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Posted: 04-Sep-24
Location: Mars Hill, North Carolina
Employment Type:
Organization Type:
Mars Hill University is a private, four-year liberal arts institution located in the mountains of western North Carolina. Founded in 1856 by Baptist families of the region, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in western North Carolina on its original site. Mars Hill University, an academic community rooted in the Christian faith, challenges and equips students to pursue intellectual, spiritual, and personal growth through an education that is grounded in a rigorous study of the Liberal Arts, connected with the world of work, and committed to character development, to service, and to responsible citizenship in the community, the region, and the world.
DEPARTMENT: Student Life
POSITION/TITLE: Area Coordinator
LOCATION: Mars Hill, NC
SUPERVISOR: Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Residence Life
SCOPE: The Area Coordinator is a staff member living in a University owned property assisting in the development of students in the upperclassmen communities and managing the safety and security of the residents. The Area Coordinator is a required live-in position that is fully engaged in the academic and cocurricular life of MHU. The AC is an essential partner in education, development, and empowerment of the whole student. The goal of the position is to actively support the mission and goals of Mars Hill University, the division of Student Life, and the office of Housing and Residence Life.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Occasional moderate lifting up to 40 pounds required
- Ability to walk up multiple flights of stairs
- Stand for indeterminate lengths of time
TRAVEL/TIME REQUIREMENTS:
- Working beyond a normal 40-hour week, including evenings and weekends, is often necessary
On-call duty
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree from accredited college or university with two or more year's residence life staff experience
- Collaborative, effective, enthusiastic team member with a strong commitment to working with diverse population of paraprofessional staff, senior administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni
- Commitment to, and appreciation of, Higher Education in residential settings and demonstrated knowledge of student development theory
- Excellent interpersonal (Emotional Intelligence) and communication skills required (ability to clearly express ideas and concepts orally and in writing)
- Strong skills in mentoring, advising, programming, and crisis management
- Active engagement in diversity issues, conversations and/or related experience
- Demonstrated understanding of changing student needs and ability to articulate those needs to the university community
- Creative problem-solving capabilities with demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and autonomous Able to maintain a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays as necessary
- Assist in leading staff and student teams in the successful implementation of a comprehensive camp and conference program, from prior planning to post evaluation including providing outstanding customer service, a safe facility, trained staff, and accurate administrative records
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's degree in higher education administration, student development, counseling, human services, or a related field
- Two or more years of full-time experience in Residence Life or Student Affairs
- Two or more years' experience supervising, mentoring, and motivating a diverse student staff team Two or more years' experience in coordinating paraprofessional staff training and development Experience engaging student crises and at-risk student needs
- Demonstrated collaborative work with faculty to create a seamless environment that encompasses students' academic and co-curricular experiences
- Demonstrated involvement in professional associations in the field of Higher Education Student Affairs Proficiency with data management and housing/conduct software packages
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
Administration
- Work with Assistant Director of Housing to manage living area budgets and University credit cards for the assigned living area appropriately
- Communicate effectively with residents, parents, staff, and faculty both verbally and in writing Establish and maintain communication with Maintenance, Custodial Staff and other campus offices to ensure the living area is well maintained and secure for the well-being of all residents and guests Communicate and assist with timely coordination of housing assignments, room consolidations, room changes, check-in/out processes and damage billing. Conduct fire drills once per semester in assigned living area
- Conduct regular building tours with Maintenance, Security and other Residence Life staff as needed to ensure the safety and security of residents. Walk through assigned living areas each workday to be aware of general conditions and to personally build community
- Coordinate and schedule use of common spaces and building equipment.
- Serve on rotating on-call duty coverage with other Residence Life staff, including weekends and holidays. Serve as the emergency building administrator for assigned living area Oversee nightly duty and coverage of the living area by student staff and others
- Keep the Residence Life leadership apprised of current and/or potential problems involving residents, parents, guests, etc.
