Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Club and Programs Specialist

  • Title: Club and Programs Specialist
  • Class: Academic Professional
  • Exempt Status: Exempt
  • Level: 2

Nature and Scope of Work

Under the general direction of the Student Leadership Coordinator, the Club and Programs Specialist (CPS) provides a support system to encourage student involvement through multiple clubs at Portland Community College. Incumbents in this classification are responsible for training student club organizers and faculty advisors on the procedures for becoming a chartered club, access to funding, and programming for club events. Additional duties include leadership training for club coordinators, officers and members, such as the Get out the Vote and Stop the Hate programs, in conjunction with ASPCC. The CPS will assist the club advisors and student organizers with large events involving many PCC departments, such as international education week. The CPS helps plan and organize special ceremonies, service projects and some club functions.

Principal Accountabilities

  1. Coordinate and oversee the student clubs and their leaders. Advise leaders on methods and processes for chartering clubs and working within the PCC system. Assist in problem solving a variety of issues. Teach student club leaders program planning, managing timelines, and mentor them throughout the academic year. Design and implement leadership development programs to assist students in gaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform leadership functions. Serve as supervisor to students seeking credit for their experience on campus. Develop a reward system for student club organizers and club advisors. Track club funds.
  2. Teach faculty club advisors on methods and processes, and assist them in problem solving. Inform faculty on expectations of club advisor role and financial and human resources available to them. Provide club advisors with information on liability issues and insurance procedures for club events. Help club advisors develop an appropriate feedback mechanism for evaluating their student leaders.
  3. Serve as club advisor to Phi Theta Kappa. This entails submitting paperwork for membership, goal attainment and year end reports as well as submitting budget requests, processing travel forms and accompanying or driving students to conferences. This may include teaching the Phi Theta Kappa course on Leadership through the Classics.
  4. Assist student club organizers and staff/faculty advisors in fundraising procedures and money management through the guidelines set forth by the State of Oregon and PCC policy. Help students manage their student activity funds and fundraising accounts.
  5. Serve as liaison between clubs and organizations and PCC administration. This may entail developing policies, guiding organizer through systems to access facilities, Facilities Management Services, Audio-Visual needs and other campus resources. Mediate disputes between clubs, organizations and other PCC offices.
  6. Develop a planning handbook for student club organizers and faculty/staff club advisors that includes relevant policies, procedures and resources. Interpret and apply program rules and regulations.
  7. Develop a leadership training program to help clubs recruit members, advertise effectively, plan events, and resolve conflicts. Serve as the liaison between state, regional and national organizations that may offer appropriate student leadership experiences for the clubs. Participates in the planning and training of ASPCC student leaders.
  8. Help clubs develop marketing brochures, web pages and Portals chat rooms.
  9. Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

Work is performed in various settings, both on campus and off. The position requires flexible work hours including evenings, weekends and some holidays. Frequent travel with student leaders is required and travel between campuses may require the use of personal vehicle. Work often involves extensive use of a computer requiring long periods of time sitting and viewing a monitor. Significant time is spent using the telephone.

Physical Requirements

This position requires lifting of office supplies, training materials such as projectors/screens, computer equipment; using a ladder at times for advertising events; driving students to events. Frequent walking, lifting, bending and pulling of equipment is required in the process of setting and taking down equipment used for special events.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Psychology, Student Development, Counseling, Communications, Social Science or related field. Experience performing the duties of this job may substitute for the degree requirement on a year for year basis.

Demonstrated experience in public speaking. Demonstrated experience in conducting student leadership training programs, program planning and development, and needs assessment in a college environment is required. A working knowledge of word processing, data base and/or spreadsheet applications is required. Experience facilitating, mediating and problem solving in a group environment with a diverse student population. Driver’s license and good driving record required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge in:
  • Considerable knowledge relating to Student Development and Student Life
  • Knowledge of current management and supervisory techniques
  • Knowledge of group dynamics, problem solving, and student development theory
  • Knowledge of proper meeting procedures and skill in effective time management techniques
  • Knowledge of college policies and procedures
Skills in:
  • Skill in delivering training presentations
Ability to:
  • Ability to effectively communicate in oral and written form
  • Ability to demonstrate cultural sensitivity and diplomacy, and work with students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds
  • Ability to diffuse an emotional or tense situation and offer viable solutions
  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • Ability to operate a variety of office equipment, including computers and software packages
  • Ability to assess needs and develop and initiate systems
  • Ability to be flexible, prioritize multiple projects, be self-directed and work independently

New: 9/17/2004