Assistant Director of Residence Life

POSITION SUMMARY: The Assistant Director of Residence Life (ADRL) is responsible for maintaining an atmosphere in the residence facility that supports the purposes of Vanguard University of Southern California. The ADRL’s primary responsibility is to facilitate co-curricular programming which provides educational opportunities for the personal, social, and spiritual development of resident students. Responsibilities include the administration and assessment of programs, student care and conduct, mentoring, and supervision of the residence hall. Additional responsibilities for the ADRL include assistance with on-boarding of new staff, resourcing RA training, development of new residential programs, services, and systems, RA and overall program data tracking, assistance with higher level conduct and care cases, emergency and crisis management when ADRL is unavailable, and additional summer supervision. The ADRL will coordinate the efforts of students and Residence Life Staff with VUSC Student Development to create an environment where life, faith and learning come together. The ADRL reports to the Associate Dean of Residence Life (ADRL).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Departmental Expectations, Student Leader & Graduate Intern Supervision and Development

• Oversee, develop, and assess departmental RA fall training and ongoing RA class training and retreat planning.
• Oversee and assess Resident Assistant hiring process in collaboration with ADRL.
• Collaborate with ADRL and ADSCC on Residence Life graduate assistant program.
• Establish and implement second-year RA cohort and training curriculum in partnership with RD team.
• Supervise and support graduate assistant in all functions of apprenticeship.
• Supervise RAs individually and in weekly staff meetings.
• Work with the Residence Life team to fulfill the goals and objectives of all Residence Life programs.
• Mentor and invest in students to promote accountability and encourage personal and spiritual growth.
• Provide guidance for personal and professional development of RA staff.
• Attend and actively contribute to all departmental and Student Development staff meetings, professional development opportunities, and retreats, including student leadership and RA retreats.
• Maintain a high level of student outreach, contact, and availability to resident students.
• Provide appropriate information and referrals to the ADRL, Academic Resources, Career Center, Counseling Center, Registrar, etc. Have fluent knowledge of housing processes and campus-wide systems to be able to assist students.
• Participate in department wide/institution wide committees and assessment as assigned.

Programming

• Develop, implement, and assess Residence Life programming model to enhanced programming curriculum in collaboration with ADRL.
• Collaborate and facilitate faculty outreach and partnership opportunities.
• Plan and facilitate active programs that offer developmentally appropriate conversations which promote educational, social, personal and spiritual growth for residents.
• Evaluate and assess the effectiveness of departmental active programs and quality of students' experiences.
• Support Student Affairs staff in the development of all-campus educational and special interest programs.
• Manage hall and department Instagram accounts through regular posting and sharing of information.

Building Supervision

• Partner with the Assistant Director of Housing to support the housing check-in and check-out processes, distribution of building information, maintenance of appropriate signage, and approve room changes.
• Assist in accurate record keeping in StarRez (housing software) in coordination with Assistant Director of Housing.
• Administer University student policy and regulations related to residence hall operations.
• Provide leadership which promotes and supports an atmosphere of academic achievement within the residence hall.
• Be familiar with physical needs of students and building condition through detailed walk-throughs before move-in and after term end, as well as consistent walk-throughs throughout the semester; responsible to submit work orders for any maintenance/issues that arise and will submit annual building update request. Communicate facility needs and custodial concerns to the Assistant Director of Housing as a liaison with the Facilities department and follow-up on the progress for long-term or large projects.
• Respond to all emergencies and supervise the initial crisis situation and intervention within the residence hall.
• Participate in the on-duty rotation providing 24-hour emergency response year-round. During the business day, RDs/ADRL are responsible to respond to crises in their buildings. The RD-on-Duty serves as a backup when RDs are unavailable or already responding, and after hours/weekends.

Student Conduct & Care Administration

• Research and strategize special residential population needs and department-wide interventions (first generation college students, minoritized populations, etc) in partnership with ADRL.
• Maintain community behavioral standards by participating in the conduct process.
• Act as active care case manager for VUSC students needing conflict mediation, mental health, coordinated care, resource consultation and overall care.
• Serve on Behavioral Intervention Team and Student Care and Conduct Interventions Team as needed.
• Help to create appropriate and developmental student discipline contracts under the direction of the ADRL.
• Monitor and evaluate student discipline contracts as assigned by the ADRL; higher level cases as assigned.
• Create, monitor, implement, and evaluate programs designed to help student development in line with the mission and vision of Vanguard including but not limited to those focused on alcohol prevention education, developing healthy sexuality, and healthy relationships.
• Mediate conflict between residents as needed.
• Support Student Care through case management of assigned students; higher level cases as assigned.
• Keep accurate and up-to-date records in Maxient (conduct software).

Additional Responsibilities

• Provide mentorship and ongoing training for new Residence Life staff. Contribute to new RD training in partnership with ADSCC & ADRL.
• Represent the department on institutional committees and develop cross-divisional collaboration as needs emerge.
• Assist with programming annual reports and general data tracking for the department.
• Assist with SACC as assigned.

Performs other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master's degree required with emphasis in student development theory, higher education or counseling psychology preferred.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in education of college students in a residential setting.
• Ability to engage in crisis management and emergency response.
• Strong case management skills: organized, responsible, collaborative, with strong administrative capacity.
• Ability to navigate challenges and opportunities as they arise, and make decisions both collaboratively and independently.
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with students, faculty, staff, and parents.
• Ability to appropriately manage sensitive and confidential information.
• Ability to uphold policies, navigate conflict, and engage in difficult conversations with peers, students, and campus collaborators.
• Knowledge of student development theory, program development and assessment, management, staff training/development, and student advisement.

Salary:

Full-time position.

$71,000 to $73.500 (Annual)

Placement within the salary range is commensurate upon education and experience. Posted salary range reflects anticipated hiring scale for the position. Vanguard University also offers a very competitive and generous benefits package.