Passport Peer Mentor

Located in the scenic Puget Sound area with Mount Rainier in the distance, Tacoma is the third largest city in Washington State with a thriving and diverse community of over 200,000 residents. Tacoma Community College (TCC) was built on the ancestral territory of Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Puyallup. The 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty forcibly removed them to the Puyallup Reservation to make way for settlers; we recognize the privilege of utilizing this land has come at great cost. We honor the resilience of the Puyallup people, who still live here, defend their rights, and contribute greatly to the well-being of this community. Our institution aims to increase partnerships and community ties with the local indigenous populations. TCC is committed to increasing Native visibility by developing more culturally responsive curriculum.

Moreover, TCC stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the Black community by further strengthening collaboration with the Black Student Union as well as community entities such as the Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective, the Tacoma Urban League, and local black-owned businesses. We are committed to infusing and incorporating more educational content focused on the lives and experiences of the Black community into our curriculum. We are examining and revising our policies and practices with the stated goal of becoming an anti-racist institution.

Tacoma Community College is an Associate and Bachelor degree-granting public institution that serves a diverse population of approximately 12,000 students. We embrace our identity as a community college. Our Mission Statement says, "As the community's college, we create meaningful learning, advance equity, and strengthen student and community success." To grow our workforce, we seek to recruit employees who exemplify these attributes:

• Committed to educating a racially and socioeconomically diverse student population
• Reflects the diversity of our community
• Values intellectual curiosity and innovation
• Honors the campus mission to promote equitable access to educational opportunities
• Cares about student success and collaborates on strategies to facilitate success for historically underserved populations,
• Welcomes difference and models respectful interaction with others
• Engages with the community both within and outside of TCC

An ideal Peer Mentor would possess, or have the capacity to develop, knowledge of:

• Serving special student populations
• Having an awareness of trauma-informed practices
• Maintaining knowledge of campus and community resources
• Understanding when and how to submit a referral for additional resources
• Providing academic and personal mentoring to program participants
• Assisting students with resolving personal, social, career, financial, and academic concerns and challenges.
• Aiding program participants by offering individual academic support or facilitating referrals to appropriate support.
• Supporting in the maintenance of participant records (such as documenting student contacts, participant progress, areas of concern, and assisting with progress assessments and evaluations).
• Assisting in the development and facilitation of student activities.
• Support front desk coverage of The Center of Student Advocacy and Cultural Support.
• Other duties as assigned.

An ideal choice for the Passport Peer Mentor would possess most, if not all, of the institutional support and individual capacity to employ the following skills and abilities:

• Currently enrolled as a part-time or full-time student at Tacoma Community College or Successful completion of at least one year at the postsecondary institution.
• In good academic standing with Tacoma Community College
• Excellent communication skills.
• Lived experience with overcoming barriers.
• Multilingual

• Successful completion of a criminal history background check prior to employment.

Duties of the position require knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Demonstrate positive interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the Mission, Vision, and Values of Tacoma Community College.
• Demonstrate a willingness to learn about an appreciation for various identities, including the ability to show respect for other's cultures, rights, feelings, and property.
• Ability to work in a professional setting and in collaboration with the Passport campus team.
• Demonstrate a commitment to personal integrity, such as modeling good judgment, ethical behavior, and adherence to laws and policies.
• Ability to protect personally identifiable information and maintain high levels of confidentiality.
• Participate in regular 1-on-1 meetings with mentees, meetings with supervisor, ongoing departmental communication and training.
• Positively engage and contribute during staff meetings, trainings, and retreats.
• Keep senior staff informed of all crisis incidents as they happen
• Respond promptly to student issues, conflicts, mediation needs, and crisis situations.
• Respond to emergencies immediately and follow appropriate protocol.

Application Materials & Procedure
Complete application packages must include the following

1. Tacoma Community College online application.
2. Cover letter and Resume