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Posted: 15-Apr-23
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Salary: Open
Internal Number: 47600
Department: Residential Experience
Salary/Grade: EXS/12
Northwestern University’s Residential Services helps build a community environment for students through housing-related services, intentional learning opportunities and residential settings that include residence halls, residential communities, and residential colleges. Learn more about the Residential Services department and the Residential Community and Support team here: https://www.northwestern.edu/living/index.html
About Student Affairs: By pursuing justice, equity, and belonging, Student Affairs cultivates student programs, services, and skills; disrupts barriers; and partners across Northwestern and neighboring communities to create an inclusive culture in which all students can thrive. Learn more about the Division of Student Affairs here: https://www.northwestern.edu/studentaffairs/about/strategic-plan/strategic-themes.html
Job Summary:
Under the supervision of the Senior Director of Residential Experience and guided by the Residential Experience Framework, the Director of Residential Community and Support (RCS) provides leadership in the areas of community, belonging, student well-being and support, community standards, inclusion, and emergency response for undergraduate and graduate students living in campus housing. The Director of RCS works closely with the Director of Residential and Academic Engagement (RAE) to implement social programming, leadership opportunities, faculty-in-residence and residential college programs, and links to academics in the residential setting.
The Director of RCS also works with campus partners in the Division of Student Affairs, including the Dean of Students Office to coordinate student support and wellness protocols, Community Standards to implement follow up for behavioral concerns, Campus Inclusion and Community to further initiatives regarding inclusion and belonging, and other campus partners to support these areas. The Director of RCS also works with the Director of Operations and Services to ensure seamless operations in residence halls and residential colleges. The Office of Residential Experience sits within the Residential Services department, providing the opportunity for the Director of RCS to serve on the departmental leadership team and collaborate with senior staff to support long-term and strategic goals for the residence halls and residential colleges.
The Director of Residential Community and Support will participate in department wide on-call rotation. In addition, some weekend and evening hours will be required.
Principal Accountabilities:
(25%) Lead the RCS staff in their work to develop, implement, assess, and enhance the experience of living on campus while closely partnering with departmental and campus partners. Maintain and enhance the existing partnership with the Residential Academic Engagement team in support of co-curricular, academic linkage, and student leadership opportunities, including the functioning of Residential Colleges and the Faculty-in-Residence program. Partner with Operations and Services on operational aspects of the residential experience, including opening, closing, care of facilities, and area desk operations. Ensure that the Student Affairs Strategic Plan and student learning outcomes (of both the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of Residential Services) are incorporated into annual goals, initiatives, and the overall residential experience.
(15%) Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate Residential Community and Support teams, including management staff (Assistant Directors and Area Coordinators), hall staff (Resident Directors and graduate level Assistant Resident Directors), and paraprofessional student staff (Resident Assistants and Graduate Resident Assistants). Ensure that departmental training provides staff with necessary knowledge, skills and abilities.
(15%) Direct the centralized Residential Community and Support administrative program. Determine highest and best use of department budget, approximately $1.1 million, excluding staff salaries and benefits. Coordinate and manage staff on-duty and on-call rotations as well as hall desk operations.
(10%) Report to the Senior Director of Residential Experience and serve on the department senior administrative team with the Director of Operations and Services, Director of Residential and Academic Engagement, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Planning, and Assistant Director of Budget and Finance. Participate fully, constructively, and cooperatively with all functional areas in establishing and guiding Residential Services operational policies and procedures. Represent Residential Services to various University Offices, such as: Counseling and Psychological Services, University Police, Academic Affairs, Dean of Students, Community Standards, Campus Inclusion and Community, Admissions, Office of Student Transition Experience, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Student Engagement. Build strong relationships and engage with individual students, student organizations, parents/family organizations, and the public on departmental challenges, interests and concerns as related to Residential Services.
(10%) Participate in the establishment and administration of equitable community standards policies and procedures with students and University Office of Community Standards staff while monitoring student behavior. Engage members of the residential community to best build a sense of accountability and respect. In consultation with the Dean of Students office, hear cases warranting suspension from the residence halls, handle judicial appeals, and determine menu of sanctions for policy violations.
(10%) Appropriately respond to Residential Services after-hours emergent, crisis and emergency situations on a 24-hour basis. Coordinate emergency response with Residential Community and Support staff and critical campus partners, including Dean of Students and University Police. Provide in-person response to Residential Services emergencies, as warranted. Maintain safety standards and training to assure compliance with University, State, and Federal codes and regulations.
(10%) Serve as Residential Services representative on University committees. Represent the University in local, regional, and national professional organizations. Prepare and oversee the preparation of special and periodic reports on departmental operations, programs, and initiatives.
(5%) Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Master's degree in student personnel, educational administration or related field is required.
Requires 5-7 years of progressively expanded relevant administrative experience in residence life and/or student affairs. Requires two years of professional "live-in" experience. Requires four years of experience supervising residence life/student affairs professional staff. Requires two years’ experience with budgets and administrative systems. Additional professional experience in functional areas of Student Affairs, apart from residence life, is desirable.
Minimum Competencies:
Requires excellent organizational and communication skills. Evidence of appreciation and support of other divisions of housing operations (facilities/food service/business operations) is highly desired. Evidence of commitment to the housing profession through attendance, presentations, and publications at the regional and national level is preferred. Evidence of ability to demonstrate high energy, enthusiasm, commitment to diversity, and relate to a wide variety of personalities and offices, and to create the same in Residential Life staff, is highly desired. Evidence of knowledge of student development and application to programs and experiences or relevance, practicality, and substance to students is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in program assessment and strategic planning.
- Demonstrated success in cultivating relationships and creating collaborative partnerships.
- Comprehensive (7-10 years) related student development and higher education administrative experience, including supervision, mentoring, coaching, and training of a large staff.
Benefits: At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.
Work-Life and Wellness: Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.
Professional Growth and Development: Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.
Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.
The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.
Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.
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