Associate Director of Residential Life

Alabama-A; Normal (AL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Alabama A&M University Residential Life and Housing Department seeks an Associate Director of Residential Life to provide leadership for residence life and student development-based educational functions, fostering a vibrant, inclusive living-learning community that supports recruitment, retention, and academic success.

The role partners with faculty and campus units, oversees staff training and evaluation, and guides living-learning communities while promoting student engagement, equity, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Five years’ experience in university residential life and housing administration.
• Three years’ experience in supervision, training, and evaluating staff; leading staff development.

Responsibilities

• Develop recruitment and retention programs for professional staff with training opportunities.
• Oversee selection, training and evaluation of staff; ensure compliance with guidelines.
• Create educational programs for leadership, academic success, and student development.
• Promote environments that support retention and graduation through living-learning initiatives.
• Collaborate with faculty on Living Learning Communities and academic initiatives.
• Coordinate self-governance in residence halls and student leadership development.
• Work with assessment staff to evaluate student learning and use data for improvement.
• Resolve issues with students and families; represent the department to stakeholders.

Skills

Staff supervision

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Risk management

Compliance

Listening and empathy

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Job description

Summary

Alabama A&M University Residential Life and Housing Department is seeking an Associate Director of Residential Life. This position will provide overall leadership and direction for residence life and student development-based educational functions and is responsible for creating and sustaining a vibrant residential community. Central to this role is promoting student recruitment, retention, and academic enrichment, specifically as it relates to student learning and development, equity and inclusion, and student engagement. The Associate Director navigates sensitive situations, which they must respond to adeptly and diplomatically to further the interests of students, the department, and the university. The Associate Director of Residence Life will provide leadership in responding to student behavioral crises and other issues that directly impact student success and retention. The position reports to the Director of Residential Life and Housing.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop a comprehensive recruitment and retention program for professional and para-professional staff including training and professional development opportunities

• Ensure timely and effective selection, training and evaluation of professional and para-professional staff
• Annually review, update/revise, and execute training programs in keeping with professional best practices, university, and department goals, and to ensure compliance with life-safety issues, university, and federal guidelines/mandates
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive educational and student development program to include leadership, academic success, and student development components designed to create a vibrant residential community.
• Develop and implement strategies to create academically supportive environments that will lead to increased retention rates in campus housing and increased University graduation rates for students.
• Ensure the needs of diverse and under-represented groups are incorporated in educational outreach and programming activities.
• Oversee and direct an intentional plan without comest that ensure meaningful community experience focusing on academic success, individual growth/learning, and engagement.
• Provide leadership for the planning and development of Living Learning Communities and academic initiatives with the residence halls in collaboration with faculty.
• Ensure the creation of effective self-governingsystems within the residence halls and apartment communities which enable students to gain experience and develop expertise in providing leadership to their own communities and which encourage students to actively participate in decisions which affect their living environment.
• Work collaboratively with assessment staff members to evaluate the student experience, student learning/engagement and ensure results are analyzed and data used for continuous improvement.

• Work proactively with students, family members, and other constituents to quickly and effectively resolve issues.
• Represent the department, responding to and/or presenting departmental perspectives, policy interpretation, and information, to families, alumni, media, and other University and external constituents.
• Foster and maintain effective collaborative relationships with campus departments including but not limited to New Student Orientation, Greek Communities, Parent and Student Programs, Academic Success Center, Career Service, Counseling, Wellness, University Police, etc.
• Serve as a member of the Housing Leadership Team and participate in the strategic planning process and in establishing short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate residence life vision and goals for residence life/residence education and communicate and collaborate with the Leadership Team related to goals.
• Collaborate with others as required, and participate as an active and supportive member of the Department of Housing & Residence Life.
• Prepare the residence life section of the annual report in final form according to established deadlines.
• Maintain professional contacts through ACUHO-I and other professional organizations.
• Perform other related duties as directed or required that promote the goals and objectives of Housing & Residence Life.

Minimum Position Requirements (including certifications, licenses, etc.)

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Five years’ experience in progressively responsible positions in University residential life and housing administration.
• Three years’ experience in:
  • supervision, training, and evaluating professional staff.
  • leading and directing professional and student staff development and training.
  • leading and directing student development-based residence education/programming models.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships
• Strong, administrative, organizational, and supervisory skills
• Understanding of compliance, legal issues, and risk management
• Ability to incorporate best practices into the organizational culture
• Ability to listen well and demonstrate sensitivity to and respect for individual needs