VALOR Coordinator

Working Title: VALOR Coordinator

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

College/Division: Student Affairs Unit

Department: 100789 - VALOR

Starting Pay Rate: $44,000

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 06/09/2024

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The Coordinator of Veteran and Military Connected Student Services serves as a campus leader who develops, oversees, and administers and evaluates educational, comprehensive, and inclusive Veteran and Military Connected Student program initiatives. This position performs professional, leadership, management and administrative duties in the planning, coordination and directing of initiatives that enhance campus-wide engagement in Veteran and Military Connected Student efforts, education and outreach. The position reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs and actively collaborates with other campus partners, local and state government agencies/officials and community agencies and partners to deliver relevant population-based, services, programs and education.

Duties and Responsibilities:

 Provide strategic leadership for the Veteran and Military Connected Student (JMU VALOR) Department. Directly supervise JMU VALOR staff ensuring that performance evaluations align with divisional and departmental mission, vision and values. Provide direction to advance and expand the JMU VALOR Department.

 Develop and manage relationships with local, state and federal governmental agencies and officials as well as local non-governmental partners to include:
o Congressman Ben Cline and his local district office and staff and their focus on the
Veterans History Project in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institutions
o VA Department of Veteran Services and manage the space and needs of their staff
member that will be housed in the JMU VALOR resource center as a service to all
Veterans in the Shenandoah Valley north of Staunton
o Partner and work with the local chapters of the Department of Foreign Wars,
Harrisonburg VA Clinic, The American Legion, Harrisonburg VA AmVets, and Army
National Guard.

 Partner with Admissions, Orientation and Family Engagement Offices to recruit, orient, and welcome the 800+ military-connected students at JMU
o Connect with and share resources to potential students at CHOICES and Academic Open House
o Provide an open house and tabling during all orientation events for military-connected families to identify and understand the resources available to them at JMU
o Share resources at First Year Student Send-Offs in collaboration with Parent Relations
o Provide a welcome letter in the summer and a welcome kit to every incoming military connected student

 Develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive holistic student initiatives. Serves as a leader in creating a comprehensive culture of awareness and support for veteran and military connected students.
o Host a welcome event in partnership with ROTC to connect both communities and
elevate this population in the consciousness and culture of JMU
o Operation Education – Lifetime Network Broadcast partnership to create a TV broadcast centering JMU veterans
o 9/11 5K in partnership with UREC, ROTC, and VA Momentum
o Veterans Day events – Flag Display, recognition event, partnership with JMU Football for Heroes’ Day events
o Regular meal gatherings twice a month for Veterans
o Welcome events at the beginning of both the Fall and Spring semesters
o Graduation celebration for all military-connected students
o Spring Outdoor movie at Bridgeforth Stadium for the entire campus community
o Build a network of all Veterans that work at JMU and support the creation of a community for all military-connected individuals in our community

 Establish and maintain effective relationships with key leaders in other university departments, external agencies in the community, and lead the JMU VALOR Advisory Board made up of 30 JMU departments across all divisions including but not limited to:
o University Registrar – Responsible for GI Bill authorization and a key partner in the student experience
o University Career Center
o Counseling Center – Managing mental health concerns for this population
o Admissions
o Graduate School
o ROTC – essential partner to connect these two similar populations
o College of Business – Gilliam Center is an important partner to establish entrepreneurial opportunities for Veterans
o Student Veteran Association
o Basic Needs Coalition – essential partner in managing the gap that exists for many veterans when their benefits lapse at times and drop significantly in the summer

 Manage financial resources assuring that fiscal operations are consistent with good practice and university/state policy and lead fundraising efforts with potential private funders and foundations. Seek to fundraise approximately $80K annually to support and fund the program.
o Manage relationship with AT&T and cultivate the relationship with their President for External Affairs for the mid-Atlantic as our largest single donor - ($15K/year)
o Manage relationship with the Woodruff Foundation and their current work with the Community Leadership Course for Veterans in partnership with the JMU School of Strategic Leadership Studies. Expand the opportunities to partner and expand the contributions from this Foundation to JMU
o Engage with and cultivate all previous donors to JMU VALOR and seek out additional donors in partnership with Advancement through Giving Day, the development of an endowment, and regular donations

 Collaborate with Student Affairs Assessment Council to develop and implement ongoing assessment efforts for all programming and resource offerings. Measure and prove that these efforts lead to greater retention of military-connected students through assessment.

 Contribute to Student Affairs equity and inclusion value by designing intentional and inclusive practices, policies and programs.

Qualifications:

• Supervision skills
• Experience growing and advancing a unit, department, or office
• Extensive knowledge of resources available to veterans, including benefits, support services, educational programs and healthcare options
• Familiarity with the GI Bill and other financial aid programs for veterans
• Knowledge of unique challenges and needs of veterans transitioning to civilian life
• High level of organizational skills and proven record of delivering quality results in a timely manner
• Ability to strategically and creatively manage a wide range of projects, and to work quickly and effectively on deadline projects
• Proven ability to effectively collaborate with other departments to develop shared outcomes for this population of students
• Ability to ensure compliance with regulations and legal requirements
• Proficient in budget management and report writing

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Additional Posting Information:

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.