Position Summary

Join our team as the Guardian Scholar Program Coordinator at SDSU, where you will make a meaningful impact on the lives of our Guardian Scholars. Reporting to the Assistant Director of EOP, Outreach and Success, you'll be at the heart of planning, preparing, and coordinating the Guardian Scholars Program, guided by our 8 Pillars of Service: persistence to graduation, housing stability, identity development, financial competence, healthy relationships, physical/emotional wellness, life skills development, and employment readiness. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Program Coordination: Lead the Guardian Scholars Program, including the application and selection process, and review documentation to establish students' foster youth, legal guardianship, or unaccompanied homeless youth status.
• Event Planning: Organize signature and retention events throughout the academic year to support our students.
• Campus Liaison: Act as a liaison to various departments on campus, ensuring the needs of Guardian Scholars are met.
• Activity Planning: Create and manage a calendar of activities for Guardian Scholars and EOP outreach, including trauma-informed programming efforts.
• Advisory Board Guidance: Assist in guiding the Guardian Scholar Student Advisory Board.
• Supportive Environment: Provide a safe and welcoming environment for Guardian Scholars in the EOPOS office and GS Resource Area.

If you are ready to make a difference and be part of a supportive team, apply today!

Position Information

• This is a full-time (1.0 time-base), benefits eligible, permanent/probationary position. 
• This position is designated as exempt under FLSA and is not eligible for overtime compensation. 
• Standard SDSU work hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but may vary based on operational needs.
• The individual hired into this role will work on campus at SDSU in San Diego.

Department Summary

A primary goal of the Office of Educational Opportunity Programs, Outreach and Success (EOPOS) is to improve access to higher education for students from underrepresented backgrounds by implementing and administering early outreach programs and recruitment processes which develop an understanding of, and support, the pathway to higher education for students and their parents, guardians and loved ones. EOPOS builds collaborative relationships with schools, school districts, community colleges and other organizations to support this goal. EOPOS assists students in overcoming historical, traditional, social, economic, psychological, and educational barriers throughout their collegiate experience and in achieving academic success by providing a comprehensive program of support services. Typical services provided include, but are not limited to: outreach and recruitment, pre-admission counseling, screening-and-selection, professional development in teaching/learning methodologies, program orientation, summer bridge programs, financial aid advising and follow-up, special/regular admission, academic advising, tutoring, learning skills, peer mentoring, and academic/personal support services.

The Office of Educational Opportunity Programs, Outreach and Success (EOPOS) oversees the SDSU Guardian Scholars program and serves as the main resource for Guardian Scholars. The SDSU Guardian Scholars (GS) Program is a holistic support program committed to serving students who identify as current or former foster youth, wards of the court, under legal guardianship of unaccompanied youth by supporting their transition to, through and beyond SDSU.

For more information regarding the Office of Educational Opportunities Programs, click here.

Education and Experience

Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in a related field, including or supplemented by upper division or graduate coursework in counseling techniques, interviewing, and conflict resolution where such are job-related. Possession of these knowledge and abilities is typically demonstrated through the equivalent of three years of progressively responsible professional student services work experience. One year in the program area to which assigned may be preferred but is not required.

A master’s degree in Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Social Work, or a directly related field may be substituted for one year of experience. A doctorate degree and the appropriate internship or clinical training in counseling or guidance may be substituted for the three years of experience for positions with a major responsibility for professional career or personal counseling.

Key Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience working with transition age youth who were foster youth, under legal guardianship, ward of the court, and/or unaccompanied homeless youth. 
• Experience working in a high pace environment, can multitask, meet deadlines, work with a team, and adapt to new directives. 
• Experience in coordinating programs, presentations, and activities for transition age youth with strategic outcomes of community building, life skills development, academic persistence, financial competence, housing stability, healthy relationships, identity development, wellness, and/or employment readiness. 
• Experience in conflict resolution and crisis intervention as it pertains to students with a history of complex trauma and/or abuse.
• Proficient in Microsoft Windows PC environment, Microsoft Office suite (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc., Google platform (e.g., Gmail, Forms, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, etc.).
• General office equipment (e.g., copier, email, fax, phone, scanner, etc.) and educational technologies (e.g., EAB Navigate, PeopleSoft, etc.).

Compensation and Benefits

Starting salary upon appointment is not expected to exceed $5,540 per month. 

Salary placement is determined by the education, experience, and qualifications the candidate brings to the position, internal equity, and the hiring department’s fiscal resources.

San Diego State University offers a rich benefits package that constitutes a major portion of total compensation. For more information regarding SDSU benefits, please click here.

CSU Classification Salary Range: $5,540 - $7,893 per month. 

SDSU Values

At SDSU, our diversity gives us power and benefits every single member of our community. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, SDSU provides equal opportunity for all in education and employment. We encourage all members of our community to purposefully learn from one another through open and respectful dialogue and responsible engagement. We strongly preserve the right to free expression and encourage difficult conversations that help lead to improved individual and community learning and cohesion.

Principles of Community

At San Diego State University, we are a community of diverse individuals who have and represent many perspectives, beliefs, and identities. This diversity lends our community strength, and we commit to creating and sustaining an inclusive and intellectually vibrant environment that benefits all members of our university. 

SDSU’s Principles of Community is an aspirational statement that is intended to evolve over time. The statement reflects the ideals we are encouraged to uphold in our interactions with one another. 

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

All university programs and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, San Diego State University (SDSU) provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. SDSU complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices. 

SDSU is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs, and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At SDSU, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Apply by March 17, 2025 to ensure full consideration. Applications submitted after this date will be reviewed on an as-needed basis, and the position will remain open until filled.

The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. 

San Diego State University is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions (e.g., H-1B visa). Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Offers of employment are contingent upon the presentation of documents that demonstrate a person's identity and authorization to work in the United States, which are consistent with the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act. 

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily and is required for employment. SDSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current SDSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

SDSU is a smoke-free campus. For more information, please click here.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who request an accommodation by contacting Pang Thao at pythao@sdsu.edu.