Director, Residence Life

Director, Residence Life

The Residence Life program at Bowie State University serves the needs of approximately 1700 residents. The Director for Residence Life is primarily responsible for maintaining and advancing the department's mission by enhancing the depth of resident development inherent in all aspects of resident and staff initiatives, including residence education and resident leadership opportunities. The Director is responsible for managing the recruitment, selection, training, and evaluation of Resident Directors (RDs) and Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs) with indirect supervision of the Resident Assistants (RAs), Computer Lab Assistants (CLAs), and Desk Assistants (DAs). Reporting directly to the Dean of Students, the Director works closely with staff to maintain programmatic standards and provide excellent customer service to residents in each residence hall. Additionally, the Director will work closely with the Enrollment Management and Student Affairs team to create and maintain policies and procedures related to all aspects of building operations and student well-being. The Director is also involved in fiscal oversight and the development of a long-term maintenance plan for the residence halls.

Qualifications

At a minimum, the Director must possess a Master's degree in Student Affairs, College Student Personnel Administration, Counseling, or a related field and a minimum of five years of progressive experience supervising professional hall staff and central office involvement. The Director must also possess and demonstrate strong organizational, administrative, and communication skills and a working understanding and practical application of resident development theory. This is a 12-month, live-out position.

Responsibilities

a. Setting the overall direction and goals for the department, which should always be resident focused and consistent with the University's concept of "shared governance". Responsible for resident satisfaction assessments.

b. Address staff and resident concerns with the highest level of customer service.

c. Coordinate the recruitment and selection of professional staff.

d. Directly train, supervise, and evaluate full-time professional Resident Directors. Indirectly supervise paraprofessional staff and Summer Conference Workers.

e. Provide opportunities for professional growth and development for professional and paraprofessional staff.

f. Serve as a resource to RDs in the areas of programming, staff training / development, budget management, supervision, and accountability.

g. Compile information to complete weekly, monthly, semester, and annual reports with data from housing, program efforts, student conduct, and other pertinent areas.

h. Coordinate the RD / GSA on-call schedule. Oversee RDs in their development of an RA-building on-call schedule each semester.

i. Work with RA and RD committee chairs to plan training and development for all live-in staff for all paraprofessional staff.

j. Coordinate the RA evaluation process each semester and maintain the employee records.

k. Oversee the implementation of all hall programming efforts utilizing the department's programming model and standards. Encourage staff to work collaboratively with faculty and staff to provide programs and activities.

l. Monitor RA and RD personnel procedures to ensure consistency and fairness. Generates all RA probation and termination letters. Sign all probation and termination letters for community assistants.

m. In coordination with the Director of Student Conduct & Community Standards, monitor Resident Director case management to ensure appropriate and timely adjudication of student policy violations.

n. Coordinate annual training for Resident Directors on the student conduct management software, judicial case management, and hearing procedures in collaboration with the Director of Student Conduct & Community Standards.

o. Serve as the second level hearing officer for higher level, separable, residence hall policy violations.

p. Coordinate the revisions and modifications to all manuals, other training materials, and department publications, such as the traditional hall contract and resident handbook.

q. Assist with the management of the campus public-private apartment residential community. Meet bi-monthly with partners to maintain a positive working relationship.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Demonstrated experience in student services, especially in university housing, and a working knowledge of higher education administration.

Must have excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain a good rapport with faculty, residents, and staff. The successful candidate must be creative and possess demonstrated skills in conflict resolution, multicultural program development, leadership development and training, special event coordination, group advising, organizational management, needs assessment, and critical thinking.

Conditions of Employment

• This is a 12-month live-out position. No housing will be provided.
• Evenings, weekends, and during break periods are required.
• Must be flexible in work hours to include some evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• This role is considered an "Essential Employee" which may require the incumbent to work on-campus during emergencies and campus closures.

Additional Job Information : Benefits include medical, dental, prescription, long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and life insurance; paid time for paid sick leave, annual leave, and personal leave; 12 paid holidays per year, tuition remission; employer-funded pension and supplemental retirement accounts.

Bowie State University shall not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, age, ancestry or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, or veteran status. All policies, programs, and activities of Bowie State University are and shall be in conformity with all pertinent Federal and state laws of nondiscrimination including, but not limited to : Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination Act, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Federal Executive Order No. 11375, and Article 49B of the Annotated Code of Maryland. This commitment applies in all areas and embraces faculty, staff, and students. Equal opportunity of access to academic and related programs shall be extended to all persons. Bowie State University shall have as its firm objective equal opportunity in recruitment and hiring, rate of pay, all other promotions, training, retention and dismissals, for all employees and applicants for employment. The University will stress equal access for employees and applicants for employment to all programs and services provided by the University both on and off campus. The University will also provide equal opportunity and an atmosphere of nondiscrimination with respect to women and members of minority groups in all its operations. In addition, the University shall promote equal opportunity and equal treatment through a positive and continuing Affirmative Action Program. The University makes, and will continue to make, reasonable accommodations to promote the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans, unless such accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the University's business. In addition, employees and applicants will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination because they have engaged in, or may have engaged in, activities such as filing a complaint, assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance review or hearing, or opposing any act or practice made unlawful, or exercising any other right protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended or the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended.