The HWPEP Co-Directors (one co-director from Western Theological Seminary; the other from Hope College) will provide the leadership, development, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of all components of the HWPEP at Muskegon Correctional Facility in a manner consistent with missions of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary. The Co-Directors serve as the administrative officers for the curriculum, academic policies, and operations of the prison education program. The Co-Directors will be employees of Hope College and WTS, respectively, and the Hope Co-Director will work under the academic supervision of the Dean of Arts & Humanities at Hope College. The position is a full-time (1.0 FTE) staff position at Hope College. The anticipated full-time start date is July 1, 2024.

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Duties and Responsibilities

1. Serve as the chief administrator of Hope College’s “additional location” at Muskegon Correctional Facility.
2. Manage the partnership between Hope College, Western Theological Seminary, the Michigan Department of Corrections, and other partners critical to the success of the program.
3. Develop and administer the course schedule and academic policies of the prison education program.
4. Recruit, orient, encourage, assist, and review the instructors of courses for the prison education program.
5. Raise funds and steward donors on behalf of the prison education program with assistance from both Hope College and WTS fundraisers.
6. Assess the program’s strengths and weaknesses in accord with the standards employed for other Hope College academic programs and departments.
7. Develop and effectively manage the annual prison education program budget.
8. Implement a process of recruitment, admission, and orientation of students in conjunction with the MDOC.
9. Serve as a general advisor to HWPEP students. If a Co-director teaches a First-Year Seminar, they will also serve as the formal academic advisor for those students.
10. Supervise, with cooperation of the Hope College and WTS librarians, a program of library resource provision and information literacy for HWPEP students.
11. Work with the warden and MDOC on program-related needs such as the following: educational space, student schedules, disciplinary incidents, instructor and volunteer orientation, clearance forms, and placement of graduates.
12. Address discipline and academic problems in accordance with Hope College and MDOC policies.
13. Work with appropriate Hope College administrators to ensure that the prison education program complies with Higher Learning Commission accreditation requirements.
14. Collaborate with the appropriate Hope College and/or WTS offices, including Business Services, Academic Affairs, Registrar, Library, Admissions, Frost Research Center, Boerigter Center, and Advancement.
15. Articulate the educational vision of the prison program along with the presidents and chief academic officers of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary.
16. Provide adequate orientation of teaching assistants, tutors, and volunteers.
17. Call meetings of the Steering Committee and Circle of Advisors and prepare the agenda for these meetings (normally once per semester).
18. Engage in continuing professional education while learning from the best accredited prison education programs.
19. Supervise the work of the Operations Coordinator of the prison education program.

The Hope Co-Director will report to the Hope College Dean of Arts and Humanities. The Co-Directors will brief the WTS chief academic officer at least quarterly on the status of the prison education program as well as plan and review budgets with appropriate staff.

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Qualifications

• Personally committed to the Christian mission of Hope College.
• MA or PhD preferred.
• Experience with prisons and prison populations preferred.