POSITION SUMMARY: 

Provides academic counseling for students and informational services for students and parents.  Assists students with college and career planning.  The Counselor acts as a liaison between the Academic and Student Living departments to assure acquisition of a quality education.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides academic counseling for students; provides information on course selection and academic program planning in relation to course demands and rigor, high school graduation and college admissions requirements.
• Identify and assist students who are not on track for graduation and provide information about credit recovery and alternative options.
• Provide informational services to parents on transition, college requirements, college timeline, four-year plan, college entrance exams, college and career research and financial aid.
• Interviews students and parents to ascertain personal interests, academic needs, discuss concerns, and drafts a four-year educational plan.
• Investigates and coordinates appropriate resources and educational or vocational opportunities for students.
• Matches students’ interests with summer or special programs, external or extra-curricular activities, school-to-work, and intern possibilities.
• Coordinate progress reports, report cards, academic conferences, and inform parents/guardians of students’ status.
• Assists students in planning for the college admissions process and for preparing for careers.
• Collaborate with staff and faculty to inform them of college and career programs and resources.
• Coordinate and direct all aspects of college placement, career guidance and post-secondary services; write individual recommendations, review students’ college applications, provide student workshops on the college application process, address special needs of underrepresented students by keeping up to date on programs and resources designed specifically for those students and ensuring that the students are aware of them.
• Provide information about college entrance exams; assist students with applications, fee waivers and interpreting test results
• Provides personal counseling services to meet student needs.
• Maintains and updates student databases, records, and appropriate libraries.
• Attend meeting, conferences and workshops regarding career trends, college entrance, financial aid and standardized college admission testing.
• Assist in accomplishing campus, department and SFIS goals.
• Attend meetings as a permanent member of the Admissions Committee.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• Knowledge of current college admissions and career planning trends relevant to student interests and post-secondary goals.
• Ability to establish positive working relationships with students’, staff, parents, and other professionals.
• Knowledge of standardized testing programs as they relate to state standards, advanced placement, college admissions and post-secondary goals
• Knowledge of graduation and course requirements, including a-g requirements
• Ability to respond to a diverse set of cultures, ethnic groups, socioeconomic groups and their interests
• Skills in writing as they pertain to college, scholarship and employment recommendation letters
• Ability to plan and organize, meet schedules and deadlines for each job component.
• Ability to maintain files and records and be in compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Act.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with students, family, staff, and community agencies.
• Flexibility, organization, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Interpersonal skills with work with diverse populations both in person and on the telephone.
• Ability to collaborate with school administration, faculty, staff, students, parents, and the community.
• Ability to establish and maintain respectful working relationships with students, parents, and staff
• Ability to prepare accurate, complete, and legible reports presenting detailed and accurate information.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling with New Mexico State Counselor licensure.
• Experience working with Native American students preferred. Must have effective communication skills. 
• One (1) year of experience in academic counseling, preferably with Native American students.
• Must maintain required Continuing Education (CEs) and other requirements necessary to maintain professional licensure.
• Experience working with Native American students, Native American or Tribal entities, preferred.
• Must possess a valid NM Driver’s License.
• Must complete and successfully pass a complete background investigation, including FBI fingerprint check.

Valid NM State Counselor License. Experience working with Native American Students, preferred.

About Santa Fe Indian School

Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS) was established in 1890 to educate the Native American children from the tribes throughout the southwest. The School was established by the federal government during the Boarding School era with a charge to assimilate the native child. The established belief at that time was if you could remove an Indian child from their community, prohibit them from practicing their native language and beliefs, you could remove the cultural and individual identity of the children providing the opportunity to impart new standards for living the American way of life. “Kill the Indian to save the man” was a term penned by General Richard Henry Pratt, the individual charged to deal with the “Indian problem” and responsible for creating the first boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1879. At one time there were 25 boarding schools, established by the US Department of War, located in 15 states with the largest native populations. New Mexico had two boarding schools – the other was located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 1920s represented a shift in federal Indian policy. The Meriam Report was commissioned in 1928 and documented the condition of American Indians o...n Indian reservations. In 1933, the Indian New Deal became part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was established and charged with the protection of the American Indian. American Indians in New Mexico boarding schools thrived creating a 180 degree shift in Indian education. This can be directly attributed to Pueblo core values; resiliency and perseverance directly contributed to our current status – survivors. The history of Santa Fe Indian School uniquely reflects federal and state policies and politics. The All Indian Pueblo Council, utilizing P.L. 93-638, the Indian Self-Determination Act and Educational Assistance Act, was the first Indian organization to contract for the education of their children. Later P. L. 95-561, the Education Amendments, and the technical amendments P. L. 98-511 and P. L. 100-297 allowed SFIS to become a tribally controlled school governed by a Board of Trustees. In 2000, with the signing of the Santa Fe Indian School Act, this land was turned over to be held in trust for the 19 Pueblo Governors of New Mexico. This has allowed SFIS to build a program based on educational sovereignty – the right and responsibility to educate New Mexico Indian children in manner that supports their cultural and traditional belief systems. In 2003 staff created a statement that would become the measure of our success as an institution, the “Ideal Graduate.” As part of our continuous improvement plan, we are operationalizing this statement by honoring native knowledge while simultaneously preparing our students to become critical thinking problem solvers prepared to engage in the world at large and in their respective communities. The Ideal Graduate: Santa Fe Indian School graduates will understand the issues facing tribes in the Southwest and will be committed to maintaining Native American cultural values. They will participate in the culture of their communities and will have the skills to pursue the education and careers that will benefit them, their families, and their people. These skills include: Creative problem solving, using the analysis of complex problems, the synthesis of collected data, and the communication of clear solutions; Critical, confident, independent and interdependent, life-long learning; Working productively with all types of people and making good choices.

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Connections working at Santa Fe Indian School