments.

Oversee the process by which students select roommates in the DC semester program.

Offer an orientation to students once they arrive in D.C. Develop and implement a plan to check-in with students individually to ensure they are adjusting well to this independent living and learning experience. Work with Student Development to put systems in place to resolve roommate conflicts and provide overall student support as needed.

Oversee the process through which students are matched with a research advisor. Serve as a research advisor to political science majors when the number of majors exceeds 12 and/or when a student is unable to find an available advisor within their major. In most cases the non-political science majors will secure a thesis adviser from their major department in order to get credit toward their major. Communicate thesis expectations clearly to students and advisors.

Work collaboratively with the Chair of the Political Science department to determine staffing of the remote D.C. research seminar.

Check-in with research advisors and students regularly to provide guidance and support with the independent research project. Oversee semester-end research/internship presentation session for all program participants. Collaborate with research advisors on determining presentation grade.

Work collaboratively with the J.D. Power Center Assistant Director and Coordinator of Semester Programs to gather mid-semester and semester-end feedback on student internship performance via Qualtrics. Work with the Coordinator to ensure this feedback is communicated to students.

Work collaboratively with the J.D. Power Center Assistant Director to collect and analyze student assessment data each semester.

Organize an alumni speaker series and connect students to alumni mentors for networking.

Work collaboratively with the Departments of Public Safety and Risk Management to develop and maintain risk management plans that can adapt to circumstances as they arise.

Oversee the program budget and allocation of financial support to students. Send communications to students in advance of their departure for D.C. about what level of financial support they can anticipate during their semester away. Work with the Coordinator of Semester Programs to ensure checks are distributed and the Office of Financial Aid is notified of awards.

Engage with the J.D. Power Center by regularly attending staff meetings and communicating with others in the Center about upcoming dates, deadlines, and events associated with the D.C. Semester Program.

Organize 1-2 events for Holy Cross students who may be doing independent internships in D.C. during the summer months. Help connect Holy Cross students to alumni/internship supervisors in D.C. as requested.

As needed, respond to the following tasks over the summer: distribution of financial aid; assistance with internship advising; and responding to student/family questions about the program.

• PhD or graduate degree with relevant college-level teaching experience.
• Experience with higher education administration.

Core Competencies

• Dependability
• Flexibility
• Responsiveness
• Service-Oriented
• Excellent Written & Verbal Communication
• Proficient Problem Solving
• Understanding of Risk Management
• Excellent Innovation/Creativity
• Strong Teamwork & Team Facilitation
• Strong Interpersonal Skills
• Understands, values and respects diversity as an individual, in a team, and within groups while fostering an inclusive and supportive environment.

This is a full time, exempt level position. The College is committed to providing competitive market pay for its employees. The College also offers a competitive benefits package for full-time staff, including:

• 10% College contribution to the 403(b) Retirement Plan (1 year wait waiver available)
• This position may be eligible for a hybrid work arrangement
• NEW - condensed summer 4-day work week
• Tuition benefits
• Wellness programs & ongoing Training and Development opportunities
• Generous paid time off
  

College Description

The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit Catholic, undergraduate institution serving approximately 3,100 students. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and has a tradition of academic excellence. It is located atop Mount Saint James in Worcester, Massachusetts. The picturesque, 174-acre campus is an award-winning and registered arboretum.

Region Description

Worcester is a city of approximately 170,000 people centrally located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is approximately one hour from Boston, Hartford, and Providence, and three hours from New York City. Worcester is known as the Heart of the Commonwealth. Worcester offers many cultural and recreational opportunities.

The College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action in the workplace.

A member of the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts (HECCMA).

To review our Employee Benefit Options, please go to: https://www.holycross.edu/human-resources/benefits