Director of Residence Life and Housing

The Director of Residence Life and Housing is a member of the student affairs staff reporting directly to the Vice President of Student Development and Undergraduate Admissions.  The Director is responsible for the development of a comprehensive Residence Life and Housing program that supports retention and engagement efforts of the university.  Focused on the resident student experience, the Director oversees all community development initiatives, housing occupancy and operations, educational program development, the integration of academic experiences with residence life, and the training and development of professional and paraprofessional staff, and individual students.  The Director directly supervises the Assistant Directors of Residence Life and Housing, and indirectly supervises the paraprofessional student staff. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Engagement and Retention

• Using innovation and strategic planning, manage finances and resources, confirm efficient operations and programming, and ensure compliance with all relevant policies, procedures, standards, and laws to support the mission of residence life and housing.
• Lead a quality residential program built on best practices oversee the assessment, planning, implementation, supervision, and evaluation of all programs and services within Residence Life and Housing to provide a positive and beneficial experience for residential students.
• Establish and maintain a collaborative relationship with the leadership of several programs including the First Year Seminar and New Student Orientation, to enrich student residential, co-curricular, and academic experiences and improve retention.
• Maintain awareness of University resources for helping students with academic, career, and personal concerns and to make referrals when appropriate to support holistic wellness.
• Report on housing occupancy and projections and design long-range housing plans for programs, student facilities, and processes for renovation and construction to enhance residential opportunities and amenities.
• Build and foster a residential environment grounded in outcomes and assessment to leverage opportunities to create engaging experiences for all residential students.

Supervision

• Oversee the recruitment, supervision, training, and evaluation of the professional and paraprofessional staffs.
• Conduct regular evaluations of the department's organizational structure to ensure best practices and identify areas of development.
• Directly supervise the Assistant Directors of Residence Life and Housing.

Campus-wide Housing Process

• Develop and oversee residential communities that utilize best practices in student development and research to create engaging learning environments.
• In conjunction with the divisions of Enrollment Management and University Communications, design and implement marketing efforts to current and prospective students to promote the available accommodations and the benefits of the residential experience to support recruitment efforts.
• Serve as the primary liaison with all University offices including but not limited to Student Development and Engagement divisional departments, Banner Student Information Systems, ERez Life, Business Office, and the Financial Aid Office.

Conduct and Emergency Response

• Serve as the case management coordinator for residential students who have demonstrated or experienced a crisis situation or difficult transitions.
• Coordinate crisis management protocols, responses and follow ups as well as other essential project planning with Campus Safety & Protection, Facilities, and the Wellness Center to maintain a safe, secure, and healthy living environment.
• Oversee and participate in the campus emergency on call system and the University Emergency Response Plan, particularly during incidents that affect students in housing.
• Serve in the on-call duty rotation for crisis response to support students in critical situations and be a resource to Resident Assistant staff.
• Participate in the conduct process by serving as a conduct hearing officer to determine level of responsibility and support student development and growth.

Departmental Responsibilities 

• Work with and implement the directives of Learning Support Services in providing appropriate housing and meal plans for students with approved accommodations.
• Ensure the creation of a meaningful and vibrant community by overseeing the implementation of development initiatives.
• Maintain on-line and physical communication venues to convey current departmental information and initiatives. 
• Participate in University and Student Development and Engagement meetings, programs, professional development opportunities, and events; serve on University committees, task forces, and projects as designated.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelors degree or related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• The ideal candidate will have 3-7 years of experience in primarily residential programming.
• Individuals should possess excellent oral and written communication skills. 
• Ability to work with time sensitive projects,
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, multi-task and remain pleasant and professional. 
• Evening and weekend work required. 

Preferred Requirements:

• Master's degree in Counseling, Student Personnel Administration, or related field;
• Experience in a college/university setting

Additional Information:

Special Requirements

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.