Director, Student Engagement and Belonging

Westminster University
Director, Student Engagement and Belonging

The Director of Student Engagement and Belonging is a twelve-month full-time professional staff member of Student Affairs reporting directly to the Assistant Dean of Students for Campus Life. This essential team member is a divisional leader in Student Affairs Division tasked with providing vision and leadership for Student Engagement and Belonging. The Director will provide essential leadership in creating an inclusive and welcoming campus community for a body of diverse students.

Student Engagement and Belonging foregrounds inclusion and belonging as foundational elements of a vibrant campus life and student experience. Tasked with promoting student engagement, development of cultural intelligence, and civil discourse, Student Engagement and Belonging is responsible for the following work areas:

• Identity-based programs
• Cultural & faith-based programs
• Student organizations
• Recreational and student club sports organizations
• ASW (student government)
• Student programming
• Staff-led programming
• Student center management
• New Student Orientation

The Director of Student Engagement and Belonging is responsible for championing student engagement and involvement beyond the classroom at Westminster University. This key leader is tasked with providing oversight and coordination for student engagement programs that directly contribute to institutional recruitment and retention goals by creating a culture of student engagement for a diverse student body. Additionally, the Director provides critical leadership ensuring a seamless transition from the Admissions process and enrollment as a Westminster student. Finally, The Director of Student Engagement and Belonging is responsible for ensuring student organization leaders and advisors are aware of the potential and perceived risks involved in student organization activities. This responsibility requires advanced understanding of institutional polices, best practices, and relevant laws.

Student Affairs at Westminster is committed to creating an environment that encourages students’ exploration of self while pursuing community and working toward academic success. Westminster is a private comprehensive liberal arts institution with a deep commitment preparing students to lead lives of learning, accomplishment, and service and to help them develop skills and attributes vital for success in a diverse and interdependent world. Westminster centralizes engaged learning that emphasizes theory and practice academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular programs. A culture of imagination and innovation with a committed practice of inclusiveness and respect for differences.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Management and Administration

1. Directly supervise two professional staff positions: Associate Director and Assistant Director of Student Engagement and Belonging.
2. Provide oversight of ten student employees of Student Engagement and Belonging with departmental administrative tasks and operational responsibilities for Shaw Student Center.
3. Directly manage budgets totaling approximately $200,000: Student Engagement & Belonging, New Student Orientation, and Associated Students of Westminster (ASW).
4. Collaborate with Student Success and Retention Team in coordination of retention and matriculation initiatives related to work areas in portfolio.
5. Foster and maintain operational partnerships with Enrollment Management, Alumni Relations, Honors College, Student Account Services, the Registrar’s Office, Academic Advising, Office of Global Engagement, Athletics, Campus Dining, and departments within the Division of Student Affairs.
6. Produce departmental assessment plans that expand the potential for student success by utilizing a data-informed approach to student programming that positively contributes to retention and graduation rates.
7. Develop, analyze, and generate departmental reports containing descriptive analytical and evaluative content generated by completing formative and summative assessment.

New Student Orientation

1. Champion New Student Orientation (NSO) as a coordinated transition program with the purpose of creating individual student and community experiences that welcome, inspire, and inform newly admitted first-year students, transfer students, and parents/families as they seamlessly join the Westminster community.
2. Lead the strategic mission for university orientation by developing positive and productive working relationships with key stakeholders including Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management and Advancement units.
3. Plan, develop, implement and assess all annual and on-going, new student transition programs including first-year student orientation, transfer student orientation, orientation for special populations, as well as parent and family orientation.
4. Evaluate all orientation programs and activities to determine effectiveness as they relate to student learning outcomes, as well as general student and parent satisfaction. Report findings and incorporate information in planning activities to improve existing programs and enhance success of new ones.
5. Develop, manage, and balance NSO budget.
6. Delegate assigned NSO responsibilities to professional staff and student staff of Student Engagement and Belonging throughout the academic year to ensure program success and staff wellbeing.
7. Assist in the development and implementation of pre-orientation experiences, with special attention to special populations, to enhance positive student transitions to Westminster University while contributing to larger institutional recruitment and retention goals.

