Director of Campus Safety Services

Director of Campus Safety Services

Williams College

Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts (population 7,750). Williamstown is nestled in the Berkshires of Northwest Massachusetts, a rural area with an unusually rich array of nearby cultural institutions. Williams is a coeducational residential liberal arts institution distinguished by a reputation for outstanding and inclusive teaching and scholarship, academic excellence, and exceptional alumni loyalty. The college is committed to building and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning community of approximately 2,100 students and over 1,200 faculty and staff. For more information, please visit: www.williams.edu

Campus Context:

This is an exciting time for a new Director of Campus Safety Services (CSS) to join the Williams community. As is the case on college campuses across the country, there is much work to be done to maintain the safety of the campus while simultaneously building confidence and authentic relationships with students, faculty, and staff. The next Director of CSS will be exceptionally attuned to the needs and experiences of Williams’ broadly diverse community and will be adept at supporting and enhancing the campus experience of all those with whom they work.

The new Director of CSS, will prioritize the critical objectives of fairness, equity, and social justice, and actively instill and model these values throughout the department. CSS employs a community- and prevention-based approach to their work, which relies on building and maintaining productive relationships with campus and community constituents. The next Director will have a robust and nuanced understanding of contemporary challenges inherent to a small residential college campus. Their knowledge should be informed by substantial experience supporting the experience of diverse communities and an eagerness to maintain productive working relationships with student affairs departments, the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and other key administrative stakeholders throughout the campus.

As a key member of the senior team of the VP for Finance and Administration, the new Director must be a valued and trusted colleague at Williams and in the surrounding community. The Director will collaborate with a large number of key partners on campus, including the Dean of Students Office, Facilities, Athletics, Dining Services, The Office of Campus Life, and the Office of Accessible Education, among others. In addition, the next Director will be expected to form meaningful working relationships with local law enforcement agencies and with community associations and partners. The next director will join a team of CSS members who are seasoned, engaged, and motivated to perform at their best and in a manner consistent with the mission, vision, and values of the department and the college. Team members, who are not sworn officers, hold a wide range of backgrounds including previous experience in law enforcement, corrections, emergency management and safety/access technology management.

About the Position:

Reporting to the Vice President for Finance and Administration, the Director is responsible for the leadership and administration of the Department and ensuring the safety of the college community. They also provide a range of operational services and protect college operations and property. This includes, but if not limited to, the following:

• Supervision of all personnel in the Campus Safety & Services department, including selection, training, evaluation, and discipline.
• Lead departmental diversity initiatives and partner with others on campus to facilitate a broader understanding of CSS’s role in wider institutional initiatives around diversity, equity, and
• Collaboration with internal and external partners on the care and support for students, including wellness checks and outreach programs to help educate students about personal safety. Supports the Dean’s Office with investigations of on-campus student conduct and/or criminal complaints.
• Collaboration with College partners as well as external agencies, including local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, the local Fire Department and regional emergency
• Responsible for emergency response planning, preparation and maintenance of the College-wide emergency response plan. Plan and execute an annual tabletop exercise to practice and fine-tune the emergency response
• Compliance with federal government crime reporting requirements (Clery Act) and other relevant regulatory obligations.
• Close collaboration with the Office of Accessible Education and other College partners to foreground accessibility as a strategic and operational priority. Commitment to soliciting input from students with disabilities on the update and improvement of accessible options for transportation and public safety initiatives.
• Design and implementation of campus community safety programs, including the construction and ongoing modification of campus policies, protocols, and practices relating to all aspects of safety and security. Provide leadership for timely notifications to the campus community of public safety concerns and collaborative development of programs to reduce risk. Coordination of emergency notification procedures and collaborative leadership of the College’s Emergency Response
• Oversight and management of all public safety communications, dispatch operations, electronic access control systems, and parking operations and enforcement. Oversight of parking policies and procedures. Oversight and implementation of departmental operating procedures.
• Function as a senior administrator within the Office of Finance and Administration. Assists the Vice-President with various tasks, including, but not limited to, stewardship of departmental operating budget as well as long- and short-term resource planning.
• Participation on college committees and assistance with college-wide initiatives.
• Functions as a campus leader in emergency management and all safety and security initiatives.

Candidate Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree is required. Master’s degree in criminal justice or another relevant field is preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in safety and security or law enforcement in a management
• Extensive track record of effective supervisory, leadership, management, and team-building skills.
• Extensive experience in understanding and addressing the interests and needs of broadly diverse populations, including demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, customers and individuals from diverse
• Strong record of work in a college/ university campus safety department.
• Experience with building strong partnerships with local and state law enforcement agencies and other service providers who have direct engagement with our campus
• Strong decision-making ability, organizational, budgetary, and fiscal management
• Excellent interpersonal skills including oral and written communication and presentation

Interested candidates should visit Spelman and Johnson to learn more and to apply:

https://www.spelmanandjohnson.com/position/director-of-campus-safety-services/

Our expectation is that the successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion. Applicants should highlight relevant experience with building, working with, and supporting a broadly diverse and inclusive community.

Employment at Williams is contingent on the verification of background information submitted by the applicant, including the completion of a criminal record check, and education when applicable.