Associate Director, Transfer Admissions

ArtCenter College of Design is searching for an experienced Associate Director, Transfer Admissions to join our team.

The salary range for this position: $60,000.00 - 68,000.00 per year.

Final salary is  based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.

About ArtCenter
Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education and has had an international reputation for its rigorous, transdisciplinary curriculum, faculty of professionals, strong ties to industry, and commitment to socially responsible design. ArtCenter is a private nonprofit fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Every position at ArtCenter plays an important part in carrying out the values, goals, strategic vision, and mission of the College. This includes diversity, equity, inclusion, access, belonging (DEIAB) and culture.

This position is responsible for developing the College’s transfer student pipeline working closely with transfer students and building strong relationships with community colleges.  The incumbent will further the College’s relationships with local community colleges through the development of pathways and articulation agreements working with Enrollment Management leadership, Department Chairs and transfer officers. Recruitment activities include presenting the College’s programs and philosophy of education to prospective students, families, transfer centers and teachers. The Associate Director will meet with students in individual appointments to counsel on the application process, transfer credit awarding and assess the student's portfolio of work for as it pertains to our highly specialized undergraduate majors. Some high school recruitment events and visits will also be required for this position. The incumbent is assigned to a caseload of prospective students and is charged with both maintaining strategic communications with them and encouraging them to become applicants when they meet the College's requirements. Recruitment travel will be required between September–February and weekend and evening hours will also be required throughout the year.

This is a full-time position eligible for hybrid and with the following schedule: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The position may require flexibility to work a staggered, remote or alternate schedule to meet the demands of the work, which could include weekends or evenings. Must be able to work onsite as needed. The college reserves the right to modify schedules as needed to meet the business needs with appropriate notice.

Essential Functions

Transfer Admissions – 35%

• Develop articulation and pathway agreements with local community colleges for various undergraduate majors at the College. Working with Enrollment Management leadership, partner with department chairs on clarifying and broadening transfer credit awarding policies for their programs to increase transfer student enrollment.
• Oversee the review of transfer applicants ensuring pre-evaluations are complete prior to meeting with the Department Chairs. Process pre-evaluations and transfer credit evaluations in the Slate CRM for prospective and accepted transfer students. Answer questions about transfer credit awarded.
• Working with Operations team and Enrollment Services, update existing articulation agreements and the transfer credit evaluation documentation on an annual basis as new course catalogs and curricula are released. Ensure that curriculum updates are received by the Admissions office in a timely manner for these updates to occur.
• Creates resources for transfer students on the web and in PDF format.
• Train Admissions Counselors on transfer credit policies and counseling for prospective transfer students.
• Working with Admissions leadership, track data on trends in transfer students and community college enrollment to inform transfer student recruitment strategies
• Consult with Enrollment Services, Studio departments or Humanities and Sciences to clarify transfer credit awarding policies as needed

Recruitment Activities — 30%

• Build relationships with faculty at local community colleges and secure classroom visits for workshops, presentations and portfolio reviews. Work with faculty or alumni to develop workshops to promote certain programs at the College to transfer students.
• Develop rapport with transfer center, veteran, international office staff and articulation officers at community colleges to expand recruitment opportunities for diverse transfer students.
• Host virtual transfer information sessions on a bi-weekly basis and develop new workshops and sessions to target the transfer student population, as well as faculty and staff at community colleges.
• Responsible for planning all local and out-of-town travel to visit promising schools as well as booking and conducting virtual visits as appropriate
• Represent the College at events such as Portfolio Days, college fairs, transfer days, panels and other recruitment events for prospective students
• Become versed in the curricula and portfolio requirements for each major as well as in general financial aid processes and international student visa processes
• Contribute to the development of digital marketing, email/text communications plans and print collateral for prospective transfer students
• Provide information to tour groups and conduct campus tours of both campuses as needed
• Research art programs throughout the country/the world and cultivate relationships with art teachers
• Assist with planning, coordination, and execution of transfer recruitment sessions and events as needed, including but not limited to National Portfolio Days, Open House, virtual workshops and sessions, Accepted Student events, special tours, teacher and counselor events and out of town recruitment events

Counseling and Portfolio Reviews — 30%

• Counsel prospective students at on campus or virtual appointments on the College’s admissions requirements, curriculum, financial aid policies, and transfer credit policies, as well as on career options within the visual arts and design fields.
• Evaluate students’ portfolios and provide advice on their readiness to apply; offer a plan of action for students who are not ready to apply. Advise on transfer credit awarding questions and review pathway/articulation documents with students.
• Assist prospects with the admissions process including follow-up with students by phone, email and text.
• Complete a high volume of student outreach to prospects, applicants, accepted and deposited students, via phone, email and/or text.
• Participate in Admissions reviews as part of the Admissions Committee and evaluate applicant essays

