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Director, Student Life

Basic Position Information

Job Code: 2161

Title: Director, Student Life

Department: Student Affairs

Essential Personnel: N

Job Family: Student Operations

Job Sub-Family: Student Success

FLSA Classification: E

Job Grade: 16

Grade Min: $65,866

Grade Mid: $79,040

UHD Succession Plan: N

Criticality of Position: N/A

Career Ladder: Individualized

Campus Security Authority: Y

Screening Committee: Y

Motor Vehicle Record Check: Y

Job Summary

The Director of Student Life is responsible for creating and supporting a high-quality student life experience for all students at UHD. The Director of Student Life creates, implements, and facilitates opportunities for co-curricular learning and student leadership development. The Director of Student Life will also promote proactive retention activities and student engagement. The Director of Student Life functions as a student advocate by responding directly to student needs and issues affecting student well-being. The Director of Student Life reports to the Dean of Students.

Duties

  • Develops and market student initiatives and programming that will promote high-quality student life experiences and holistic well-being
  • Implements and facilitates educational and developmental workshops that foster student leadership and professionalism
  • Provides oversight to campus-wide signature student events and programs such as Homecoming, Ring Ceremony, Blue Coats, and others as requested by the Dean of Students
  • Stays abreast of campus services, programs, resources, and other opportunities to aid in the retention of all students
  • Directs students to resources, policies, and procedures to address personal or academic concerns
  • Assists with addressing and responding to student complaints
  • Serves as back-up student conduct officer for Assistant Dean of Students
  • Works with faculty, staff, and administration to address and respond to student concerns and needs
  • Builds relationships and partnerships with student service offices across campus
  • Assists Assistant Dean of Students with leading orientation programming for Student Affairs
  • Oversees social media accounts for Student Affairs
  • Assists the Dean of Students with special projects
  • Assists and supports programming hosted by departments within Student Affairs
  • Performs all other duties assigned by the Dean of Students

Marginal Duties

  • Performs all other duties assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct Reports:

  • Assists with supervising student workers

Delegation of Work:

  • N/A

Supervision Given:

  • N/A

Qualifications

Required Education:

  • Master's degree in Student Affairs Administration, Higher Education, Education, Counseling, Social Work, or related field

Required Experience:

  • Minimum of five (5) years' experience in Student Affairs, college student personnel, higher education administration, or related field with demonstration of progressive leadership and responsibilities
  • Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years' experience in programming and event management on a collegiate level
  • Minimum of three (3) years' experience with leadership development/training programs

License/Certification:

  • None Required

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with college student leadership development
  • Experience working and providing intervention to college students lacking basic needs and other barriers to well-being
  • Experience with student conduct
  • Experience working with an urban/diverse student population
  • Experience with managing business social media accounts
  • Demonstrated experience with commonly used higher education software and applications (PeopleSoft, CampusGroups, Zoom)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge:

  • Knowledge of trends, issues, and accepted practices relevant to higher education, student affairs, student leadership development, and student well-being

Skills:

  • Proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook
  • Excellent diplomacy and interpersonal skills
  • Excellent customer service skills
  • Strong planning and organizational skills, accompanied by strong attention to detail
  • Skilled in analyzing and organizing data sets into reports and presentations

Abilities:

  • Ability to deliver excellent written and oral communication in a manner appropriate to the audience
  • Ability to work through processes quickly and prioritize responsibilities
  • Ability to synthesize detailed, complex information into clear and compelling recommendations for problem
    • solving and decision
    • making

Work Location and Physical Demands

Primary Work Location:

  • Primary Work Location: Works in an office environment

Physical Demands:

  • Physical Demands: Work is normally performed in a typical interior work environment which does not subject the employee to any unpleasant elements. Position is physically comfortable; individual has discretion about sitting (80%) walking (10%), standing (10%), etc. Occasional lifting, pushing, climbing, and pulling may be required. Work environment involves minimal exposure to physical risks. Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required.

