Program Director, Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER)

OE Global is seeking a passionate, experienced open education leader to join our team to advance the field of open education at community and technical colleges across North America. The program director will manage the daily operations of the Community College Consortium for OER, otherwise known as CCCOER. The Program Director will liaise with multiple internal and external stakeholders of OE Global, working with members to develop and lead the next phase of open education innovation. They will closely coordinate with the OE Global Co-Executive Directors and the CCCOER Executive Council to support community engagement, communications, long-term planning, and fiscal sustainability. 

The position is a full-time remote position reporting to the Executive Directors of Open Education Global. The position and application details are below.

If you have any questions regarding this position, please email jobs@oeglobal.org. Please note: applications will only be accepted via the form linked below.


Position Description

Position:  Program Director, Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER)

Location: Remote. This is a virtual position, but preference is for someone based in North America, given the primarily regional focus of the membership. You will mainly work remotely – at OEGlobal, we value teamwork and a consensus-oriented approach. Access to a computer with reliable and secure internet connectivity is essential.

Closing date: The closing date for applications is August 21, 2023. However, we will be screening candidates and scheduling interviews with short-listed candidates on a rolling basis. Accordingly, we encourage you to apply early.

Term: This is a full-time position to join the OE Global staff. The selected candidate will report directly to the Co-Executive Directors of OE Global.

Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience. The selected candidate will be responsible for maintaining a suitable home office for remote work.

The CCCOER Director

  • Has overall managerial responsibility for the CCCOER regional node.
  • Facilitates and communicates a clear vision to funders, members, staff, and the open education community.
  • Generates support and enthusiasm for the CCCOER program to OE Global members, postsecondary institutions, library consortiums, and government agencies focused on open education.
  • Develops a timeline of short- and long-term goals for growing and maintaining the advocacy and professional development work of CCCOER.
  • Promotes and supports CCCOER by participating in stakeholder meetings, events, conference presentations, and webinars, including funder communications and development.
  • Develops and implements a plan to measure strategic plan goal attainment and maintain momentum. 
  • Contributes to OE Global’s overall membership growth, retention, and engagement strategies.
  • Communicates program successes and promotes the successes of members’ open education initiatives. 

Essential Functions:

  • Leadership and Community Building: Engage staff and Executive Council in the growth and delivery of the CCCOER member programs — act as the spokesperson, communicating program successes internally and externally at North America and international events. Develop new and maintain existing partnerships and strategic relationships with organizations, donors, and state and provincial governments.
  • Operations: Develop and execute operational strategies that support CCCOER’s and OE Global’s strategic plans and membership needs. Oversee the efficient and effective operation of CCCOER to realize organizational objectives, including budget development and management. Ensure member input and satisfaction through regular communications, including online and in-person meetings. Provide regular input to OE Global Co-Executive Directors and staff on developments and needs specific to community colleges, and provide input to and help manage overall OE Global’s membership processes, including membership management, offerings, and programs.
  • Programming and Services: Lead the planning, implementation, and evaluation of CCCOER programs to strengthen its mission and network, including the monthly webinar series, community email list, member-only activities, and other contractual obligations. Highlight the impact of open education at community colleges through communications on websites, social media,  and traditional media outlets. Assist with planning and implementation of OE Global programming.
  • Business Planning and Fundraising: Identify potential open education collaboration opportunities through cultivating strategic and mutually beneficial relationships with foundations, donors, corporations, and other partners. In collaboration with the OE Global Co-Executive Directors, develop and execute a fundraising plan to offer strategic program offerings and services.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Education, Curriculum Design, Communications, Information Science, Library Science, or any academic discipline. 
  • Experience in building and managing diverse teams.
  • Demonstrated experience with open education, open educational resources, and related topics. 
  • Experience with web-based publishing and social media.
  • Experience tracking and measuring outcomes. 
  • Experience in managing data collection, analysis, and sharing for making and communicating data-informed decisions. 
  • Experience managing complex projects, including people management, budgeting, report writing, etc..
  • Demonstrated track record of successfully working and managing a team remotely.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Has experience analyzing community needs and synthesizing resources to support the community; experience communicating with various stakeholders. 
  • Has the willingness and ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively with others; participates and fosters teamwork; promotes cooperation and commitment within a team to achieve goals and deliverables. 
  • Makes timely, informed decisions that consider the facts, goals, constraints, and risks; ability to use professional judgment in complex situations; effectively and appropriately deals with/adapts to change; demonstrates critical, creative, and reflective thinking. 
  • Takes responsibility for own performance by setting clear goals and balancing critical job requirements through task management, results orientation, and problem-solving skills. 
  • Adheres to high standards of integrity and honesty. 
  • Values open-mindedness, inclusion, multicultural perspective, and multiple ways of knowing, thinking, and being. Helps create a work environment that embraces and appreciates diversity. 
  • Communicates effectively and collaboratively with staff and leadership; applies effective written and oral communication techniques to convey clear and timely messages; builds constructive working relationships characterized by a high level of acceptance, cooperation, and mutual respect. 
  • Adapts to changing business needs, conditions, and work responsibilities; responds to change with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn new ways to accomplish work activities and objectives. 
  • Utilizes excellent time management and problem-solving techniques, and use of professional judgment in complex situations; demonstrates strong project management skills.

