Career Center

Location:

Claremont, CA

Job Posting Title:

Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life and Conference Services

Job Details and Requirement:

The Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life and Conference Services serves as the chief housing officer providing leadership and visionary strategic planning. Reporting to the Dean of Students, the inspirational leader ensures the department supports both college needs, academic mission, core values, and holistic student success and development within a thriving and dynamic living-learning residential program experience as well as provides leadership, direction and supervision to residential life, housing, and conference services staff and operations.

The thought partner is committed to inclusive excellence and they build collaborative partnerships with academic and non-academic departments to develop high quality and innovative residential student-focused co-curriculum and programs to reflect national best practices in residential education programs within liberal arts environments and collective impact outcomes.  This includes partnerships with academic affairs via the Faculty-In-Residence (FIR) program, expansion of faculty and student engagement opportunities, and initiatives that support student success, development, retention, and engagement.  The Associate Dean will have oversight of facilities management, student leader and staff training and development in support of College educational objectives.
 

• Responsible for the day-to-day Residence Life and Conference Services operations including the planning, organization, and operation of housing, programs, conferences, and events external to the regular operation of the College.  This includes: budget management, marketing and program development, agreement and contract management, policy development, relationship management (internal and external partnerships), assessment, and facilities management.
• Develop and oversee a residential co-curriculum programming model that challenges and supports on-campus students to develop and grow during their four years on-campus in partnership with Campus Life.
• Develop and oversee a robust residential education program with a focus on community belonging, meaningful student living-learning residential experience, inclusive excellence, navigating roommate conflict, difference, and civility within the residential experience, and high impact practices. Serve as the direct connection to our Faculty in Residence (FIR) and the expansion of academic partnership initiatives and programs. 
• Supervises five full-time professional staff and formulates individual performance and professional development goals and work plans that are aligned with the department’s mission and strategic plan; meets regularly with direct reports to assess progress towards goals, professional development, provides support and direction, promotes teamwork and individual accountability, and acknowledges performance milestones and achievements.
• Oversee the selection, training, supervision, and development of the Resident Assistants, Graduate Assistants, and other student leader positions.
• Directs staff of residential life team in programming, emergency preparedness and response (including, but not limited to, Title IX related incidents), residential education and co-curriculum, leadership development, safety, student crisis intervention and residential hall association. Perform on-call duty coverage on a rotating basis and respond to student crises when necessary.  Serve on the weekly rotation for “Dean Drop-In Hours.”
• Serve as a member of the student conduct dean’s case review and management team for College and housing level incidents. This includes participation in training and assisting in the student conduct process with investigations, hearings, restorative justice, and convening or assisting with Judicial Council. Responsible for the annual review of residential conduct housing policies and procedures, and assisting with the annual Clery report, including serving as an integral partner in fulfilling required educational programmatic support.
• Support the Vice President for Student Affairs in completion of special projects that support the mission of the College, Student Affairs Division, and initiatives of the Office of the Dean of Students.
• Serve as a programming advisor and resource to students, student organizations, staff and faculty. Serve as a resource and referral to students, on a variety of personal and academic matters.
• Participate in the formulation of policies; develop and revise methods, systems and procedures for implementation of new and ongoing policies; conduct related evaluation and research as needed based on national emerging trends, issues, best practices, and/or systemic operational needs to enhance student success. Encourages a courageous and resilient solution-oriented environment with a focus on leveraging collective impact to maximize student resources, support, and success.
• Perform a variety of administrative duties, including providing semester reports, surveys, and other requested documents to prioritize data-informed practices.  Assist with special projects, programs and services as needed.
• Develop and implement training programs and materials based on established student development theoretical framework models and data informed practices in alignment with the College’s academic mission and divisional and institutional priorities.
• Represent the department and division of student affairs at regional and national meetings to maintain knowledge of best practices, support professional development, and strive to enhance the student housing experience.
• Collaborate with other Pitzer and Claremont Colleges departments.  Serve as liaison with 6-College Residence Life Deans and the Pitzer Facilities department. Serve as an active member of Office of Student Affairs committees, including the Student Affairs Leadership Team, Threat Assessment and Behavior Intervention Team, Dean’s Student Conduct Management Team, Clery Compliance Team, Pitzer Covid CARE Team, Student Affairs Assessment Committee, Emergency Management Team, and other College and 7C committees as assigned. Assists with signature College programs and activities (i.e. New Student Orientation).
• Serve as the designee for the division of student affairs as requested.
• Perform other essential duties and tasks specific to the position, as assigned, including, but not limited to, extending innovative and resilient cognitive flexibility and emotional intelligence, supporting residence life staff motivation, and steady collective strategic planning when facing unforeseen health, weather, or other crisis.
   