Position Specific Competencies

Commitment to Excellence - UHD

  • Demonstrates a commitment to competently perform his/her job duties and responsibilities within established time frames.
  • Continuously strives to improve work performance.
  • Accepts responsibility for his/her commitments to the university.
  • Contributes to the success of the university by consistently providing quality results in the performance of his/her job duties and responsibilities.

Respect and Cooperation

  • Treats others with courtesy, respect, and dignity in the workplace.
  • Promotes cooperation through open and honest communications and consideration of others ideas, thoughts, and opinions.

Integrity

  • Demonstrates high ethical standards of conduct in the performance of his/her job duties and responsibilities.
  • Accepts responsibility for his/her actions.
  • Respects and complies with department and university policies, procedures, and work rules.

Proficiency

  • Possesses required job skills and knowledge.
  • Demonstrates the ability to apply those skills and knowledge to competently perform his/her job duties and assignments.

Dependability

  • Takes responsibility to accomplish job assignments within reasonable deadlines.
  • Willing to accept new projects and/or commitments.
  • Does due diligence to complete projects within specified timeframes and/or fulfill commitments.
  • Arrives to work on time prepared and ready to contribute.

Flexibility

  • Willingly adjusts to changing work assignments or conditions.
  • Open to changes in operational procedures, technology, and/or organizational structure.
  • Views changes as opportunities for learning and professional development.
  • Displays a positive attitude to encourage others.
  • Promptly responds to changes in work priorities and/or unexpected circumstances or situations.

Customer Relations Management

  • Ensures customer's needs and expectations are addressed within his/her department or section. (Customers can be students, external constituents, employees, or university guests.)
  • Mentors and guides department/section staff by sharing knowledge and best practices to appropriately respond to customer's requests.
  • Monitors staff interactions with customers for professional conduct, consistent application of university policies and procedures, and follow up of outstanding requests.
  • Assumes responsibility for addressing complex or unusual requests.

Computer/Automated System Proficiency

  • Proficient in the use of university applications or automated systems to perform job duties.
  • Complies with related policies, procedures, and work rules to maintain system security and data integrity.

Building External Relationships

  • Demonstrates the ability to build rapport and develop relationships with external constituents.
  • Displays a genuine interest in constituents' ideas and concerns, and pursues mutual interests and aspirations between the university and external constituents.
  • Builds trust and forms alliances through shared respect and cooperation.

Leadership

  • Leads the organizational unit's endeavors to achieve its goals and objectives in support of the university's vision and mission.
  • Oversees the organizational unit's operations in accordance with the university's shared values of excellence, student success, inclusiveness, respect, and integrity.
  • Fosters a dynamic work environment that encourages teamwork and cooperation.

Focus on Customer Service

  • Focuses on customer's needs and expectations. (Customers can be students, external constituents, employees, or university guests.)
  • Respectfully ascertains customer's needs and determines appropriate response.
  • Promptly responds by providing requested information, takes appropriate action, or refers customer to appropriate individual or department.
  • If further actions need to be taken, advises customers of realistic timeframes for a response to their request.
  • Follows up with customers on outstanding requests in a timely manner.
  • Tactfully explains to customers why their needs and/or expectations cannot be met if the university does not provide the requested information or services.

Student Success Indirect Support

  • Contributes to student success by assisting students with anything that supports their student experience, whether directly or indirectly.
  • Helps students navigate their way through the different offices, programs, and services at the university and/or connects students with the appropriate party(ies).
  • Connects students with services or resources that can help them with career exploration, goal selection, and ongoing academic assistance.
  • Helps students build peer support networks.
  • Encourages student participation in out-of-class activities.
  • Provides encouragement and guidance to foster student success.
  • Treats students with respect
  • Maintains the learning environment to ensure quality and/or sound pedagogy.

This job description may not encompass all duties and responsibilities associated with the position.