Graduate Community Director - Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island

Roger Williams University

Location: Bristol, RI Category: Professional and Clerical Posted On: Fri Apr 5 2024 Job Description:

The Graduate Community Director (GCD) serves an important leadership role in creating an environment and experience that intentionally provides stability and a sense of community for the students residing in Housing at Roger Williams University. The GCD is a member of the Residence Life and Housing live-in professional team and is recognized as having primary, non-academic responsibility. This includes scheduling staff meetings, administrative responsibilities, supervision, and all other related GCD duties that take precedence over other non-academic commitments.

Residential Education

• Facilitate, monitor, report, and evaluate engagement strategies based on the RWU Student Life Division Curricular Model and Residence Life and Housing Educational Plan.
• Utilize the residential curriculum model to encourage personal development, academic achievement, community living, and social interaction.
• Serve as an advisor for the residential community's student leadership initiatives.
• Attend staff/student-planned community development activities and educational events.
• Serve as a hearing officer for the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution adjudicating low-level cases involving alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct.

Facilities and Operations

• Manage administrative aspects of the assigned residential community including administering room inventory reports, executing health and safety inspections, key inventories, room changes, and other details related to the opening and closing of the residential community.
• Assist in the overall responsibility of a residential community, monitoring and reporting concerns related to the safety and facilities of the area.
• Ensure daily maintenance and custodial issues are effectively and efficiently managed within their area of responsibility.
• Assist in the facilitation of the annual resident satisfaction survey.
• Oversee the opening and closing of a residential community as well as the transition to summer student and conference housing.
• Prepare an end-of-the-year report to capture the success, challenges, and inner workings of the residential community.

Student Support

• Meet individually with students and, when appropriate, with parents to assist them in making appropriate choices and utilizing appropriate resources to help foster success at RWU.
• Serve as on-call professional staff on a rotating basis during weekend and evening hours to respond to residential emergencies dealing with student behavior, mental health emergencies, and other situations that require an immediate response.
• Provide and support student recognition initiatives and promote leadership opportunities.
• Maintain a professional relationship with students assigned to designated residential communities, offering assistance and support through regular contact and conducting wellness checks upon request.

Staff Management

• Supervise, mentor, evaluate, and make recommendations for assigned staff and, as assigned, staff selection and hiring.
• Develop, implement, and assess semi-annual training programs and weekly staff meetings for the purpose of staff education and ongoing professional development of the residence life paraprofessional team.
• Model and promote inclusiveness through staff training, and support of division and campus-wide Social Justice Initiatives.

Department Leadership

• Actively participate in departmental, divisional, and campus-wide committees, including a specific auxiliary assignment or special project as designated by the Director.
• Be accessible, visible, and present for large campus-wide programs, speakers, and athletic events.
• Volunteer for at least one program during spring weekend and chaperone at least one Senior class or Student Programs, Leadership, and Orientation event.
• Participate in new student recruitment and orientation events.

Additional Functions

• Support the various programs and initiatives of the department in addition to primary duties.
• Accept responsibility for additional initiatives, such as committee participation, or projects, as assigned by departmental Directors.
• Represent the department on campus-wide initiatives or participate in divisional events - occasionally on a volunteer basis.

This is a 10-month full-time position.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
• Must be currently enrolled in a Master's program, or graduate-level coursework, at Roger Williams University, another local institution, or an accredited online program.
• Minimum of one year of residence life and housing experience at the undergraduate level.
• Supervisory and/or leadership skills that inspire, motivate, and foster a culture in which all staff members are treated with respect, fairness, and professionalism and promote professional development among the team.
• Detail-oriented and self-motivated with the ability to work independently and as a leader and collaborative member of a team.
• Sensitive, diplomatic, and articulate written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to implement problem-solving strategies to manage everyday residential challenges such as crisis response, conflict management, community development, and student/family concerns in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to expand knowledge and awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion, understanding cultural differences, social identities, and historical inequalities, and strategies for interacting effectively with people different from oneself.
• Commitment to professional growth in best practices in using technology in residence life and student affairs to increase efficiency, accessibility, and quality of housing operations and residence life practices such as Microsoft Office Suite, assignments, billing, and judicial database management systems, social media, and community development tracking.
• This is a live-on position so the incumbent must live in University housing and work able to be on-call on a rotating basis including weekend and evening hours..
• Must have a valid driver's license as it is required for on-call response to University Facilities in Bristol, Portsmouth, and the main campus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Available to serve in the position for two years.
• An interest in a career in higher education (residence life, diversity education, student conduct, engagement, advising) or a closely related field.
• Experience using diversity, equity, and inclusion lenses in delivering programs and services practice (i.e., leadership practices, events/programs, etc.).
• Experience working with a learning outcome-based residential curriculum.
• Demonstrated skills in public speaking, facilitating conversations, and presenting to families, students, staff and other constituents.
• Experience with student conduct, mediating student conflicts, and restorative approaches to conflict resolution.
• Experience planning and successfully executing programs, events, and/or trainings.

At the University's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be accepted where the candidate can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the University, an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.

Additional Information:

Roger Williams University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse workforce. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable state and federal law. For information on our Non-discrimination policy, visit here.

RWU prohibits all forms of discrimination on the basis of sex in its education programs and activities and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and its implementing regulations not to discriminate in such a manner. Complaints of Title IX sexual harassment should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at the contact information listed below. Details regarding the formal complaint process can be found here: Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures. All complaints of sexual harassment will be taken seriously and responded to promptly. TITLE IX COORDINATOR: Dr. Jen Stanley, 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809 / Phone Number: (401) 254-3123 /Email Address: jstanley@rwu.edu

Salaries for new hires at Roger Williams University usually fall within the minimum and midpoint salary ranges.

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