Career Center

Job Description Summary

The Director of Student Leadership and Involvement provides strong educational, social, and leadership development-oriented, co-curricular experiences that enhance student learning and campus life at Michigan Technological University. Reporting to the Associate Dean of Students, the Director will oversee the design and implementation of engaging programs and activities promoting student life, building leadership capacity, and supporting student success and a vibrant, inclusive student body. The Director plays an integral role in the academic and professional development of students' assets through various high-impact experiences.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities (other duties may be assigned)

1. Lead long- and short-term strategic visioning and planning for the department, advocate for departmental needs and resources to support student engagement.
2. Supervise a team of professional and student staff
3. Collaborate with students, administrators, faculty and staff to promote an inclusive and engaging learning environment outside the classroom through student-centered, collaborative programming.
4. Provides oversight for tracking engagement of students participating in activities or initiatives across campus including participation in clubs and organizations, Fraternity and Sorority Life, intramurals, club sports, community service, and leadership programs
5. Provides oversight, plans, directs and executes major large-scale student and campus-wide events and special projects including collaborating with the Memorial Union Board (MUB Board) to assist with planning campus events.
6. Responsible for creating, modifying, and advising on applicable policies, procedures, and practices that pertain to student activities and events, risk management, and student organizations.
7. Provides strategic support and direction to 250+ student-led organizations/clubs to help facilitate an engaged student body as well as the increase in the number of organizations on campus in order to ensure a diversity of options available to all students
8. Advise Order of Omega Honors Society
9. Serve as lead instructor PE 330: Club Sports and PE 430: Club Sports Leadership courses.
10. Ensures the department provides annual training on policies, standards, and guidelines through annual training for all student organization leaders and advisors to ensure compliance with Board of Trustees policies.
11. Provides fiscal management of Student Leadership and Involvement and appropriate programmatic budgets and provides oversight of the Student Activity Fee budget allocation process.
12. Responsible for the recruitment, training, professional development, and management of all levels of staff in Student Leadership and Involvement.
13. Develops, implements, and conducts comprehensive department assessments that include evidence of student learning, level of engagement in student life/campus life activities and high-impact practices and student satisfaction.
14. Collaborate with Conduct Services regarding conduct cases and sanctioning of student organizations.
15. Apply safety-related knowledge, skills, and practices to everyday work.
16. Actively engage in creating an inclusive, welcoming, and professional work environment for staff, students, and visitors.
17. Collaborate with appropriate stakeholders to ensure that services delivered to students are audience-specific, timely, culturally-relevant, needs-based, aligned with leadership’s priorities and student learning outcomes, and can be evaluated.
18. Leverage relevant social media platforms and other marketing and outreach strategies to promote and increase attendance at events and services.
19. Identify and propose appropriate professional development opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills.
20. Collaborate with supervisor and division leadership to enhance the visibility of Student Affairs achievements by, for example, exploring and submitting proposals to conferences to showcase effective programs that may be replicated within the profession.
21. Develop, propose, and manage approved programming and/or service delivery budgets based on data and event requirements.
22. Recruit, hire, supervise, and evaluate approved and assigned student employees.
23. Participate and actively engage in University continuous improvement initiatives and strategies and apply knowledge to everyday work.
24. Assist with collecting program data and other evidence to better understand student needs, student learning, and programmatic formative and summative outcomes.
25. Ensure that record-keeping systems are updated, accurate, and audit-ready.
26. Submit monthly, annual, and ad hoc productivity reports.
27. Perform other mission-critical and position-specific duties as requested based on operational needs (e.g., all-hands-on-deck events such as orientation, welcome week, homecoming, commencement, and other university traditions).

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures (minimum requirements)

Master’s degree in student personnel or a related field, or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience from which comparable skills can be acquired.

Required Experience (minimum requirements)

1. Three to Five years of professional experience at a college or university in student activities and/or related fields.
2. Relevant experience in leadership training and development, student activities programming, and major event coordination.
3. Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
4. Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills.
5. Experience advising student organizations/groups and or Greek Organizations.
6. Excellent leadership, organization, interpersonal, and oral/written/presentation skills.
7. Demonstrated ability and willingness to work evening and weekend hours.

Desirable Education and/or Experience

1. Experience advising and/or working closely with fraternity/sorority life.
2. Experience in student risk management. Experience in educational programs directed at student development in higher education.
3. Experience facilitating leadership programs.
4. Experience in the assessment of educational outcomes.
5. Experience working with and creating numerous operating budgets for the office and individual programs.
6. Demonstrated knowledge of the latest computing and technology for the student affairs area including web-based applications and/or desktop publishing.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities (minimum requirements)

To maximize our effectiveness and success as a Division and to serve as campus leaders in developing staff talent, Student Affairs at Michigan Tech adopts the following core required knowledge, skills, and/or abilities for all positions:

Skills
1. Effective written and oral communication skills as demonstrated through application materials, interview, and/or reference checks.
2. Self-management skills: ability to manage time effectively, learn and contribute to overall departmental tasks and goals.
3. Project coordination skills: ability to lead or contribute to planning or organizing projects, programs, services, etc.
4. Conflict resolution skills: ability to use interpersonal skills to develop and maintain positive professional relationships and resolve conflict in a team environment and with individuals from various diverse backgrounds and experiences.
5. Analytical skills: ability to analyze information and offer sound recommendations.
6. Computational skills: ability to perform basic mathematical computations to assist with financial operations and/or data collection, analysis, and reporting.
7. Computer skills: proficiency with word processing and spreadsheet software, preferably Microsoft Office or Google Suite.

