Assistant Dean for Student Affairs

IMPORTANT APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• Upload Resume or Curriculum Vitae for automatic population of information to the application.
• The contact information, work experience, and education listed on your Resume/CV will be parsed and input into your Montclair application.
• Review information and double-check all fields containing information that the system parsed – the software is intelligent, but you need to verify that the data is accurate.
• In the “My Experience” section, you will find a Resume/CV upload option where you can submit your cover letter and all other supporting documents.

Note: If you have an expansive CV, we recommend that you apply manually and only include the positions you have held in the last ten (10) years . You will then be able to attach your Resume/CV, as well as all other supporting documentation in the "My Experience" section of your application.

Job Description

SUMMARY :

Reporting to the Dean of the College of the Arts (CART), the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs will provide leadership and administrative oversight for student success and engagement programs, including academic advising, professional and career development, new student recruitment, enrollment management, orientation and retention activities, student policies and procedures, the development of co-curricular programming that enhances student life and belonging, and alumni relations. The Assistant Dean will develop and support initiatives that further promote the college as an academic leader and cultural destination regionally, nationally, and internationally and provide strategic direction for continued growth and diversity in programs and enrollment.

As a part of CART’s senior management team, the Assistant Dean will oversee the existing student affairs infrastructure, establish short and long-term goals, and provide assessments with a focus on improving the student experience and increasing student success, belonging, and engagement. With faculty, administrators, academic advisors, and career services staff in the College of the Arts and in partnership with university-wide programs, the Assistant Dean will engage students in activities that foster intellectual and professional development. The Assistant Dean will serve as liaison to several campus offices, among them Admissions, Office of the Provost, University College, the Office of Enrollment Management, and all areas under the Division of Student Development and Campus Life including the Dean of Students Office for student-related matters.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Direct the College of the Arts Office of Student Services (student events, advising and career services), a clearinghouse that addresses the needs of prospective and enrolled students.
  
  
• Coordinate and support student success strategies and innovations that strengthen academic excellence, a sense of belonging, and engagement.
  
  
• Direct and manage the work of staff and oversee processes and projects to implement strategic goals for student services. Make hiring decisions, provide coaching and mentoring, and manage performance to achieve college goals.
  
  
• Set a vision and develop and enhance services and programs that ensure equity-oriented advising and increase student success, retention, and graduation.
  
  
• Ensure professional development, team building, and holistic (SSIPP) advising practices among advisors and advising support-staff across the college. Manage cooperation with college- and university-wide advising initiatives and representation of CART Advising on a broad range of university working groups.
  
  
• Provide leadership for enrollment management, including strategic goal setting, data analysis, and monitoring admission of undergraduate and graduate applicants. This includes working with offices of Undergraduate Admissions and The Graduate School to foster efficiencies and cooperation and overseeing CART's comprehensive process of scheduling, managing, and reporting results from student interviews, auditions and portfolio reviews in the various academic units.
  
  
• Spearhead CART's extensive on and off-campus recruitment initiatives, including communications campaigns with prospective students and production of or participation with events such as Arts Days, Open Houses, college fairs, pre-college programs, and New Student Orientations.
  
  
• Actively communicate with all CART constituents, ensuring that students, faculty, and staff are well informed about programs, events, and services that enrich the student experience.
  
  
• Serve as a primary point of contact to triage and resolve complex student issues, including grade grievances and student crises, and help students access resources through referrals to appropriate university offices as needed using discretion and judgment.
  
  
• Interpret, implement, and communicate student and academic policies to multiple audiences and guide students, faculty, and staff in understanding and upholding policies.
  
  
• Work with all CART academic units and university leadership in the evaluation, assessment, and continuous improvement of student support and services; make recommendations, identify and resolve strategic issues of substantial significance that affect the college.
  
  
• Oversee the awarding of college-level scholarships.
  
  
• Work with Residence Life to develop and oversee the college's Arts Interdisciplinary Living Community (housing for CART students), including resident selection and programming.
  
  
• Remain current with national trends in academic and co-curricular advising, student excellence, support, and engagement. Connect with peer institutions for best practices and collect and disseminate best practices within the college.
  
  
• Represent the College of the Arts on relevant standing and ad-hoc university-wide committees, such as the Advising Strategy Group, and effectively advocate for resources and needs.
  
  
• Set the vision and build partnerships with Alumni Relations, the Office of Student Belonging, The Office of Social Justice and Diversity, the Center for Student Involvement, and other student-facing teams.
  
  
• This is a full-time, student-facing position and may require occasional weekend and evening hours for special events.
  
  
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  
• Management retains the right to add or change job duties at any time.
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS :
REQUIRED :

• Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university.
  
  
• A minimum of five years of higher education management experience, leading a department that supports a wide range of student services, college-wide initiatives (e.g., student success, sense of belonging, etc.), and community partnerships.
  
  
• Comprehensive understanding of academic programs, processes and operations in a large public research university. Advanced knowledge of or demonstrated ability to learn academic regulations and university policies, curriculum/graduation requirements, and processes and procedures related to student registration and advising.
  
  
• Project management and budget management experience.
  
  
• Ability to be sensitive to and maintain the confidentiality of records, transcripts, reports, issues, and allegations related to misconduct, grading, and other highly sensitive issues.
  
  
• Advanced communication skills to clearly and effectively communicate information to internal and external audiences, all levels of management, and partners.
  
  
• Possess qualities of a strategic thinker with strong data analytic skills using appropriate dashboards (e.g., admissions, enrollment/re-enrollment).
  
  
• Ability to execute multiple initiatives simultaneously and promote teamwork, effectively solve problems, troubleshoot, think creatively and resolve conflicts.
  
  

PREFERRED:

• Familiarity with the disciplines represented in the College of the Arts (music, theater, dance, visual arts, communication and media fields), particularly in regard to needs and student success metrics.
  
  
• Strong understanding of contemporary diversity and belonging issues, especially as they apply to recruitment and retention, and a commitment to fostering equitable and inclusive environments.
  
  
• Prior experience in student affairs programming.
  
  
• Prior experience as an academic advisor.
  
  
• Demonstrated ability to research and make presentations to varied audiences, large and small.
  
  
• Demonstrated understanding and ability to plan and execute student-focused collateral materials and multimedia communications campaigns.
  
  
• Academic background and experience in student success research.
  
  

PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY

Applicants should include a resume and cover letter describing how their background, skills and education match the needs of the University. When applying, please take a moment to carefully read and follow the steps in the application instruction .

Department

Dean's Office, College of the Arts

Position Type

Administrative

Contact Information:

For questions or concerns, please contact Human Resources' Workday Recruiting Support at 973-655-5000 (Option 2), or email talent @montclair.edu .

EEO/AA Statement

Montclair State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution with a strong commitment to diversity.

Additional information can be found on the website at
www.montclair.edu/human-resources/about-us/eo-aa-and-diversity/

Title IX and 34 C.F.R. 106 Policy

Montclair State is required by Title IX and 34 C.F.R. 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex or gender, and does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in the operation of education programs and activities. The requirement to not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in the operation of education programs and activities extends to admission and employment. For further details, please visit: https://www.montclair.edu/human-resources/job-seekers/