Center for Prison Education - Campus Engagement Fellow

Wesleyan University’s Center for Prison Education (CPE) expands access to bold and rigorous liberal arts education, creating transformative college experiences for those whom higher education has traditionally left out. CPE students at Cheshire and York prisons enhance our academic community and demonstrate the power of liberal learning.

Reporting to the Director of the CPE, the Fellow is a recent Wesleyan or other college graduate responsible for deepening campus engagement with the CPE and supporting program administration across the Center. The position has primary responsibility for CPE’s partnership with Wesleyan University Library, managing campus student Research Partners in the support of incarcerated students’ scholarly research and further supporting the extension of library services to CPE students at Cheshire and York. The Fellow also supports the site Program Coordinators in training, supporting, and cultivating community among campus student Teaching Assistants, including facilitating a weekly TA reflection circle.

The Fellow has a key role in supporting CPE’s partnerships across campus, helping to create opportunities for more campus community members to engage in and learn from the CPE’s work. The Fellow will also support CPE Communications, events, alumni engagement, database management and record-keeping, and special projects. Finally, the Fellow will receive training to serve as an additional tutor to CPE students, providing direct academic support at Cheshire or York during once-weekly study halls and supervising study hall TAs.

Responsibilities will include:

Manage CPE library services and serve as primary support to campus student Research Partner positions.

• Oversee CPE’s system for supporting incarcerated students’ academic research.
• Train and supervise campus student collaborators in facilitating incarcerated students’ academic research (book and article request fulfillment, research project assistance via correspondence, liaising with Wesleyan reference librarians, etc.).
• Collaborate with Wesleyan’s Emerging Technologies Librarian to equip CPE student computers with offline library databases and further library resources, keeping abreast of advances in library and academic technology advances in the prison education field.
• Develop materials and trainings to aid CPE students’ library and information literacy.

Provide ongoing support to campus student Teaching Assistants.

• Assist CPE’s site program coordinators in training and managing TAs, cultivating their awareness of prison education-related issues and development of justice-oriented citizenship.
• Host regular TA community-building events; mentor TAs individually and serve as liaison between TAs and the rest of the CPE staff.
• Identify opportunities on campus (including partnerships with other centers and academic departments) to wrap around and deepen the TA learning experience.

Help to create opportunities for more campus community members to engage meaningfully in and learn from the CPE’s work; support in raising the Center’s visibility at Wesleyan and beyond.

• Collaborate with colleagues in the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life to create programming and alumni engagement opportunities under the banner of Reimagining Justice: the CPE’s joint initiative with Allbritton to elevate campus awareness of prison-related issues and support projects in partnership with system-involved leaders and advocates.
• Identify further opportunities–courses, student groups, existing campus event infrastructure-for CPE campus collaborations and for CPE alumni/ae to lend their perspectives on campus.
• Lead planning and production of campus events aimed at contributing to wider campus learning around issues CPE navigates firsthand.
• Manage CPE’s social media channels, including directing the efforts of a student Comms assistant, and create with director CPE’s regular newsletter and further email campaigns.

Office support & special projects as assigned.

• Aid the improvement and maintenance of CPE’s record-keeping; support CPE’s operations coordinator with database management.
• Process external mail, prepare regular enclosures/academic communications with CPE students.
• Support coursepack production and preparation of student materials & supplies for delivery to the prison sites.

Provide academic support to CPE students & alumni post-release.

• Serve as another staff support and resource to CPE’s incarcerated students as a twice-monthly presence at each prison.
• Complete training in effective tutoring; cultivate partnerships with SAR, the Writing Center, and further campus academic support resources for their potential extension to serve CPE students.
• Contribute to supporting CPE alums’ (former students returned to the community) digital literacy development and continuing education goals; aid design of structures to engage campus students in similar peer support of CPE alums.

This position requires some work outside of traditional business hours including early mornings and evenings. 

This is a one year term limited position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree.

• Ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with a broad range of constituents.

• Ability to exhibit professionalism, discretion, and good judgment across contexts.

• Ability to take direction and respond to feedback as well as to set priorities and work independently.

• Ability to take initiative and approach challenges with creativity, demonstrating problem-solving skills and a willingness to explore innovative solutions.

• Experience with volunteer management, event management, office management, leading workshops and/or discussions or similar responsibilities.

• Possess basic office skills including knowledge of MS Office Suite, Google Suite, and database management.

• Ability to obtain and maintain appropriate security clearance(s) for work inside Department of Correction facilities.

• Valid U.S. driver's license for at least three years to operate a University vehicle to off-site locations.

• Have availability outside of traditional business hours including early mornings and evenings as needed.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graphic design and/or social media skills.

• Communications and event planning/production experience.

• Tutoring experience, especially with the Center for Prison Education.

Consideration for this role is limited to a graduating Wesleyan Student or Wesleyan alumnus/alumna.

This position is required to work on campus.

(Relocation assistance to CT is available for those who qualify).

Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by April 28, 2025 when first review of applications will begin.

All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.

Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University’s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html.

Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers.  For more information visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html

Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans, flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs for those who qualify.  

Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html.