Cutting Edge Program Director

The Cutting Edge Program at Edgewood College offers a fully inclusive college experience for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Cutting Edge Program Director leads the overall operations by working with Cutting Edge students, alumni, staff, families, student workers, Edgewood College staff & faculty, and the Madison Community to promote inclusion within higher education. This position is responsible for general oversight of the program, including pre-college, college, and alumni program operations, as well as policies & procedures, supervision, the program budget, and strategic planning. 

Program Operations and Structure

• Hires, trains, and supervises a team of professional staff, faculty, and graduate assistants
• Responsibly manages the overall annual program budget
• Manages the student scholarship application and distribution process
• Collaborates with IRIS consultant agencies, fiscal employer agencies, and the Edgewood College Business Office to facilitate IRIS authorizations and billing
• Partners with the Advancement Office in identifying and writing grant opportunities and in stewarding potential donors
• Develops and revises program policies and procedures annually
• Partners with College Administration in long-term strategic planning for the program and diversifying revenue streams

Communication and Collaboration

• Communicates and collaborates with families, students, staff, faculty, and community partners
• Consults with program and college staff when student issues arise that require complex problem solving
• Leads weekly Cutting Edge Team meetings
• Creates partnerships on-campus to further promote inclusion within higher education and develop new inclusion initiatives
• Creates partnerships off-campus with community services and agencies to expand program resources
• Communicates and plans monthly parent meetings

Student Support

• Addresses student conduct issues in collaboration with Cutting Edge Assistant Directors & the Edgewood College Dean of Students Office
• Assists with developing and monitoring Individual College Plans and student profiles
• Attends weekly student and alumni meetings, as needed
• Advocates for Cutting Edge students on campus and in the community, as needed

Curriculum and Instruction

• Develops curriculum for select Cutting Edge courses, including, but not limited to: EDU 91 Safety in the Community, EDU 92 Interpersonal Relationships, EDU 93 Internship, and EDU 90/100 Skills for Success
• Delivers direct instruction throughout the school year
• Provides regular feedback to students regarding their progress (when instructing)

Events

• Oversee the planning and execution of the program’s annual events: Student Showcase, Concluding Ceremony, Pre-College Program, Cutting Edge Retreat, Open Houses, Night Market and Peer Mentor Appreciation Banquets
• Leads planning and execution of the Night Market event
• Attends Cutting Edge Program events, as needed

On Call

• Available after hours to respond to urgent matters via the duty phone; schedule is created on a rotating basis amongst staff
• Serve as a resource and emergency secondary response during after-hours for Assistant Directors on duty
• Troubleshoot with both Coordinators on-duty and Assistant Directors who are on secondary response when critical emergencies occur

College Service

• Represents the Division of Student Development on division-wide and/or institutional committees, task forces, and groups
• Serves as member of the Student Development staff attending meetings and retreats
• Participates in campus events as a department and division representative
  
  

• Master’s Degree in Special Education, Rehabilitation Psychology, Vocational Rehabilitation, or related field
• Experience in leading/supervising professional staff
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience

• Ability to collaborate with families, staff, faculty, and the community
• Ability to administratively manage services for adult learners with disabilities
• Ability to manage a fiscal budget
• Evidence of strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent organizational skills

This position requires personnel to work in a shared office environment that provides student support services either by appointment or on a walk-in basis. The Director needs to be able to work in a busy environment and needs to be able to adapt to daily schedule changes. This position requires personnel to navigate around the college campus and in the community.