The Associate Vice President/Associate Dean for Student Living and Learning in the Division of Student Engagement and Transformation reports to the Vice President of Student Engagement and Transformation. This role leads and manages programs, services and personnel. The incumbent will provide division-wide leadership in the areas of strategic planning, assessment, and the curricular approach. The position will also oversee the areas of Residence Life and Conduct. This position is 100% in-person on the Chester Campus with occasional engagement with Commonwealth Law and Delaware Law regarding conduct matters.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (including, but not limited to):
Associate Vice President Duties:
1. Serve on the core leadership team for Student Engagement and Transformation.
2. Lead Student Engagement and Transformation assessment and learning approaching, including the curricular approach and residential curriculum.
3. Lead Student Engagement and Transformation strategic planning and strategic initiatives.
4. Remain current with national trends through professional organizations to assure Widener’s programs are consistent with best practices and norms.
5. Demonstrate readiness and confidence to stand in for the Vice President when needed in their absence.
6. Directly supervise approximately 8 professional staff in the areas of Residence Life/Housing, Student Conduct and office support staff.
7. Indirectly supervise approximately 60 student residence hall staff and student office assistants.
8. Develop budgets for day-to-day residence hall operations, anticipated maintenance and upgrades, and programming budgets for all residential units, including the LLC’s.
9. Assure the VP/SET is apprised of budget and finance needs for planning and overall budget management.
10. Serve on Professional Staff on-call rotation on evenings and weekends to assist with emergency responses and management.
11. Provide leadership and counsel as needed to the Vice President regarding overall functions of Student Engagement and Transformation, including sophisticated assessment of functional areas of Residence Life, Housing and Conduct.
Student Living and Learning Duties:
12. Staff Selection, Training and Evaluation Create and implement systems for effective selection of student and professional staff, and oversee staff selection processes.Assure all staff are effectively trained on routine and emergency protocols for professional and responsive residence hall management.Provide in-service training to staff on emergent concerns and assure that all training is reinforced and refreshed throughout the year.Evaluate professional and student staff against established expectations.Develop and maintain training and onboarding materials for students and professional staff aligned with best practice.
13. Student Living Experience (Residence Life) Support students’ learning, development and belonging through residence hall initiatives and staff engagement with those communities.Facilitate students in developing strong connection among themselves and with the University through involvement in activities and engagement throughout campus and the community.Maximize opportunities for students to develop connections between their academic pursuits and their living environments through LLC’s, residential curriculum, floor and community building programs, intramurals, and through clubs and organizations, athletics, fraternities and sororities, and other campus outreach.
14. Student Housing Operations (Housing) Supervise live-in professional staff, student staff, and housing operations personnel.Develop budgets for day-to-day residence hall operations, anticipated maintenance and upgrades, and programming budgets for all residential units, including the LLC’s.Create and maintain standards and policies to govern student living communities, including housing selection and room change.Maintain positive relationships and effective collaborations with colleagues in facilities, information technology, dining, campus safety and other areas on campus whose work intersects with the student living experience.Maintain accurate occupancy records and assist the university in assuring optimal housing density for positive student experiences.Provide accurate records regarding housing, furnishings, maintenance and custodial needs, and long-term project goals.Partner closely with university facilities on residence hall updates, maintenance, and capital projects.Support the development and implementation of a manageable set of summer programs and conferences (internal and external).
Student Conduct Duties
15. Supervise the Assistant Dean for Student Conduct.
16. Provide leadership for administration of the Student Code of Conduct.
17. Collaborate with Assistant Dean to maintain Widener’s application of the Student Code of Conduct consistent with national best practices and standards, updating the Code annually based on guidance from legal counsel and consistent with trends in higher education.
18. Engage with the campus community to incorporate restorative justice practices into student conduct policies and procedures.
19. Partner with Assistant Dean to identify and train members of the Conduct Committee annually.
20. Educate students and their families about student rights and responsibilities.
21. Propose policy modifications and additions to improve procedures within the Student Code of Conduct.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS :
Required:
22. Master’s degree and a minimum of seven (7) years’ experience in residence life/ housing and conduct. An equivalent combination of skills, abilities, education and experience may be considered.
23. Supervision, training, and development of professional and student staff.
24. Experience developing and implementing assessment and student learning initiatives.
25. Ability to deal with ambiguous situations and act decisively.
26. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.).
27. Advanced interpersonal skills and excellent oral and written communication skills.
28. Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with students, staff/faculty, families.
29. Organized, flexible, and able to handle several tasks simultaneously and in a timely manner.
30. Performs other job-related duties as assigned or directed.
31. Experience and commitment to working with diverse student demographics and professional teams that foster a sense of belonging and inclusion.
32. Ability to read and follow oral and written instructions, compose routine business correspondence, and perform basic mathematical computations.
Preferred:
33. 8-10 years leadership experience in residence life, conduct or a combination of the two.
34. Terminal Degree in Higher Education or related field.
35. Proficiency with Maxient and StarRez software.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR UNUSUAL HOURS:
36. Serve on the Professional Staff on Call Rotation for emergencies.
37. Frequent expectation for evening, weekend and occasional holiday service in addition to regular office hours.
38. Ability to respond quickly and effectively to campus emergency situations.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Widener University is committed to fostering an inclusive community in which faculty, staff, and students from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and personal experiences are welcomed and can thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to providing equal educational and employment opportunities for all persons without regard to age, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or status as a protected veteran.
Widener University, an independent, metropolitan, doctoral-intensive university, connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention and experiential learning are key components of the Widener Experience. Located in Chester, PA, Widener's main campus is nestled between Philadelphia, PA and Wilmington, DE, with Law Schools located in both Harrisburg and Wilmington. For more information about the university, please visit our website at
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