Director, Intercultural Student Engagement

Job Summary

Rhode Island School of Design is actively seeking a Director of Intercultural Student Engagement. The Office of Intercultural Student Engagement (ISE) fosters a campus climate that acknowledges, engages, and supports the spectrum of human diversity at RISD. This team believes in the power of art and design to unleash inherent curiosity, constantly broadening the understanding of the human experience. This position is a great opportunity to provide leadership in student development while promoting cultural awareness, dialogue, and resources for specific RISD communities.

The Director is responsible for providing dynamic and collaborative leadership in advancing RISD’s educational mission and is directly responsible for diversity leadership in the areas of student success and advocacy, campus education, and operational integration. This position serves as Intercultural Student Engagement’s positional leader who ensures direct and high-quality support, advising, and advocacy for students across various identities; delivery of services and programs supporting campus engagement, cross-cultural dialogues, and socio-cultural skill proficiency; and the integration of culturally-specific needs and opportunities into the RISD co-curricular student experience. The Director’s oversight includes administration, programming, policies, communications, services, and personnel in pursuit of facilitating a student community that advances diversity, inclusion, and social equity. This role is part of the Center for Social Equity and Inclusion leadership team and reports to the Associate Dean for Student Social Equity & Inclusion. We seek a culturally competent candidate who will thrive in a campus environment that is committed to advancing the principles of social equity and inclusion, environmental and climate justice, and equal access to resources and opportunities.

Essential Functions

Campus Services

• Implement a robust educational platform of programs and services that advance the personal, socio-cultural, and intellectual development of all student populations; successfully implement a dynamic range of student opportunities that develop skills required for cross-cultural fluency within and across difference; interrupt systems of bias, hate, and discrimination; and promote leadership toward social justice.
• Design and administer tailored programs, programming, services, and advising that support the holistic success of underrepresented students/ identity-based affinity groups. Implement intervention strategies and enact campus partnerships that maximize the participation of these populations in the intellectual, artistic, and social life on campus. These identities include but are not limited to student affiliations across age; ability; class; color; ethnicity; gender identity and expression; nationality; national status (citizenship); race; religion and spiritual practices; sexual orientation; and socio-economic status.
• Direct and supervise First Generation to College student success, retention, and advising initiatives including Project Thrive and first generation to college student pre-orientation summer programs. Advance program development and institutional integration for first generation student success pipeline ranging from pre-admittance through alumni status.
• Direct and administer ISE processes for ongoing needs assessment, program development, and evaluations that are grounded in student development theory/practice; ensure that student needs and opportunities are understood and addressed; and results-oriented. Implement/recommend appropriate action to assure a high degree of quality and inclusion in programs and services.

Social Equity and Inclusion Advancement

• Facilitate awareness, knowledge, and skill-oriented learning opportunities (i.e., workshops) for non-student populations (staff and faculty) that address and advance the success of underrepresented student populations and historically marginalized groups.
• Chair, serve on, and/or engage committees, task forces, and working groups directly involved with student diversity, equity, and inclusion-related recruitment, retention, success, and advancement. Serve as a member of Student Affairs’ CARE Network and recommend and engage with action plans requiring support or direct outreach to students.

• Provide leadership related to evaluating / modifying policies, programs, and processes related to student persistence, satisfaction, and quality of experience.
• Initiate, design, and collaborate with campus partners on key initiatives designed to advance RISD’s SEI Action Plan, Strategic Plan, and/or ISE goals.
• Enlarge RISD’s impact on and opportunities for diversity, inclusion, and equity through the development and maintenance of key relationships with departments, organizations, and individuals inside and outside of the College such as the division of student affairs, faculty, alumni, and community organizations.
• Serve as a resource person and consultant in the area of social equity and inclusion practices. Consult with areas of the College regarding related incidents impacting students or the college community-at-large.

Operations:

• Manage and hold responsibility for ISE all operations, including: fiscal management for departmental budget; facility oversight for Ewing Multicultural Center and auxiliary spaces; application of and compliance with all relevant policies, procedures, standards, and laws.
• Supervise, evaluate, and support ISE staff including: Assistant Director of First Generation Student Support, Assistant Director for Diversity Programs, work study students, and graduate student interns (when appropriate).

Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Demonstrated understanding of, navigation within, and ability to educate on the intersections of ability, class, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, religion/spirituality, and sexual orientation.
• Demonstrated understanding and application of student development theory with an emphasis on its relativity to marginalized student populations and the histories of such groups. Experience implementing theory into practice through the delivery of programs, services, and advising.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices related to diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice. Experience with program development and assessment.
• Successful, impactful experience in advising and working with diverse student populations. Demonstrated good judgment, discretion, awareness of and sensitivity to the interests and concerns of at-risk & marginalized populations.
• Superior interpersonal, communication, and management skills appropriate for establishing, maintaining, and modeling inclusion and equity. Experience in making presentations to small and large audiences.
• Strong writing and public speaking skills.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in working collegially with faculty, administrators, staff, and other members of the campus community regardless of positionality.
• Effective supervisory skills and demonstrated experience with budgetary oversight.
• A history of leadership in institutional change and a demonstrable commitment to advancing institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to receive, handle and address sensitive, personal situations with confidentiality, decorum, protocol, and legal-soundness.
• Ability to work long and varied hours, including weekends and evenings for special programming, with occasional travel.
• Master’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five to seven years of demonstrated experience in diversity, inclusion, and/or equity work with in-depth responsibility and/or leadership experience in higher education or Student Affairs.

Preferred:

• An appreciation for art and design, developed through education, employment, or personal interest Experience in program or curriculum development delivered to audiences, students, or specific targeted populations.

Union

None

Work Schedule

35 hours/week; 12 months/year

Employment Status

Full-Time; Exempt

Grade

09/AD

Documents Needed to Apply

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

Salary Grade Structure

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please upload all required documents.

The successful candidate will be required to meet our pre-employment background screening requirements.

RISD recognizes diversity and inclusivity as fundamental to its learning community and integral to an art and design education. We welcome candidates whose experience has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. RISD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.

For internal use only - Job Family:

Student Affairs