Associate Director of Residential Education

Who We Are
We, the Division of Student Affairs, are a student-focused organization that aims to empower student success and support personal development. We act daily to create, enhance, and sustain a culture of respect and inclusion in the workplace, focusing on equity and justice in its many forms, including racial, social, and environmental justice. We intentionally and relentlessly pursue excellence through introspection, vulnerability, empathy, compassion, learning, and courage. We value our internal and external partnerships as vital drivers of the ambitious goals we pursue. We celebrate and take pride in the following:

• Named one of the "Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs" by Diverse Magazine.
• Serving a highly diverse student body (click here for more information).
• Leading the way as the #1 ranked institution in the AAU and #3 of all colleges and universities nationally in fostering our students' social mobility.
• Awarded multiple distinctions including philanthropic awards and research grants in experiential learning and career development, voter engagement, student engagement, health and wellness practices, and quality of residential life.

Click here for more about Student Affairs.

Required Qualifications (as evidenced by an attached resume):
Master's degree (foreign equivalent or higher). Five (5) years of full-time management experience in College Housing. Experience supervising professional staff. Experience working with a diverse campus population of students, faculty, staff, and outside constituencies.

Preferred Qualifications:
Master's degree (foreign equivalent or higher) in Student Personnel Administration, Higher Education, or related field. Experience with Living Learning Communities and/or First-Year Housing. Experience in developing and implementing staff training programs. Experience adjudicating student conduct cases. Experience with budget preparation, coordination, and/or tracking of expenses. Leadership experience on a department or division level (i.e., chairing a committee, leader of a workgroup or initiative, etc.). Experience with student crisis and risk management. Experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Experience developing and implementing educational, social, and community-building programs and events.

Brief Description of Duties:
The responsibilities include training, supervision, development, and evaluation of two to three (2-3) assistant directors and general administration of eight to twelve (8-12) residence halls housing approximately 2,000-3,000 students. The Associate Director is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the initiative, programs, and services essential to the retention efforts, and transition and academic success of students at Stony Brook University. Responsibilities include creating and maintaining a safe, secure, and healthy environment conducive to student learning and success. It is expected that programs and services will address the specific needs of the assigned student population and their well-being. The selected candidate will have an essential role in the planning and execution of either the First-Year Residential Experience, Living Learning Community Area, Suite-Style Continuing Student Housing, or Apartment Housing for graduate and undergraduate students. Incumbents must have well-developed verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills. The selected candidate will perform the following duties:

Staff Supervision:

• Recruit, select, supervise, and evaluate professional, administrative, and student staff members.
• Advise, direct, support, and develop team members through daily supervision and regular staff meetings.
• Facilitate the ongoing training and skill development for team members.
• Promote group cohesion and a sense of teamwork among Assistant Directors, Residence Hall Directors, administrative support staff, Graduate Assistant Coordinators, and Resident Assistants.
• Promote staff growth through individual contact, regular staff meetings, training activities, and workshops.
• Regularly assess staff training needs and work with colleagues to offer programs to meet those needs.
• Direct and lead the creation and implementation of University and departmental engagement initiatives and educational activities.
• Provide and encourage continued professional development for team members.
• Create and provide formal and informal evaluation processes.

Administration and Operation:

• Manage area budget.
• Monitor office systems and operations, including information dissemination, inventory, and databases.
• Create and participate in professional staff recruitment and selection.
• Lead area-wide and departmental goal-setting processes.
• Create and implement residential policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with staff to address facility needs, safety issues, and renovation/special projects.
• Walk rounds of the area to promote health, safety, and security.
• Support departmental professional development initiatives.
• Attend all required departmental and divisional professional training and activities.
• Actively manage and participate in daily operations of summer conferences.
• Support facilities improvement, especially as it relates to safety/security issues.

Crisis and Risk Management:

• Oversee and manage the residential community's daily operations, including-but not limited to-addressing crises, preventing safety and security risks, and using discretion and good judgment in responding to situations.
• Provide campus-wide 24-hour support and direction to professional and student staff, responding to and managing crises.
• Respond to crises, or situations that may pose potential risk to the community.

