Assistant Director of Residential Engagement #605349

Job Description

The Assistant Director of Residential Engagement is responsible for management and daily operations of the Residential Engagement/Leadership area of Housing and Residence Life (HRL), including oversight of the Residential Colleges program. The Assistant Director is pivotal in working collaboratively with all HRL staff and other campus partners to fully advance the department mission. An ideal candidate for this role will have demonstrated a true commitment to inclusive communities and intercultural competency and development.

Housing and Residence Life at NAU is committed to the total development of the student within an inclusive community through community standards, community experiences, intentional conversations, and encouraged personal growth and academic success. As a departmental leader, the Assistant Director of Residential Engagement provides guidance and support for addressing the needs of staff and students through effective, intentional and innovative community development and academic initiatives, and helps develop and implement a robust residential program for approximately 7,000 on-campus students. This position reports to the Director of Residential Staffing and Engagement.

Specific Responsibilities:

Staff Supervision and Development

• Directly supervise two (2) RL Coordinator, Seniors for Residential Colleges and one (1) RL Coordinator, Senior for Residential Engagement/Leadership.
• Indirectly supervise six (6) Graduate Assistants and approximately 30 student paraprofessional staff.
• Ensure dynamic and appropriate staff recruitment, selection and training.
• Contribute to full-time, graduate, and paraprofessional staff recruitment, selection and training processes.
• Actively engage staff in professional development plans
• Engage staff members in conversations and development opportunities around intercultural competency, diversity, and inclusion.
• Manage appropriate evaluation cycles that promote staff development and accountability.

Residential Colleges (RC) Oversight

• Provide leadership and direction for the Residential College program in partnership with HRL staff and campus partners including Deans and Associate Deans, Academic Advising, and Career Development.
• Provide ongoing review of learning outcomes and goals established for each of the Residential College and implementation of programs informed by said goals for each college;
• Lead and facilitate RC council meetings for assigned academic college.
• Oversee logistics and planning for council events and RC programming; monitor and track RC events and outreach efforts.
• Provide ongoing assessment, approval and oversight of program proposal documentation for program planning and implementation by Residential College Ambassadors and Faculty Liaisons.
• Oversees the overall Residential College budget including the tracking of expenditures and ongoing reconciliation of expenses.
• Oversee program assessment including but not limited to administration of the annual participant survey, Residential College Ambassador pre- and post-assessment, First Year Success Inventory, cohort tracking of Residential College student participants, and collection of demographic information pertaining to the program.
• Work with the Student Affair Strategic Initiatives staff to review assessment practices and results for the program.
• Support the Inclusion and Diversity (ID) Scholar program in residential communities with oversight by the Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIA Student Services.

Residential Engagement/Leadership Oversight

• Provide leadership and direction to staff regarding the implementation of residential engagement, community building and leadership initiatives and associated targeted population focus areas (e.g. first year students, sophomores, etc.)
• Establish goals and priorities for building inclusive communities; promote and demonstrate the department’s Commitment to Inclusive Communities by aiding in the creation of environments that value and respect individuals, and integrate an awareness and appreciation of differences
• Develop and implement departmental plans and campus resources to facilitate an environment that provides academic, educational, and student engagement opportunities
• Review, research, and evaluate all aspects of community development to ensure best practices are being implemented in policies, programs, and procedures designed to meet residential student needs
• Actively collaborate with institutional and divisional entities with programmatic focus areas including health and wellness, sustainability, risk reduction and awareness, etc.
• Provide leadership and direction for HRL Signature Events intended to enliven the NAU residential and campus communities
• Collaborate in planning for campus-wide events such as Welcome Week, NAU Homecoming, Family Weekend, cultural programming, and athletics events
• Oversee program assessment, including annual and special assessment data relative to student learning, community development and inclusion, student engagement and retention and resident satisfaction; utilize results for program enhancement (e.g. Quality of Life, climate surveys, Pulse Survey, First-Year Success Indicator)
• Develop and implement tracking expectations for all residential engagement efforts. Run regular reports to identify trends and opportunities.
• Oversee budget for large-scale programming and the Community Development Center (CDC)
• Provide support and guidance to RL Coordinator, Senior in their role as Advisor to the Residence Hall Association (RHA)
• Direct, plan, and provide leadership opportunities for residential students by developing and implementing programs to enhance leadership skills development
• Implement leadership training for residential student leaders as well as other Housing and Residence Life sponsored programs and organizations
• Remain current in emerging professional trends and programs that add value to the residential experience.

Departmental and University Involvement

• Serve on committees that support residential students, transitional programs, and retention and assessment efforts affecting residential students.
• Serve on departmental committees.
• Serve on program specific committees as needed.
• Participate in professional development opportunities and trainings that enhance performance and contributes to the department, university and/or profession.
• Contribute to HRL mission and values through participation in strategic planning, department goal setting, and determining hall staffing priorities and initiatives.
• Stay current in higher education and student development trends and best practices.
• Develop an individual professional development plan in consultation with the Associate Vice President serve as a role model relative to the professional development of full-time, graduate, and central office staff.
• Participate in and assist with the annual departmental training of new graduate assistant and full-time staff members (Foundations Training) as well as student staff training.
• Participate in departmental leadership team meetings, training, and professional development sessions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, and
• Three or more years of relevant experience.
• A combination of related education, experience, and training.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Student Personnel, Administration, Counseling, Higher Education Administration, or related field.
• Experience programming in a higher education residential environment.
• Experience working with student leadership groups.
• Experience working with Residential Colleges or Learning Communities.
• Experience with budget administration.
• Experience working with a Residence Hall Association and National Residence Hall Honorary.
• Experience with program planning and assessment.
• Ability to apply student developmental concepts to program practices and staff development.

Please see nau.jobs for full job descriptions and details on how to apply online!  NAU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.