Program Coordinator of the Black Cultural Center

Reporting to the Director of the Black Cultural Center (BCC), the Program Coordinator is responsible for planning, implementing, facilitating, executing, and evaluating social, educational, and developmental programs for the BCC. This position pairs academic instruction and advising with intrusive wraparound student support services to improve retention, persistence, and completion for Black, African, and African American students at Berea College. The Program Coordinator will work directly with the Assistant Director to align Center programs and events with leadership initiatives and the Work-Learning-Service (WLS) student team, embedding targeted learning outcomes into the student work experience to prepare students for positive contributions to the campus community and beyond.

Following Berea College’s long-standing tradition, this position includes supervising, mentoring, and developing students in the College's integrated Work College Program, supporting student learning, career readiness, and program goals. The Work College Program provides a developmental framework guiding student learning while creating structured mentorship opportunities, with role-specific training for faculty and staff mentors to support student development.

Responsibilities

• Program Coordination & Event Management – 30%
  • Plan, implement, facilitate, execute, and evaluate programs and events to ensure Black students have access to new knowledge, supportive resources, community building, and other targeted outcomes.
  • Ensure programs are communicated internally and externally through appropriate marketing channels, providing equitable engagement for all BCC programs, initiatives, and events.
  • Embed learning outcomes into the WLS student work experience, creating opportunities for Black students to gain hands-on experience with event coordination and planning.
  • Create a programming calendar each academic year, ensuring equitable access for students to engage with BCC programs and initiatives.
  • Plan and facilitate a monthly Kula Kusoma event, providing students with opportunities to engage with Berea alumni through meaningful dialogue and relevant topics.
• Advising, Teaching, and Lesson Planning – 20%
  • Teach a minimum of two courses per academic year (Fall/Spring), including AFR 100: Models & Mentors for Success, in collaboration with the African and African American Studies department.
  • Serve as an Academic Advisor to a student caseload in collaboration with The NEST (Navigating Engagement, Success, and Transition): Student Success Central.
• Student Engagement & Support – 20%
  • Facilitate “The Collective,” a monthly discussion group for Black students, creating intentional spaces for students to bridge gaps among the diaspora and engage in safe, productive conversations.
  • Engage and collaborate with the African Student Association (ASA), Black Student Union (BSU), and other Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) through programmatic efforts and intentional collaboration.
  • Support students participating in BME, including Black students, Latinx students, Appalachian and Non-Appalachian White students, LGBTQIA+ students, and others who find community through the ensemble.
  • Assist the Director and Assistant Director with leading onboarding and training sessions for BCC student leaders, including WLS student team members, Registered Student Organizations, and others, as assigned.
• Administrative Operations – 10%
  • Assist the Director in managing the Center budget, spaces, and resources, particularly the programming budget allocated to educational experiences, cultural competencies, and initiative-specific priorities.
• Marketing & Outreach – 10%
  • Serve on campus-wide committees, as assigned, to broaden involvement and advocacy for the Black Cultural Center and the Black student experience.
• Assessment & Reporting – 5%
  • Assess the effectiveness of assigned programs and services through comprehensive data reporting to track engagement, retention, and academic outcomes.
• Departmental and Divisional Projects – 5%
  • Complete all duties as assigned by the Director, Assistant Director, Associate Vice President, or Vice President.

Requirements

• Education: A master's degree in Black/African American Studies, History, Culture, or a related field with an emphasis on people, culture, and community engagement.
• Experience:
  • 2-3 years of primary leadership experience in an educational setting, preferably higher education, working directly with students in a multicultural or diversity affairs-related position.
  • Direct experience in program coordination and student support, especially for students of color.
• Special Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:
  • Exemplary oral and written communication skills.
  • Strong administrative and organizational skills.
  • Ability to facilitate, delegate, and create a vision and processes with targeted outcomes.
  • Thorough familiarity with theory, research, and practice in student engagement and success, and in multicultural understanding, especially as focused on race and interracial understanding.
  • Ability to design and implement meaningful and high-quality co-curricular programs for students.
  • Deep personal commitment to multicultural understanding.
• License, Certification, or Registration: Valid driver's license preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to navigate campus/public buildings and grounds.
• Ability to travel independently by car and/or plane.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs.

Environmental Conditions

• Professional office environment with interruptions and noise due to frequent visitors, students, staff, and faculty.
• Occasional travel required for meetings, conferences, etc.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment (computer, fax, phone, etc.), media equipment, and college-operated vehicles (cars, minivans, or 12/15-passenger vans).

About Berea College

Founded in 1855, Berea College is nationally recognized as the first coeducational and interracial college in the South. Berea has a longstanding commitment to interracial education and is one of the most racially diverse private liberal arts colleges in the United States. With an emphasis on service to Appalachia and beyond, Berea enrolls more than 1,500 students from 46 states and U.S. territories and over 70 countries. Berea College admits students who are unable to afford tuition and provides all of them with a no-tuition promise. Most students are the first in their families to attend college.

As one of only ten federally recognized Work Colleges, all Berea students work 10-12 hours weekly in various positions across campus. Berea College is the only institution in Kentucky to receive the 5-Star Rating from Money Magazine, 2025, and is ranked #1 Best College in the nation by Washington Monthly’s 2025 College Guide.

Benefits

Berea College offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees and their families, including:

• Health care, dental, vision, retirement, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Access to the Child Development Laboratory for children of College Staff, ages 6 weeks to 6 years.
• Seabury Center Membership.
• Staff Development Funds and Tuition Reimbursement.
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave (full-time employees).
• Part-time employees working an average of 24 hours per week over the course of a year receive benefits on a pro-rated basis.

Labor Supervision

In support of Berea College’s Great Commitments, staff and faculty serve as labor supervisors. The fourth Great Commitment, The Dignity of Labor, promotes learning and serving in community through the student Labor Program, honoring the dignity and utility of all work. Labor supervision includes scheduling, assigning, and approving student work, developing students' workplace acumen, and providing tangible work experience.