Indigenous Studies Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Job Summary
The Center for Cultural Connections and Community welcomes applications for the Program Coordinator for Native and Indigenous Students, to be responsible for mentoring, advising, and coordinating educational programs for Native and Indigenous students at CU Boulder! This position will assist with and advocate for Native and Indigenous communities on campus in order to create a more welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment for students to thrive. This position will also assist with creating transformative, campus-wide innovative programming that supports an inclusive co-curricular environment. In addition, the position will work collaboratively with the campus community in addressing issues related to historically underrepresented and/or underserved students. Some weekend and evening hours are required. This position reports to the Assistant Director for Intercultural Engagement within the Center for Cultural Connections and Community.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Who We Are
The Division of Student Life consists of 36 departments that provide student support and services dedicated to helping students become successful, curious, competent individuals during their time at CU Boulder.
The Center Cultural Connections & Community (The Center) is a welcoming and inclusive campus space that aims to support students' psychosocial identity development as they navigate their university experience. We do this by providing community-building and educational programs and advocating for the needs of historically marginalized identities. The Center is comprised of the following program areas: Intercultural Engagement, Pride, Education and Social Change, and First-Generation Scholars and Enrichment. The Center's curriculum is grounded in the core concepts of intersectionality, equity, and social justice.
Our Core Values

• Transformative Educational Opportunities.

• Intersectional Identity, Personal and Intercultural Development.

• Cross-Cultural Engagement.

• Service.

Our Goals

• To support the retention of students from multiple identities by empowering student growth and development.

• To cultivate a sense of belonging by nurturing innovative spaces that educate and celebrate diverse communities.

• To foster campuswide collaborations that provide high-impact transformative experiences to enhance cultural competencies.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Programming, Development and Coordination:

• Plan and implement high-impact programming that serves to enhance the belonging and mattering of Native and Indigenous students, including heritage celebrations.
• Provide meaningful connections for Native and Indigenous students to student organizations, Center for Native and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS), and other programs and services to holistically support their development and belonging.
• Create and maintain supportive, welcoming and inclusive center spaces, and implement outcome-based innovative transformative programs that invite all students to communicate across lines of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, gender, class, sexual orientation, and other social identities.
• Implement Native and Indigenous programming in response to national/local incidents, including visibility campaigns.
• Collaborate within the Center to combine programming and projects when and where appropriate for greater outreach.
• Align programming learning outcomes and events with strategic plans for the campus and division of student affairs.
• In collaboration with supervisor, develop assessment measures that collect and track quantitative and qualitative university data and trends for training needs and partnership development for Native and Indigenous students.

Native and Indigenous Advising and Student Support:

• Serve as a support and advisor to Native and Indigenous students, specifically during their first year at CU Boulder, and meet one-on-one with students each semester to support students transitioning from first to second year.
• Refer students to appropriate campus resources for support, as needed (i.e. CNAIS, Student Academic Success Center, Center for Student Involvement, Office of Victim Assistance, Basic Needs Center, Counseling Services, etc.).
• Create reflective spaces for students to celebrate their Native and Indigenous identity.
• Foster ongoing relationships with Native and Indigenous student organization leaders to provide opportunities for leadership development and community building.
• Support Native and Indigenous students in identity development to contribute to their retention at the university.
• Actively foster and maintain a workplace climate that is supportive of employees and respectful of difference, as well as to create a learning environment for students that encourages personal development, self-reflection, and academic success.

Native and Indigenous Scholar Coordination:

• Assist and support comprehensive programs and services to enhance the sense of belonging, mattering, academic and social success of Native and Indigenous Scholars with a focus on activities related to engagement and retention.
• Develop a regular communication plan for incoming and returning NISS students.
• Collect and track quantitative and qualitative university data and trends for training needs and partnership development for Native and Indigenous students.
• Coordinate with financial aid and enrollment to determine the number of new Native and Indigenous Student Scholarship recipients.
• Develop a plan to consolidate all scholarships not administered by financial aid to improve coordination of awards and student support.
• Provide intentional connections to key partners, including Indigenous alumni groups, families, and parents, to help inform plans for supporting Indigenous students and alumni relations.

Fiscal Operations and Assessment:

• Ensure the responsible planning and expenditure of fiscal resources in a manner consistent with equitable fiduciary responsibility.
• Provide timely/pertinent budgetary information to supervisor as necessary and process university fiscal paperwork promptly and accurately, and meet due dates for all requests for reports, data, publications, and budgets.
• Routinely assess the necessity of various expenditures, including but not limited to programming activities, student recognition, and professional development/training.
• Construct learning objectives and assessment measures for events and programming and provide quantitative and qualitative assessment to assess impacts on student retention.
• Assist with both office and the Center's assessments and evaluations to determine that proper and adequate services and resources are being provided.
• Collect and track quantitative and qualitative university data and trends for training and advocacy needs.

What You Should Know
This is a hybrid work opportunity requiring a minimum of 4 days a week on campus, with some nights and weekends required.
What We Can Offer
The starting salary for this position will be $62,400 annually. Onboarding assistance may be available within Student Life division guidelines.
Benefits
At the University of Colorado Boulder , we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
Be collaborative. Be impactful. Be Boulder.
What We Require

• Bachelor's degree.
• 2 years of post-bachelor experience with campus-wide programming and advising of Native and Indigenous and/or related underrepresented populations.
• Proven experience in project management and/or student program planning.
• Experience developing and facilitating diversity and inclusion presentations and student success workshops.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment.

What You Will Need

• Understanding of Native and Indigenous cultures, histories, traditions, and/or languages.
• Knowledge of relevant and current issues impacting Native and Indigenous students.
• Knowledge of diversity, inclusion, and equity concepts, frameworks, and practices.
• Familiarity with intersectional identities and student development theories.
• Understanding of nationally recognized practices, trends, and practices for underrepresented students in higher education.
• Capacity to work optimally with persons from a diverse set of backgrounds to promote an inclusive campus and community culture.
• Experience communicating and interacting with students through active listening, motivational interviewing, and providing mentorship.
• Strong ability to connect to a variety of audiences, build relationships, and foster trust.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Listen and communicate clearly in written and verbal formats.

What We Would Like You to Have

• Master's degree in higher education administration, women and gender studies, anthropology, ethnic studies, sociology, or a related field and two years of post-bachelor experience with campus-wide programming and advising Native and Indigenous and/or related underrepresented students.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience working within a social justice-focused organization in higher education and/or developing, implementing, and engaging in diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives.
• Relevant full-time professional experience in post-secondary education administration, including professional experience in program planning, scholarship support, student advising, assessment, and decision-making.
• Experience in a campus-based student affairs position, such as an identity center, Women's Center, student activities center, or diversity and multicultural programs.
• Experience in program development and delivery.
• Program management, assessment, and evaluation experience.

Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. A current resume.
2. A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by September 21, 2026 for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs .
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.