Assistant Dean of Student Affairs

We invite applications for an exciting opportunity in the Division of Student Affairs. The Division of Student Affairs is guided by a three-pronged mission: to help students build community, pursue wellness, and grow as citizen-leaders. The Division consists of over 200 employees within five units - the Office of the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer, the Office of the University Dean of Students, Student Health and Wellness, the University Career Center, and Housing and Residence Life - all working together, for and alongside students, to create the distinctive student experience for which UVA is known. Care and Support Services (CASS) in Student Health and Wellness provides free inclusive support for all students with unmet needs to increase students' ability to identify, reduce, and navigate barriers to their growth and well-being; CASS does this by providing direct student services and programming, and by creating and expanding support infrastructures. CASS is recruiting a generalist Assistant Dean of Student Affairs who will report to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and director of Care and Support Services. The Assistant Dean will support the CASS team's generalist response and student support functions, by providing incident response for students in a variety of behavioral and personal well-being contexts and also engaging in general, nonacademic advising, non-clinical case management, and troubleshooting of student issues and needs.

The Assistant Dean will have student support and case management responsibilities including triaging student concerns, and helping them access appropriate resources, solve problems, and respond appropriately to challenges and/or crises; Assistant Deans primarily support students managing complex, urgent, and/or high-level concerns. Response will include responding to student calls and walk-ins; responding to questions from or consulting with parents, faculty, or staff; and meeting with students who have interpersonal, behavioral, health and wellness, or other concerns. They will also collaborate with and make referrals to University offices/organizations to provide ongoing broad-based student support while implementing effective case management practices and appropriate administrative processes.

The Assistant Dean will also have incident response and crisis management responsibilities. The Assistant Dean will be expected to respond appropriately to student incidents and crises; coordinate and utilize emergency protocols; and provide crisis management support. Assistant Deans will also provide consultation and case response support for other CASS staff members regarding effective and appropriate incident response and case management. The Assistant Dean will provide incident response during business hours, and will also serve in the after-hours CASS on-call rotation.

As time permits, Assistant Deans may have strategic community partnership and engagement leadership responsibilities, which may include leadership over or assistance with program design, implementation, and/or support services related to an assigned program or focused community need. Assistant Deans are most likely to work with a specific student community, by liaising with stakeholders to develop partnerships, practices, policies, and resources that support the unique needs of that community. Examples of student communities could include: students in a specific school of enrollment, international students and scholars, transfer students, or students at a particular academic level. Assistant Deans may have supervision or budget oversight responsibilities based on their areas of leadership.

Qualifications

Candidates must have the following required knowledge areas, skills and abilities:

• Excellent judgement, ability to "think on their feet" and be nimble and flexible in high-stress situations/environments;
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively and interact effectively with students, faculty, staff, team members, and community/government agencies;
• Demonstrated resourcefulness and initiative, ability to proactively and independently problem-solve and marshal resources across the institution;
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills;
• Demonstrated experience excelling in a fast-paced work environment with multiple competing priorities;
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging;
• Master's degree or equivalent in Counseling, Higher Education, Student Affairs Administration, or a degree in a relevant field such as Law;
• A minimum of six years of progressive relevant experience, work experience as a graduate student may count toward this requirement.

A competitive applicant for the Assistant Dean position will have many of the following preferred knowledge areas, skills and abilities:

• A demonstrated mastery of managing student behavioral issues, providing outstanding student advising and support;

• Knowledge of specific trends and issues affecting student affairs practice, including legal issues;

• Understanding of psychological support and cognitive development models related to support and development of college students;

• Extensive experience working with diverse student populations;

• Prior experience within student affairs, counseling, or case management in a higher education setting;

• Experience with assessment and data-driven decision-making;

• Strong oral and written communication skills, with ability to present information/facilitate dialogue to a wide variety of stakeholders;

• Prior experience utilizing case management and documentation strategies and software according to departmental guidelines and standards.

To Apply

The position is open until filled, but to assure full consideration, candidates are encouraged to have complete applications submitted by January 31, 2025. Please apply through the UVA job board and submit requested application materials including a letter of interest or cover letter; resume or curriculum vitae; and the names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least three professional references. All applications, nominations, and inquiries will remain confidential. The anticipated hiring range for this position is $85,000 to $95,000 and is commensurate with experience and qualifications. This is an exempt-level position with UVa benefits. Employees' benefits package highlights include:

• 22 days of paid time off, increasing with service; 13+ paid holidays each year, in addition to paid time off
• Parental and Community Service Leave
• Health plan with options to meet healthcare and financial needs available immediately
• Competitive retirement benefits
• Tuition and professional development benefits after six months of employment
• Employee wellness program featuring activities to earn up to $500/year.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician's Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.