Student Contact and Community Building:

• Strengthen students' sense of belonging, connection, and retention through regular engagement with professional staff, RA staff, and the diverse community of residents.
• Provide informal counseling and advice to students.
• Serve as resource/referral agent for campus resources such as the Undergraduate Colleges, Student Support Team, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Services, University Police Department, and Financial Aid and Scholarship Services.
• Be visible and available outside of office hours, including walking regular rounds to engage with residents and promote community building.

Academic and Programming Support:

• Design, develop, and implement specialized programs and activities that lead to the overall academic and personal success of residents in the community.
• Collaborate with multiple constituencies to provide a well-rounded, guided, and positive experience for all first-year students, including helping students transition to and successfully navigate their first year.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to provide educational and intentional support and programs for the first-year residential area.
• Serve as the primary liaison with the Undergraduate College advisors and faculty on behalf of Residential Education.
• Promote a wide variety of social and educational programming for residents focusing on the needs of the population, and with an emphasis on community engagement.
• Direct and manage the area-wide programming budget, assisting with the procurement of items.
• Attend small and large-scale programming throughout the area, department, and university, including but not limited to opening weekend events, end-of-the-semester festivals, etc.
• Actively engage in creating partnerships within Campus Residences and departments within the Division of Student Affairs, including the Career Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Center for Prevention and Outreach, Student Engagement and Activities, and Multicultural Affairs.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with the Auxillary Services Association, University Police Department, Honors College, Academic and Transfer Advising Services, Office of the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer, and International Student Services.
• Assist in overall department leadership and management. Maintain substantial visibility and availability to the Directors, Assistant Directors, Residence Hall Directors, student staff, and residents through attendance at meetings and events.

Community Standards:

• Interpret, develop, and enforce policies for the residential community.
• Establish and maintain behavioral expectations to ensure a safe, caring residential community.
• Manage student conduct situations and maintain conduct records.
• Serve as hearing officer and appeal officer for student conduct cases.
• Assist in enforcing a consistent and fair system of Community Standards based upon the Code of Student Responsibility and Terms of Occupancy, including appeals.

Functional Responsibilities:

• Each Associate Director will have a focus on a primary departmental initiative and be responsible for advising and serving on departmental and university committees related to this initiative. Focus areas include:
• The Associate Director supervising the Living Learning Communities will focus on Academic initiatives including the residential curriculum, faculty engagement, assessment, and summer conferences within the area. Will oversee and advise the following committee, Academic Initiatives and Community Engagement.
• The Associate Director supervising the First Year areas will focus on Student Success and Leadership initiatives including Hall Councils, RHA, NRHH, Undergraduate College Partnerships, and Resident Assistant recruitment, training, and selection. Will oversee and advise the following committee, Resident Assistant Development and Recruitment.
• The Associate Director supervising Suite areas will focus on professional development and training, campus-wide engagement and partnerships, and summer conferences within the area. Will oversee and advise the following committee, Campus-wide Engagement.
• The Associate Director supervising Apartments will focus on facility renovations and projects, students in transition, graduate student experience, and summer conferences within the area. Will oversee and advise the following committee, Students in Transition.

Professional Development and Committee Involvement:

• Participates in opportunities that promote their learning, growth, and development (i.e., classes, training, committees, webinars).
• Contributes to the Division of Student Affairs and Stony Brook University by attending and/or supporting events, activities, and programs sponsored by areas within and outside the Office of Student Life (i.e., campus-wide traditions, events, programs).
• Other duties or projects as assigned as appropriate to rank and departmental mission.
• Evening and weekend work may be required at times.

Special Notes:
This is a full-time appointment. FLSA Exempt position, not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA. Minimum salary threshold must be met to maintain FLSA exemption.

In addition to the employee's base salary, this position is eligible for $3,400 UUP annual location pay, paid biweekly.

Essential Position: This has been designated as an essential position based on the duties of the job and the functions performed. Positions that are designated as such may be required to report to work/remain at work even if classes are canceled, and the campus is working on limited operations in an emergency.

For this position, we are unable to sponsor candidates for work visas.

Resume/CV and cover letter should be included with the online application.

Stony Brook University is committed to excellence in diversity and the creation of an inclusive learning and working environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status and all other protected classes under federal or state laws.

If you need a disability-related accommodation, please call the university Office of Equity and Access (OEA) at (631) 632-6280 or visit OEA.

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