- Attend and actively participate in weekly individual and Residence Life staff team meetings Assist in the supervision of the residential component of university summer camps, conferences, recreation, and summer resident housing, including all recruitment, selection, and hiring of summer personnel and budgeting for programs and services
- Assist as daily contact person to assigned camp and conference groups, provide university response for emergencies during camps and conferences, and ensure the completion of all maintenance workorders and damage charges to groups at the conclusion of each summer camp
Staff Selection, Training, & Supervision
- Provide direction to the student staff in communicating, interpreting, and administering Residence Life and University policies and procedures
- Provide opportunities, training experiences, and one-to-one contacts that identify and help resolve individual problems and conflicts
- Recruit, select, train, supervise, and encourage Resident Assistant (RA) staff
- Review each RA's progress toward goals; provide support, guidance, and redefinition of those goals
- Create and facilitate ongoing student, professional, and leadership staff development opportunities
- Provide guidance, support, and information needed for RAs to fulfill their responsibilities in a timely manner; meeting one-on-one, maintaining regular contact, and open communication with each RA
- Conduct weekly staff meetings to disseminate information, provide training experiences, foster personal and professional growth, and develop a sense of team cohesion and vision
Community Development o Model professional standards to staff and residents o Encourage awareness of student organizations across campus, development of student leaders, and participation in campus traditions o Demonstrate a strong commitment to establishing relationships with residents, student leaders, and other staff, maintaining a level of visibility with each group; develop and implement strategies for intentional interaction with every student in assigned living area each semester
Student Care and Conduct
- Proactively interact with students to help in their success at MHU and collaborate to assist in contacting students for follow up in areas such as early alerts, registration, housing reapplication, and other efforts as needed
- Serve as a primary personal resource for staff and students in dealing with specific residence hall concerns, including roommate conflicts, interpersonal conflicts and other developmental issues
Provide care and support for residents in areas of concern, including, but not limited to, medical, relational, familial, financial, and vocational challenges - Communicate and employ Residence Life policies, procedures, and emergency protocol.
- Appropriately confront students who are violating community standards
- Encourage students to demonstrate responsible and ethical behavior in their communities. Serve as a conduct officer; adjudicate and manage all low level violations of the Student Handbook in assigned living area
Residential Curriculum & Learning Outcomes
- Learn and actively teach the Residence Life Learning Outcomes
- Assist paraprofessional staff in the planning and implementation of a comprehensive residential curriculum, including floor, all-hall, and all-department programming
- Identify the needs of the area, establish goals for communities, and design effective intentional interactions and programming. Direct and coordinate activities to develop an environment where resident needs are effectively addressedSpecific to
Upperclassmen Engagement
- Serve as a resource for students seeking support and as a referral to other resources on campus regarding academic, personal, or mental-health concerns
- Maintain communication with other campus offices/departments and respond to issues concerning residential students
- Design, implement and assess upperclassmen residential programming strategy that supports retaining students at the University as well as in housing, as well as preparing students for life after graduation
- Plan and implement the Upperclassmen Engagement series and Sophomore Celebration Week
- Provide leadership and vision for the department's program development
- Engage in and facilitate educational initiatives including but not limited to Diversity Dialogues, Competency Learning Experience implementation, the Living Charged Community Development model, etc.
Other
- Demonstrate support for the philosophy of the MHU Student Life Division, Residence Life, and the MHU guidelines in the University Personnel & Safety Handbooks and departmental policies Comply with all policies including outside agencies and regulations, including but not limited to: Title IX, Department of Education, Clery Act, FERPA, EEOC, the Department of Labor and the Department of Justice
- Serve on appropriate student development committees as needed
- Pursue continuing education and knowledge of current trends in Student Affairs
- Attend, and when opportunities arise, present for, professional organizations, conferences, and workshops for professional development as approved by supervisor Complete special projects and all other duties as requested
EEO / ADA Statement:
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), MHU provides reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the organization or would change the essential functions of the job. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be directed to Human Resources (see below). MHU is committed to hiring faculty and staff who fully support MHU's mission. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.