Non-Essential Job Functions — 5%

• Serve on educational or institutional committees as appropriate
• Represent ArtCenter at outside events/conferences as necessary and appropriate
• Maintain memberships and active involvement in applicable professional organizations

• Bachelor’s degree in studio art, marketing, or related field from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 3 years of experience working in higher education in a similar role or advising or counseling
• Must be able to organize and strategize recruitment activities in a timely and logical way
• Strong oral and written communication skills to work effectively with staff, students, faculty and vendors, and maintain contacts/relations with high school and community college instructors and prospective students
• Extensive public speaking experience and comfort engaging with multiple audiences both in person and online on platforms such as Zoom
• A commitment to DEIAB and culture, and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within ArtCenter’s diverse communities
• Ability to handle all information with tact and discretion and recognizes the confidential nature of ArtCenter business
• Demonstrated ability to use CRM software to execute assigned tasks and manage personal workflow to contribute to a larger team effort
• Customer service-focused individual with excellent written and oral communication skills, detail-oriented, highly organized, able to balance priorities, takes initiative, reliable and resourceful
• Ability to conduct research and utilize data meaningfully
• Ability to travel for recruitment activities
• Ability to work occasional weekends and evening hours to staff events
• Must have valid driver's license and reliable vehicle; use of vehicle required for local travel

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in studio art, marketing, or related field from an accredited college or university
• Prior experience within an educational or non-profit organization
• Prior experience working in an Admissions office working with transfer students
• Prior experience using Slate CRM software
• Prior experience working in a hybrid capacity using tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams

Physical Demands and Working Environment

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting with frequent interruptions and distractions; extended periods of time viewing computer monitor; interactions with other individuals. Due to the nature of the work environment, there is regular exposure to fumes, dust and noise.

Physical: The position is generally sedentary. Employees sit most of the time, but may walk or stand for brief periods of time. Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight (up to 20 pounds); to operate modern office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information. Travel by car and airline and overnight travel is required.

Vision: Must be able to have the visual capacity to perform activities such as preparing and reading reports, viewing a computer terminal and other normal office work with or without correction.

Hearing: Must be able to communicate effectively in the course of normal office communication or exchange ideas with or without correction.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the employee assigned to this job; they do not purport to describe all functions. Employees may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may be changed from time to time as necessary.

Diversity Statement
ArtCenter is fully committed to fostering a culture that values diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging not only in vision but in practice. Our path forward is predicated on our belief that multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, cultures and belief systems are essential to academic and creative excellence. We strive to learn more about difference while respecting the rich diversity in our world, attending to important questions about racial injustice and decolonizing our curriculum. Our campus environment must be vigilant in supporting the full participation of students, faculty, and staff of every race, color, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, socioeconomic status and political viewpoint.

Equal Opportunity Employer
ArtCenter is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate against its employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including HIV and AIDS), genetic characteristic or information, pregnancy, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, transgender identity, gender expression, protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity is extended to all persons in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including without limitation, recruitment, hiring, upgrading, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, leave of absence, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall and termination. This commitment applies to all persons involved in the operations of ArtCenter and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of ArtCenter. Applicants who wish to request an accommodation for a disability may contact the Office of Employee Experience and Engagement at (626) 396-2270.

Land Acknowledgment:
ArtCenter College of Design occupies the region of the ancestral and traditional land of the Hahamog'na Tongva people, the stewards of the San Gabriel Valley area around present-day Pasadena.

ArtCenter Employees have a Mandatory Duty to Report 
All employees who know or have reason to know of allegations or acts that violate ArtCenter’s Title IX Policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking shall promptly inform the Director, Title IX Compliance and Programs or designee, or the Associate Dean of Students or designee. Faculty, who have a mandatory duty to report, are required to disclose all information including the names of the parties, even where the person has requested their name remain confidential.

Pursuant to the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), all employees who know of or have reason to suspect child abuse or neglect involving alleged victims under age 18 shall promptly inform local law enforcement or the county welfare department.

Vaccination Requirement
ArtCenter is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all members of our community. Guided by the latest information from the CDC, the California Department of Public Health and the Pasadena Public Health Department, all staff, students and faculty must provide proof of vaccination. Annual vaccines and/or booster vaccines will be required based on CDC or FDA guidance. Those who cannot get vaccinated for medical or religious reasons will need to provide appropriate documentation. ArtCenter will then engage in an interactive process, on an individual basis, to determine if there is a reasonable accommodation that can be provided. Our complete policy can be found here.

Salary : $60,000 - $68,000