Desired Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum Design, Communications, Information Science, Public Administration, or any academic discipline. 
  • Experience in a higher education environment, preferably at community or technical colleges in North America.
  • Two years of work experience with open education and open content issues.
  • Knowledge and understanding of U.S. and international intellectual property and copyright laws. 
  • Training or experience in instructional design principles.

How to Apply

Deadline: August 21, 2023

Open Education Global is committed to diversity and multiculturalism, and we welcome applications from all who meet the requirements. Studies have shown that people marginalized by racism and/or sexism are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every listed qualification. If you are unsure if you meet the listed requirements but believe you can perform the job as described, we encourage you to apply.

About Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER)

The Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER) drives awareness and adoption of open educational policies, practices, and resources to close equity gaps, particularly for traditionally underserved students. CCCOER membership represents 104 colleges across 37 states and provinces of North America. CCCOER is a regional node of Open Education Global. Visit the CCCOER website to find out more. 

About Open Education Global

Open Education Global is a member-based, global non-profit supporting the development and use of open education to empower learners worldwide. We envision a world where everyone, everywhere, has access to the high-quality education and training they desire; where education is seen as an essential, shared, and collaborative social good; and where open educational practices facilitate access, equity, and opportunity. For more information, please visit the OE Global website.

OEG Voices – Latest Podcasts

OE Global Voices

Welcome to the home of podcasts produced by Open Education Global. These shows bring you insight and connection to the application of open education practices from around the world. Listen at podcast.oeglobal.org

OEG Voices 076: Purvi Shah on Storyweaver

In this episode we take you to Bangalore, India to hear about a remarkable publisher, Pratham Books and its Open Education for Excellence Award winning platform Storyweaver, core to Pratham’s mission of a book in the hands of every child in the country, published in that child’s mother tongue.

We welcomed in the studio Purvi Shah, Senior Director of StoryWeaver & Strategy to tell use the story of Storyweaver, which was recognized with a 2023 Open Education Award for Excellence in the Open Repository category. At this time, StoryWeaver offers now over 64,000 stories in more than 370 languages spoken around the world, and offers a place for anyone to contribute images, new translations, and also age and subject specific teaching resources. All of this came about from a bold commitment in 2004 from Pratham Books to embrace open licensing for their published storybooks.

StoryWeaver web site with menu items Read, Translate, Create, Resources, and Discover. One of the rotating banner displays a graphic style image of a teacher reading a book to her students with text: ”Storyweeaver in School, For Educators- We've worked with teachers so closely over the years that we've built these resources to be of real help. You'll find this section packed with stories, themes, activities, and more - all carefully ordered by grade and reading level.From language acquisition and reading comprehension, to textbook concepts and ideas, we'll help you nurture the joy of reading among all your students.”
https://storyweaver.org.in/

Enjoy the enthusiasm in Purvi’a voice as she shares the missions and global reach of StoryWeaver, as well as sharing examples of her favorite titles. And we appreciate the serendipty, than when Purvi offered to read a selection of a favorite story, from among the 60,000 titles in StoryWeaver, the one she chose was What Will Today Bring? authored by someone we know well here at OEGlobal, University of Leeds open educator Chrissi Nerantzi.

