TBR | The College System of Tennessee

Title: Coordinator of Rural Initiatives

Employee Classification: Clerical & Secretarial

Institution: System Office

Department: Academic Affairs

Campus Location: Tennessee Board of Regents System Office

Job Summary

The Coordinator of Rural Initiatives will actively support innovative curricular designs, programs, industry partnerships, and practices to advance TBR’s mission of student success and workforce development in rural communities across the state. The Coordinator of Rural Initiatives will collaborate with a diverse clientele including system and campus leaders, faculty, staff, business & industry leaders, and state agencies to design and develop innovative and adaptive programs, partnerships, and policies to support TBR colleges and the rural communities they serve. The Coordinator of Rural Initiatives will also be responsible for researching new programs and partnerships, leading strategic sessions to engage colleges in these opportunities, and introducing emerging practices for rural student success at scale.

This position is grant-funded, and funding for the project is available through August 2029. Continued employment is contingent upon work and funding.
This position may have the opportunity to work remotely within the state of Tennessee but with periodic visits to the TBR System Office (Nashville, TN) at the employee’s expense, and potential travel to Tennessee TBR colleges may be necessary.

Job Duties

• 50% - Research, design, lead, and manage initiatives supporting student success and workforce development in rural communities and individuals who live in rural communities. - (Essential)
• 10% - Research, explore, evaluate and share effective/innovative programs, policies, and partnership models from other states, systems, and institutions that support rural communities and rural learners. This should include theory to practice from current research in the field and successful programs that can be replicated, piloted, and eventually scaled system-wide. - (Essential)
• 10% - Serve as a project manager in developing and piloting projects supporting rural communities and rural individuals; will include creating project plans with goals and aligned action steps for internal and external stakeholders and responsibility for monitoring and reporting on those goals and action steps. - (Essential)
• 5% - Assist the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Workforce Alignment with program, partnership, and policy development to support student success and workforce development in rural communities and for rural students. - (Essential)
• 5% - Communicate regularly with rural business and industry leaders to learn and share skills needed for graduates in the field. Attend college industry advisory board meetings as needed. Design and analyze training and development programs to support colleges. - (Essential)
• 5% - Work collaboratively with other members of the Academic Affairs Department to integrate new projects into existing structures. Provide support to related curriculum activity such as the TBR Center for Apprenticeship, Dual Enrollment, General Education Core, Open Educational Resources, Competency Based Education, Campus Curriculum Committees, and the Digital Learning Collaborative. - (Essential)
• 5% - Participate in evaluation and assessment activity related to new programs, policies, and partnerships intended to support rural communities and individuals who live in rural communities. Prepare reports and presents findings to campus, system, and external leaders. Collaborate and coordinate with campus institutional effectiveness/research offices in data sharing and transmission to stakeholders. - (Essential)
• 5% - Build and sustain professional, productive relationships with faculty, staff, and administrators at TBR and other system institutions in the state. This should include campus centers for teaching and learning, institutional effectiveness offices, and institutional curriculum committees. Serve as a liaison and representative to academic departments at TBR institutions, work groups, and committees. - (Essential)
• 5% - Other duties as assigned. - (Marginal)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 3 years’ experience working on a college campus, system office, state agency, or workforce organization
• Curriculum and or/workforce training development experience
• Project management experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education or related field
• 5 years’ experience in postsecondary education at an accredited institution, in a workforce organization, or state agency
• Experience leading professional development and/or workforce training
• Successful large-scale (state level) project management

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:
• The unique opportunities associated with rural student success and workforce development efforts
• Project management principles, assessment and evaluation methods
• Tennessee higher education landscape including degree programs, certificates, diplomas, TTPs, and articulation & transfer relationships

Skill with:
• office software/technology such as Microsoft Office Suite, Google Drive and Adobe Professional; computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, data entry)
• interpersonal skills consistent with establishing and maintaining effective working relationships; strong communication, teaching, and training skills.
• design, development, assessment, and delivery of statewide, regional, or local initiatives
• complex problem solving
• detailed and clear written and oral communication

Ability to:
• present information clearly and concisely
• present data contextualized/customized for target audience
• use data to drive curriculum development
• take initiative
• identify and solve problems
• work with a diverse population
• manage a large team using multiple communications and technology platforms
• facilitate student, faculty, and staff group meetings of all types
• develop and maintain positive collaborative working partnerships
• prioritize and meet deadlines
• manage multiple projects both independently and in teams

Physical Demands / Working Conditions