Supervisory Responsibility: Senior Manager of Residential Operations, Associate Director of Residence Life, and three Residence Directors as well as student and graduate staff.

Work Hours: The regular hours for this position are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, plus will be part of the on-call rotation for the Office of Student Affairs. Will be required to work evenings and weekends as needed. These hours will vary due to needs of the College or department.

The individual must possess knowledge, skills and ability to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position, or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

• Knowledge of student leadership development models and co-curricular assessment.
• Understanding of theory pertaining to student development and experiential education.
• Knowledge and awareness of best practices regarding safety of students involved with residence life and co-curricular programs.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, analytical, and leadership skills. Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with all levels within the University amongst diverse populations, including students, staff, faculty, administrators, families, and other internal and external constituents and partners.
• Demonstrated experience in supervising a team of multiple full-time professional staff members, student staff, setting visionary departmental direction and development, and making appropriate personnel actions. Ability to apply strong problem solving and conflict resolution skills and train and evaluate performance, taking corrective action as needed and dealing with stressful situations while maintaining professionalism, respect, and composure.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to make decisions, including in high-pressure situations and demonstrated high level of emotional intelligence, and cognitive flexibility.
• Student-centered, with the ability to support student commitment to social justice work and advocacy.
• Strong ability to work independently, with strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting unity and community in a diverse environment, and knowledge of trends, implementation of effective practices that result in student engagement, persistence and retention especially for historically underrepresented students.
• Strong understanding of the importance of co-curricular experiences in supporting the academic mission of the department and values of the College.
• Ability to use computer technology and systems, including recent versions of Microsoft Office Suite, social media and internet research. Demonstrated experience using common residence life computer application programs.
• Ability to handle difficult and crises situations while remaining positive and focused.
• Strong proven supervisory skills, including the ability to evaluate and effectively address performance.
• Proven ability to develop, implement and evaluate programs.
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and develop proactive and reactive responses to student trends, issues, and the impact of emerging in today’s national higher education landscape.
• Team-oriented with the ability to interact collaboratively and effectively with diverse constituencies.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience managing compliance with applicable risk and liability issues, safety, state and federal compliance requirements within residence life.
• Maintain current knowledge of liability, safety, instructional issues, policies, crisis response, Title IX training, trends and issues and higher education, etc., and interpret for students.
• Ability to manage budgets.
• Ability to provide own transportation for local travel as needed.
• Demonstrated active engagement in national student affairs field profession and staying current on national best practices and high impact practices to bolster inclusive excellence, student retention and success.

Education: A master’s degree in counseling, student affairs, higher education, or related field required.

Experience: At least 10 years of progressive full-time professional experience within the area of residential life, student activities, student leadership programs or closely related fields, plus at least two years in a supervisory capacity within residence life serving in the role of director or assistant dean with demonstrated experience supervising a team of full-time professional staff members, and serving as an inspirational leader for residential student staff and leaders. 

• Please see required knowledge, skills and abilities noted above.

Licenses/Certifications: Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license and a driving record acceptable to the college’s insurer. 

Working Environment: Work is performed in an office setting with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. May occasionally work outdoors for events and activities.

Physical Requirements: This position has moderate physical requirements.  Must have high stamina and ability to maintain energy and mental acuity when working on-call, as well as evenings and weekends as needed. Must be able to communicate in person and over the telephone. Must be able to read printed materials and a computer screen.

Other Requirements:  None.

Preferences:  Demonstrated experience with assessing large-scale co-curricular programs preferred.

Review of applications will commence immediately.

Instructions:  Only qualified applicants please.

Application Materials: Upload the following materials to complete your application:

• Cover Letter:  Indicate your reason for interest in this position, describe how your qualifications make you an ideal candidate, and explain which of Pitzer’s core values best relates to your own. 

• Resume: List relevant qualifications and dates of experience.

• Professional References: References will be contacted for select applicants and advance notice will be provided. Provide the names of at least three (3) individuals who can speak to your professional qualifications. Include their business titles, contact information and an indication of how you are acquainted with them (e.g., former supervisor, coworker, etc.).