We also want to thank Sreemoyee Mukherjee from Pratham Books who joined us in the studio and was instrumental in coordinating this conversation.

In This Episode

FYI: For the sake of experimentation and the spirit of transparency, this set of show notes alone was generated by the AI “Underlord” in the Descript editor we use to produce OEGlobal Voices.

In this episode of OEGlobal Voices, host Alan Levine engages in an inspiring conversation with Purvi Shah, a key member of the StoryWeaver initiative by Pratham Books in India. StoryWeaver, a community-driven digital platform, earned the 2023 Open Education Award for Excellence in the Open Curation Repository category.

Key Highlights:

  1. Embracing Openness: Purvi discusses the organization’s decision to adopt open licensing to reach their mission of putting a book in every child’s hand. This shift from a traditional publishing model to an open platform allowed the community to create and translate stories, leading to the birth of StoryWeaver.
  2. The Genesis of StoryWeaver: The platform was launched on International Literacy Day in 2015 with 800 stories in 24 languages. Today, it boasts an impressive collection of 60,000 stories in 370 languages, serving as a vast repository of multilingual and multicultural stories.
  3. Innovative Features: StoryWeaver includes unique features such as “read-alongs,” which combine audio, video, and same-language subtitling to aid language learning and literacy. The platform also offers structured resources for teachers, such as thematic book lists and STEM programs.
  4. Translations and Impact: Purvi shares stories about the extensive translations available on the platform. “Rani’s First Day at School” has been translated into 138 languages, demonstrating the community’s active participation. She also narrates heartwarming anecdotes about how these stories have impacted children and teachers around the world.
  5. Community Contributions: The discussion highlights how users can contribute by translating stories or creating new ones using the platform’s vast library of images and easy-to-use creation tools. Purvi shares examples of innovative projects inspired by StoryWeaver, such as a literacy program developed in Mexico.
  6. Future Goals: Looking ahead, Purvi emphasizes the importance of expanding the depth of stories in each language and leveraging the community’s strengths to ensure that every child can access a book in their mother tongue.

Alan and Purvi’s conversation encapsulates the essence of open education and the incredible work being done by the StoryWeaver team to foster literacy and inclusivity. The episode concludes with a recommendation to explore StoryWeaver and an acknowledgment of the upcoming Open Education Awards.

Tune in to OEGlobal Voices to dive deeper into the world of StoryWeaver and the transformative power of open education.

(end of AI generated show notes)

Additional Links and Quotes for Episode 76

How can we work with the communities to increase the depth of languages? So that could be a potential future milestone. We were just discussing this in office the other day that it’s so interesting that while the platform has 370 languages and that’s a milestone in itself, but the real milestone is that for that one child reading the first book in their mother tongue is really the milestone.

We hit that milestone almost every day because every day a child is discovering a book in their mother tongue for the first time. That milestone will never get old, I think. And some of the other sort of milestones [has] been just not being a platform where we allow for stories, but say, when we created this whole different platform, the white label StoryWeaver for Room to Read in Indonesia and that helped kickstart their own platform called Literacy Cloud.

That was a pretty important milestone because whatever we have learned, we could empower other organizations. to build off our investments, our learning, in countries that they work with.

Purvi Shah on StoryWeaver’s milestones


Our open licensed music for this episode is a track called Fairytale Story by Serge Quadrado  licensed under a Creative Commons  Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Like most of our podcast music, it was found at the Free Music Archive (see our full FMA playlist).

The image of the reading octopus in this episode’s artwork was part of a previous version of the StoryWeaver web site, an illustration credited to Measa Sovonnarea.

This was another episode we are recording on the web in Squadcast. This is part of the Descript platform for AI enabled transcribing and editing audio in text– this has greatly enhanced our ability to produce our showsWe have been exploring some of the other AI features in Descriptbut our posts remain human authored except where indicated otherwise.