Abilities
1. Ability to adhere to work attendance requirements.
2. Ability to model self-care and well-being for colleagues and, most importantly, students.
3. Ability to manage emotions, function effectively, and make sound decisions in stressful and crisis situations.
4. Ability to handle multiple projects in a timely and professional manner in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment.
5. Ability to promote and achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion of multi-racial/ethnic, low-income, LGBTQ+, veteran, non-traditional, online, disability, first-generation, and others.
6. Ability to be flexible, diplomatic, patient, service-driven, and a self-starter.
7. Ability to work independently under limited supervision and in teams.
8. Ability to make reasoned administrative and procedural decisions and judgments on sensitive and confidential issues.
9. Ability to work evening and weekend hours based on operational need.

10.Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries and work harmoniously with diverse groups of students, faculty, and staff.  

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

To maximize our effectiveness and success as a Division and to serve as campus leaders in developing staff talent, Student Affairs at Michigan Tech adopts the following core desired knowledge, skills, and/or abilities for all positions:

1. Preparatory knowledge: coursework- or work-based knowledge of student development theories, learning theories, and other theories related to the profession.
2. Student knowledge: knowledge of generational college students and the ability to design generation- and audience-specific programs/events/services.
3. Accountability: experience with applying formative, summative, qualitative, and/or quantitative methodologies to assessing student learning outcomes and/or evaluating programs and services.
4. Branding experience: ability to design brochures, event flyers, and/or newsletters
5. Social media experience: ability to develop and manage social media accounts
6. Reporting experience: experience with program databases or software programs used to track, monitor, and report services to students.
7. Ability to plan and execute programs and services based on social justice, cultural responsiveness, anti-racism, and civility.

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
● Moving small- to medium-sized boxes of materials in and out office during special events
● Driving personal or university vehicles or golf-cart during special events to transport materials and supplies to events
● The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate
● Fast-paced
● Results-oriented
● Accountability-driven


Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Personal Protective Equipment: None Required

Required Training and Other Conditions of Employment

Every employee at Michigan Technological University will receive the following 4 required trainings; additional training may be required by the department.

Required University Training:

• Employee Safety Overview

• Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation Training

• Annual Data Security Training 

• Annual Title IX Training

Background Check:

Offers of employment are contingent upon and not considered finalized until the required background check has been performed and the results received and assessed.

Other Conditions of Employment:

The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. Visa sponsorship is unavailable at this time. This is not an E-Verified Position.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities

1.0

FLSA Status

Exempt

Appointment Term

Shift

Pay Rate/Salary

Negotiable, No less than $69,000

Title of Position Supervisor

Associate Dean of Students

Posting Type

Dependent on Funding

Special Instructions to Applicants (if applicable)

Please upload a cover letter that addresses required and desired qualifications, knowledge, skills, and abilities; a résumé with starting and ending month and year for each job; and contact information for three references. The position will remain open until filled.
The screening process may also include a self-assessment of required and desired skills, abilities, and experiences.

Additional Information

Michigan Tech is an internationally renowned doctoral research flagship university located in Houghton, MI. Houghton is located in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula on the south shore of Lake Superior. The area provides a unique setting where natural beauty, culture, education, and a diversity of residents from around the world come together to share a superb living and learning experience.

We embrace our winters and cherish our summers with an unapologetic spirit of resilience and adventure. We attract students and employees who love “the great outdoors” and are comfortable with not having amenities usually associated with large communities. Interested individuals are strongly encouraged to research the geographical area carefully before applying.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The Character of the Division (and for the AD)

The Division of Student Affairs at Michigan Tech is devoted to student success from enrollment to commencement. We are dynamic, agile, and culturally responsive. We guide, support, and, on occasion, challenge students as they develop, refine, and pursue their academic, career, and personal endeavors. All staff are responsible for creating a safe, welcoming, diverse, inclusive, respectful, and caring environment for students, colleagues, and visitors. We seek skilled and diverse colleagues who are student-focused, nimble, and self-motivated, and will embrace and respect who we are and what we do. We also seek colleagues committed to moving the Division forward towards prominence and influence on campus, nationally, and within the Student Affairs profession. Titles and responsibilities are subject to change in accordance with university policies and procedures to meet the needs of our students, the university and division, the state of Michigan, employers, and the profession.

Before applying, we encourage interested individuals to spend time learning more about who we are, our values, and what we do: https://www.mtu.edu/student-affairs/.