Executive Director

About the University

Western Washington University, with over 16,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 83,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Western’s strategic plan recognizes that “our most important challenge is to advance inclusive success, that is, increase retention and persistence rates and the number of graduates, while eliminating achievement gaps for students from diverse and under-represented socio-economic backgrounds”.

About the Department

The Woodring College of Education supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity. Woodring’s first strategic priority for the next seven years focuses on “Justice-Oriented, Diversity Practices”, recognizing historical contemporary inequalities, and pursuing practices that honor diversities and promote social justice to and for equity. ( Woodring Strategic Plan )

About the Position

Under general direction of the Dean of Woodring College of Education, you will provide overall leadership and management for the Compass 2 Campus (C2C) Youth Mentoring Program.

C2C places Western student mentors in regional Title I schools to support college access for 5th – 12th grade students. The service learning classes linked to the mentoring program focus on educational equity viewed through critical and cultural lenses. Mentoring placements include classrooms, afterschool programs, and community settings and are defined collaboratively based on partners’ needs.

Program goals focus on exposing 5th – 12th grade students to higher education and potential careers while supporting development of positive academic and cultural identities and school success. C2C employs a model of cascading mentorship, with lead mentors (student employees) supporting mentors (university students) to work with youth.

Each year, C2C places nearly 1,000 Western students in schools and employs 40 students. Support for student leaders to develop peer mentoring and professional abilities is part of the program’s commitment to college success as well as college access.

The position requires collaboration and partnership building with school and community partners, regional colleges and technical schools, university student services and academic departments and with the Special Education program that houses the academic courses.

The Executive Director is responsible for oversight of all portions of the C2C mentoring program, including strategic planning, supervision & mentoring, outreach & coordination, fundraising & budgeting, research & assessment, logistics & operations and other assignments as needed.

Position’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Assess and refine program mission, goals and strategic plan to meet the needs of students at WWU and in partner schools.
  • Supervise program manager, program coordinator and student employees to plan, administer and refine the program.
  • Communicate with and seek input from stakeholders, including students, parents, school district personnel, community volunteers, university and community college faculty and staff, and donors.
  • Oversee scheduling, coordinating, communicating and monitoring of all site placements across 33 partner schools.
  • Oversee all financial aspects of the program, including monitoring budget expenditures.
  • Direct the university quantitative and qualitative research efforts to assess Compass 2 Campus Program's operational efficacy and impact on mentors and mentees.


Required Qualifications
  • Master’s Degree
  • Three years progressively responsible relevant professional/administrative experience in schools, higher education and/or mentoring programs.
  • Demonstrated successful experience working collaboratively with diverse communities including first generation, low socio-economic status, and/or ethnically/linguistically/ability/gender diverse populations.
  • Demonstrated experience building relationships with diverse stakeholders including K-12 school systems, university staff and faculty, donors, and or students.
  • Evidence of supervisory experience and program leadership and development.
  • Evidence of excellent interpersonal communication skills and demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively.
  • Evidence of excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
  • Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Experience reporting program trends and assessment data to stakeholders.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Doctoral degree
  • Experience teaching and managing similar programs or services in a higher education setting in a collaborative or community based model.
  • Knowledge and experience in developing college access and success programs.
  • Experience working with student leaders to identify needs and offer professional development for near peer mentors
  • Experienced in budget management and operations.
  • Knowledge of event planning, public relations.
  • Demonstrated fundraising experience.
  • Understanding of how to use Learning Management Systems such as Canvas, and databases to meet program goals.
  • Strong oral and written skills in a second language.