Student Engagement and Programming

1. Establish and lead strategic mission and vision Student Engagement and Belonging in designing a measurable comprehensive co-curricular program suitable to a diverse student body, institutional values, and campus culture.
2. Lead Student Engagement and Belonging staff in developing and implementing engaging campus programming to cultivate student involvement, inclusion, and engagement in place-based activities.
3. Responsible for centralizing DEI efforts in student engagement programs including campus programming and leadership development focusing on students of color and other underrepresented students while providing DEI learning and development opportunities to students.
4. Responsible for oversight of existing student engagement programs: student organization management and development; advising and training of student organization leaders; support and advising of Associate Students of Westminster (ASW); identity-based, cultural, and faith-based programs; and student engagement programming.
5. Tasked with responsibility of introducing Class Councils, student-led campus community traditions, and the implementation of a new robust initiative to establish and grow recreational and student sports club organizations.
6. Develop and oversee budgets for range of departmental programs to ensure compliance with University fiscal processes while aligning expenses with priorities of new student transition programs, student engagement, development of cultural intelligence, and civil discourse.
7. Serve as an adviser to ASW to promote and develop innovative and successful programs and events; oversee all student government training and development ranging from the ASW Executive Cabinet, Board of Directors, Clubs Council, Programming Board, Marketing Team, and Senate.
8. Promote Shaw Student Center as a hub for diverse and inclusive student programming.
9. Oversee all student organizations, including training, policy compliance, event planning and execution, and organizational management.
10. Work directly with registered student organizations, student government, and the student programming board to strengthen the ongoing visibility and diversity of student-run programs on campus.
11. Assist in managing student activity fee allocation facilitated by student government, Associate Students of Westminster.

Diversity and Inclusion

1. Promote an Inclusive Westminster through demonstration of the commitments included in the Westminster University Diversity Statement.
2. Participate in developmental activities to increase understanding and awareness of issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion both individually and as related to my field of work, profession, or discipline.

Additional Duties

1. Provide collaborative leadership and coordination of high-profile institutional events including convocation and commencement
2. Assist Enrollment Management with select recruitment activities
3. Serve as a Campus Security Authority and Mandatory Reporter
4. Serve on a variety of University committees, as requested, to represent the interests of the Student Affairs and build relationships with faculty, students and other University staff.
5. Data management, facility management, assessment, and reporting
6. Assist students and other parties in policy understanding and application
7. Represent University in relevant local and national professional organizations

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education administration, counseling, business administration, or law from an accredited college or university
• Five years of experience in higher education with demonstrated progressive responsibilities
• Experience in student affairs practice, particularly in the area(s) of student development, programming, residence life, student government, student retention, orientation
• Demonstrated experience working with students of diverse identities and backgrounds; an well-developed understanding of how these identities impact student transition to university life
• Demonstrated experience working with college students
• Demonstrated supervisory experience
• Demonstrated experience in administration, budget management, assessment, and problem-solving
• Demonstrated project management experience including special knowledge and skills related to risk management and mitigation
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills
• A commitment to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus including a demonstrated track record of innovative, conscientious, and productive student engagement programming for diverse student populations
• Cultural competence, cultural humility, and experience working with students from various identities and lived experiences
• Broad knowledge of issues and trends impacting undergraduate students in higher education

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership within state and/or national professional associations (e.g., NODA, NASPA, ACPA. UPSIL)
• Experience supervising professional staff
• Demonstrated experience with institutional level programming for signature events, such as Commencement, Convocation, student leadership summits, and campus-wide orientation
• Demonstrated experience developing and motivating students pursuing athletic and recreational experiences
• Previous experience supporting and/or managing Registered Student Organizations
• Previous experience with orientation programs
• Multilingual
• Experience directly supporting international, BIPOC, first-generation and low-income, LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, etc.
• Intergroup Dialogue facilitation experience or experience facilitating conversations across difference
• Experience centralizing diversity and inclusion work at a PWI
• Experience with software packages: Microsoft, Persona, eRezLife, Advocate, Maxient, WebAdvisor, Self-Service, THD, StarRez, Slate

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Westminster University is committed to a diversified workforce, equal opportunity, and nondiscrimination. To this end, Westminster prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment based on race or ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identification, disabilities, genetic information, status as a veteran, or any other category or classification protected by applicable federal, state, or city laws.