Assistant Director for Residential Student Development Initiatives

"Assistant Director for Residential Student Development InitiativesGeorge Mason University's Housing and Residence Life (HRL) is currently seeking applications from qualified candidates for the Assistant Director for Residential Student Development Initiatives position. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment.About Housing and Residence Life:Housing and Residence Life (HRL) is a self-supporting auxiliary organization within the University Life unit of George Mason University. HRL serves a highly diverse population of approximately 6,200 students, the majority of which are undergraduates living in over 40 traditional, suite, and apartment-style residence halls on three campuses within the vibrant Northern Virginia area. HRL employs over 170 full-time and graduate staff members and over 350 undergraduate student staff members. HRL is committed to provide a safe, well-maintained student-centered environment that is innovative and inclusive of the global community. It is dedicated to creating a home that enriches the experiences of our students, staff, and faculty.About the Position:The Assistant Director of Residential Student Development Initiatives within Housing and Residence Life will serve as the departmental lead in the design and planning of the Residential Student Experience in collaboration and coordination with internal and external partners to align with divisional and university goals. The Assistant Director will have primary responsibility for designing residential experience via the residential curriculum and student staff recruitment, selection, training, and development. The Assistant Director will lead a cross-campus curricular team comprised of campus partners to create and implement a comprehensive curriculum for students living on campus. Specifically, the incumbent is responsible for the following functional areas as it pertains to the HRL department: student staff recruitment, selection, and on-boarding; ongoing student staff training and development opportunities; curriculum creation and implementation in conjunction with University partners.Responsibilities:Residential Student Experience & Curriculum:Lead the design, planning, and implementation of the residential student experience with primary focus on first year experience for residential students;Co-chair the Residential Curriculum Committee comprised of campus partners to create and continue to evolve the Residential Curriculum including learning outcomes, educational strategies, and assessment;Work with campus partners to design and implement campus initiatives and outcomes within the residence halls to enhance the residential student experience;Engage residential students, the Residence Hall Association, and HRL student staff in the planning, execution, and assessment of the residential student experience;Engage HRL staff, with focus on the Residential Communities team, on the implementation of the Residential Curriculum;Engage in the residential student experience strategic planning process including development of Learning Communities; andConduct research and collaborate with other institutions across the nation to continuously search for and become familiar with best practices as they relate to the Residential Curriculum.Recruitment, Selection, Training & Development of Student Staff:Coordinate student staff recruitment, selection, training, and development in collaboration with HRL and university stakeholders;Implement a fair, comprehensive process to select staff;Develop and implement a tiered competency-based training curriculum, as per the University Life Core Competencies;Work collaboratively with appropriate HRL stakeholders to determine and update both individual and departmental training needs on an ongoing basis through assessment, conferring with supervisors, and consulting with members of the leadership team;Create and implement ongoing student staff evaluations; utilize gathered data regarding student staff performance to inform future training and development initiatives; andOrganize, develop, and lead training initiatives for student staff members, including but not limited to, UNIV 332 student staff training class.Supervision & Leadership:Supervise and evaluate the Coordinator for Residential Student Development Initiatives. Indirectly support and supervise the Graduate Assistant for Residential Student Development Initiatives;Provide leadership for student employee recruitment; manage the selection of student staff and ensure that the process occurs in a timely manner; andServe as a liaison between their functional area and the Full Residence Life team.Collaborations & Partnerships:Serve on departmental and divisional committees in support of the Residential Student Experience including New to Mason Events, Patriot Experience, Mason 360, Mason Reads, and others;Act as a liaison for the department when partnering with other offices on campus as they contribute to the Residential Student Curriculum and training initiatives for student staff;Participate in the Departmental Assessment team; andProvide support for divisional strategic initiatives.Other Duties:Serve in the Assistant Director duty rotation to provide evening, weekend, and holiday support and assistance to Residence Life staff;Serve as essential personnel and respond to emergencies and crisis situations that occur within the residence halls;Be willing to work flexible night and weekend hours as necessary;This staff member is a "live-on" role;In the event of a vacancy, Assistant Directors should be prepared to cover essential responsibilities of the vacated position(s) in their area; andPerform other duties as assigned by the Director of Residence Life or designee.Required Qualifications:Master's degree in higher education or related field;Demonstrable experience in student affairs (typically attained in 3 or more years);Comprehensive experience in developing and implementing a residential student experience through a residential curriculum;Comprehensive experience with planning and implementing staff training, evaluation, large projects, supervision, and working on collaborative teams is essential;Demonstrated ability to work in a dynamic environment creating solutions and implementing change;Effective written and communication skills; andDemonstrated ability to navigate working with members of different offices and presenting to large groups of student staff.Preferred Qualifications:Experience in a large, dynamic housing/student affairs environment."

For full consideration, applicants must apply at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application; and upload a cover letter, resume, and a list of three professional references with contact information.

"Great Careers Begin at Mason! George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. Mason holds a top U.S. News and World Report "Up and Coming" spot for national universities and is recognized for its global appeal and excellence in higher education.Mason is currently the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, as well as at learning locations across the commonwealth. Rooted in Mason's diversity is a campus culture that is both rewarding and exciting, work that is meaningful, and opportunities to both collaborate and create.If you are interested in joining the Mason family take a look at our current opportunities and catch some Mason spirit at jobs.gmu.edu/!George Mason University, Where Innovation is Tradition."