Location : Chicago, IL Job Type: Full-time Staff Job Number: 01129 Department: Student Life Opening Date: 10/14/2024 Summary The Executive Director for Student Development will manage University Housing, Orientation, and all co-curricular activities which engage students in the life of the University. The Executive Director for Student Development serves as a member of the Student Life team who are committed to creating a campus community where all feel welcomed, supported, and safe. This position will work collaboratively across the institution to ensure both commuter and resident students have access to opportunities which reflect the spirit and life of the University. The Executive Director for Student Development reports to the Vice President for Student Life and serves as a leader in the Division, working closely with the Dean of Students and Chief of SXU Police while serving in the on-call rotation. The Division of Student Life has the shared responsibility to maintain an environment where students are safe, can connect to and engage in the campus community and are supported in their efforts to be successful. Essential Duties & Responsibilities
- Oversee the design and delivery of a comprehensive and cohesive array of co-curricular student experience programs intended to build community, foster student learning and development, cultivate sense of belonging and school spirit, and facilitate retention and persistence.
- Responsible for the direct supervision of one full-time Student Development Specialist and one full-time Housing Operations Specialist.
- Manage the day to day operations of Residence Life and the Student Organization Center while supporting the overall Student Life operations and attend to routine inquiries, concerns, and complaints, while serving as an escalation contact for student & parent concerns.
- Provide administrative oversight to Residence Life including setting opening and closing dates, coordinating Athlete accommodations, preparing publications, monitoring resident enrollment status, maintaining the Residence Life website content and Colleague billing module.
- Manage the housing assignment process which includes annual review of the housing agreement and application through the eRezLife portal, maintaining renewal policies, student eligibility and communications through a room selection lottery for both the current student cohort and a new student cohort.
- Provide direct support to room change requests, roommate conflicts, general complaints in coordination with the Housing Operations Specialist.
- Work closely with the University enrollment and budget teams to provide resident projections and weekly resident headcount reports which includes routine reconciliation of rosters (athletes, returning students, new students).
- Work collaboratively with Enrollment Management, Student Success and Academic Affairs, in designing and delivery orientation programs emphasizing transition to college, mission and core values integration, academic success, student development and engagement.
- Serve as the Student Life contact with University Relations to coordinate event coverage and social media presence for student activities.
- Amplify student voices to resolve organizational and development issues that hinder the success of historically and systemically excluded communities.
- Serve as a Deputy Title IX Coordinator and in investigator or adjudicator role as needed.
- Serve as investigator for bias and other grievance complaints.
- Manage the software and technology solutions that support the work in Student Development to include: Ellucian Residence Life module (Colleague) for the University's database; eRezlife.com portal; Anthology's Engage platform (The Den); and others, as assigned.
- Support the selection, training and development of student leaders and paraprofessional staff through management and implementation of the X-Factor Student Leader Process annually.
- Directs ongoing assessment of program offerings and services while coordinating the First-Year Path to Belonging through The Den.
- Manages the University Housing and Student Activity Fund budgets which includes Student Government Association/Student Activities Board, Annual Programs, Multicultural Programs, First-Year Programming, Orientation, and Registered Student Organizations.
- Oversees all purchasing and reconciling University credit card while authorized to initiate venue and vendor contracts for student events.
- Be a visible and engaged leader throughout campus, building bridges between students and administrators.
- Work collaboratively with Facilities Management, Auxiliary Services, Information Technology and other department to coordinate activities and provide exceptional service to students.
- Improve services and assist with providing new initiatives to support and retain students from historically marginalized identities
- Represent Student Life on University-wide committees which may include the First-Year Experience, Transitions Course Planning, University Institutional Effectiveness, and Mission Integration Committees.
- Work with individual students, as well as groups, to provide resources, referrals, mentorship, crisis intervention, and general guidance as appropriate.
- Serve in the on call rotation for emergency assistance and crisis intervention with the Student Life Professional on-call staff.
Qualifications
- Masters degree in higher education administration/counseling or related field required.
- 5 plus years of full-time experience with residence life/university housing, event planning, student activities, orientation, equity, and inclusion programs; graduate assistant work is considered.
- Programmatic and supervisory experience and demonstrated student organizational leadership experience preferred.
- Strong oral and written communication skills with exceptional organization and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to cultivate and maintain strong relationships, and build consensus and support.
- Knowledge of human and student development, group dynamics, personal computer proficiency, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills preferred.
- Passion for thinking boldly about addressing and working to dismantle systemic racial injustices as well as intersecting systems of oppression with a commitment to serving diverse student populations.
- Bilingual Spanish speaking preferred.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends as required for programming elements of the position and on-call needs.
Additional Expectations We inspire success by working together to provide meaningful, personalized service in a spirit of excellence. SXU seeks candidates that deliver value-added services in a responsive, collaborative, effective, and respectful manner. Saint Xavier University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that makes all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotions and all other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, creed, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status or other factors protected by law. Hiring decisions will be based on the bona fide occupational qualifications of each applicant. The University is committed to diversity and encourages applications from individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Saint Xavier University affirms its position as a Catholic institution, inspired by the heritage of the Sisters of Mercy, and asserts its rights to employ persons who subscribe to the mission, vision and core values of the University. Saint Xavier University is committed to providing employees with a comprehensive benefits package that meets the needs of both the individual and his/her family. Many of the benefits are flexible and offer choices to meet various benefit needs. SXU employment benefits can be found