Assistant Director, Student Accountability and Support

The Assistant Director, Student Accountability and Support assists in the coordination and administration of the student conduct process under the supervision of the Assistant Dean of Students, Student Accountability and Support. The Assistant Director assists in administering policies and procedures of the conduct process, offers alternative resolutions, engages students in developmentally appropriate conversations to address and resolve student conduct matters; additionally, the Assistant Director leads the investigation process for student organizations and individual student misconduct. The Assistant Director assures compliance with all appropriate policies including the Collected Rules and Regulations (CRR) related to student misconduct in addition to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

·       Manage complex investigations of reports of misconduct for individual students and student organizations, including interviewing individuals and writing investigative reports. The Assistant Director will work with other stakeholders in the conduct process including the staff in the Ethics and Compliance office, hazing investigation team, faculty, staff, and advisors, and inter/national partners when appropriate. The Assistant Director is responsible for ensuring promptness and impartiality through the investigative process, while adhering rigorously to the University Collected Rules and Regulations related to the Standard of Conduct and drawing upon best practices from the Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) and the Fraternity Executives Association. Additionally, the Assistant Director will

o   Develop comprehensive investigation plans, outlining the scope, objectives, and methods of each inquiry, in accordance with the established University Collected Rules and Regulations.

o   Collect, analyze, and synthesize evidence from diverse sources, including interviews, documentation, and digital records, while maintaining strict compliance with university guidelines.

o   Conduct interviews with involved parties and witnesses, employing effective investigatory techniques and maintaining a neutral stance, as prescribed by the University Collected Rules and Regulations.

o   Apply sound investigatory principles to assess the credibility and relevance of evidence, consistently upholding the University's commitment to fairness and integrity throughout the process.

·       Contributes to an effective student conduct program by assisting the Assistant Dean of Students in administering the CRR 200.020 (Rules of Procedures for Student Conduct Matters). This includes but is not limited to facilitating the student conduct preliminary procedures with students and student organizations serving as a hearing officer and representing the university in formal conduct procedures.

·       Ensures the confidentiality of student records in the Office of Student Accountability and Support. The Assistant Director uses Maxient conduct management database to create and maintain all records for individual and student organization case records. 

·       Serve as the main point of contact for Residential Conduct, including overseeing the training for residential life staff and attending a bi-weekly debrief meeting with residential life staff.

·       Partners with Assistant Dean of Students for ongoing outreach and education for stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members. Collaborates with the marketing and communications staff to create appropriate communication tools for the conduct process. Presents informational and educational programs to various groups with strong communication and presentation skills.

·       Utilize systems such as Maxient, MyZou, and MU Connect to assists in compilation of detailed statistical reports related to student conduct matters; analyzes and interprets trends and areas of concern. Share reports with the Assistant Dean of Students in order to inform decisions related to the daily practices and operations of the office; additionally, to share with stakeholders as it relates to student wellbeing and success.

·       Maintains an understanding of student development theory, including the impact of student behavior on overall student success. Utilizes this knowledge and experience to create an educational and developmental experience for students as they navigate the student conduct process. Maintains an awareness of case law and best practices in higher education and student conduct.

·       Contributes to the overall success of the Office of Student Accountability and Support by performing other duties assigned by the Assistant Dean of Students.