The Assistant Director serves as a leader and educator for essential university programs and services; serves as an institutional resource for staff and students; supports and promotes the mission and vision of the University; and contributes positively to the campus community of research, teaching, learning and service to the Church, the nation and the world. The Assistant Director ensures that programs and services are implemented with attention to high standards, quality, collaboration and fiscal soundness.
The Assistant Director will be responsible for developing, supporting, implementing and evaluating Residence Life programs and processes that reflect institutional thinking, support the formation of community, and are executed with high quality and attention to detail, fiscal soundness, and in conjunction with current Catholic Student Affairs best practices.
As a coordinator of Residence Life initiatives on campus, the Assistant Director has responsibilities that include but are not limited to the following:
Providing leadership for and coordination of departmental selection and training of para-professional staff;
Supervising the Hall Security Assistant Program;
Managing dynamic, engaging, on-going curricular initiatives and services that positively impact the recruitment, retention and enrichment of students.
Serving as a Conduct Officer in managing Student Conduct Cases;
Developing collaborative relationships with other departments in the campus community;
Coordinating departmental projects, including Opening and Closing of the Residence Halls, health and safety inspections, occupancy reporting, and Admission events;
This position has the potential for on call responsibilities with the live-in residential team.
This position has the potential for supervision of a live-in graduate student position.
This position reports directly to the Associate Dean of Students and represents the department in a variety of public relations forums and university events. The Assistant Director establishes relationships with campus life professionals, faculty, enrollment services, and other integral staff throughout the campus community.
Provide intentional and targeted student learning experiences that positively impact the personal growth, retention, and development of students. Contribute to the positive formation of students, serving as a role model and ensuring that out of classroom experiences target the formation of responsible global citizens.
a. Develop and implement an engaging learning-outcome based programming model for student development where students are provided with opportunities to develop self-awareness, establish a commitment to social responsibility, and cultivate a passion for learning through living cooperatively and engaging in opportunities to learn and apply life skills. This includes training staff on the model, data collection, and monthly reviews of initiatives.
b. Collaborate with the Residence Life Senior Staff, student organizations such as PEERS, and university departments on hallmark programming initiatives including CU Saturdays and other unique and targeted events.
c. Serve as a conduct officer in managing student conduct cases and assist in gathering information about disciplinary incidents as necessary.
d. Through collaboration with other university offices, encourage the development of student citizens who are culturally aware and accepting of differences.
Manage para-professional staff resources and programs including, but not limited to, the following.
a. Coordinate the selection and training processes for Resident Assistants.
b. Coordinate the selection and training processes for Office Managers and Office Assistants.
c. Manage the Hall Security Assistant program including staff selection, training, supervision, and development of all levels of student staff.
d. Serve as the departmental representative submitting all student staff payroll and related hiring documents.
e. As needed based on the departmental structure, train, supervise, and evaluate a live-in graduate student staff member.
Coordinate and manage all aspects of the management of the department’s regular and cyclical projects; conduct appropriate planning and follow-up with involved staff members, provide feedback where appropriate, ensure appropriate staffing, collaborate with other offices, and ensure compliance with established policies, processes and procedures.
a. Create and implement plans to manage the Opening and Closing of the Residence Halls each semester. Provide marketing utilizing the website, direct emails and/or postcards to students and their families, social media posts, community meetings, on-site signage, etc. Coordinate traffic flow and building access points. Define staff roles and solicit additional volunteers as needed; train staff and volunteers. Collaborate with partners regarding additional support needs such as moving carts, water stations, parking, and trash removal.
b. Coordinate occupancy reporting needs with colleagues in Housing Services as requested. At minimum, Occupancy Verification occurs at the beginning of each semester.
c. Manage the health and safety inspection process of resident rooms each semester.
d. Coordinate the office’s involvement with Admission events for potential and new students and their families.
Develop initiatives to address student service satisfaction and continuous improvements through appropriate data collection, reports, and assessments. Disseminate reports and analyses reflecting progress, trends, and appropriate recommendations for future programs and initiatives. Oversee data management tools.
a. Establish useful methods to evaluate, maintain, and continuously improve program efficiency, effectiveness, impact and to measure departmental success.
b. Create and manage a process to provide regular reports on the Residential Curriculum.
c. Conduct regular evaluation and assessment of other departmental programs and services. Analyze data in relation to student learning outcomes.
Serve as a resource person for students, parent, faculty and administrators. Develop effective educational and informational programs and resources for use by multiple audiences at the university and off campus.
a. Develop new and utilize existing communication tools (i.e. websites, social media, list-serves, etc.) related to core and departmental functions.
b. Design and implement a system to educate and inform the campus community of departmental initiatives, including the development and publication of informational and educational materials.
c. Serve as a liaison with staff and faculty to foster an understanding of departmental initiatives.
d. Provide consultation to staff and faculty regarding requirements and procedures. Maintain regular communication with applicable staff.
e. Present training workshops and seminars for students, faculty and staff.
f. Communicate verbally and in writing with students, parents, and members of the University community.
g. Participate in and contribute to the maintenance of up-to-date strategic and operational protocols, policies, and practices of the department. Communicate these protocols, policies, and practices effectively to staff, students and the broader university community, as necessary.
Departmental Leadership
a. Routinely seek opportunities to utilize financial resources more efficiently and to identify new and alternative sources to improve financial efficiency and effectiveness (e.g. grants, collaborations with local institutions or other offices, block booking for entertainment).
b. Acquire and maintain a strong working knowledge of related university departments, systems and processes.
c. Ensure fundamental policies and procedures are written, established, organized and communicated effectively to students, staff and the campus community.
Master’s degree with a preferred focus in student personnel administration, higher education administration, or a related area of specialization. At least two (2) years of experience in student life/higher education administration required; experience working in residence life or related role is preferred. Background in faith-based settings, student retention, and student support beneficial. Proficiency with MS Office applications (Word, Power-Point, Excel, Access), or experience with similar software is required.