Residential Community Director

Case Western Reserve University, United States

Updated: 3 months ago
Location: Campus, ILLINOIS
Job Type: FullTime

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Residential Community Director position creates and facilitates an integrated residential learning environment that moves first-year students toward achieving the goals of the undergraduate experience, working through the mission and goals of both the Office of Residence Life and the Division of Student Affairs. This embedded position provides comprehensive leadership and support for a community of 480 first-year students. Immersed in the student community, the residential community director actively manages the learning experience at both the community and individual level, monitoring and supporting students’ holistic academic, social, and personal development throughout their transition to Case Western Reserve University and to successful retention to the second year.

Building a welcoming and inclusive community is the foundation of the work we do as professionals working with students. Fully including people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives helps us all thrive by working together, focus on our collective well-being, and help students gain insight from their academic endeavors and real-world experiences.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

  • Provide comprehensive leadership and support for a community of 480 first-year students. The residential community director acts as a primary point of contact, monitoring and supporting their holistic academic, social, and personal development throughout their transition to Case Western Reserve University and to successful retention to the second year. (10%)
  • Design and provide vision to the development of the residential community, ensuring that students create a just and humane community that cultivates meaningful interactions, fosters individual student success, and creates purposeful environments to support the division of student affairs student learning domains: social and emotional competence, purpose and intentionality, cultural and human appreciation, community engagement, and problem-solving. (10%)
  • In collaboration with student affairs offices, implement a developmental, intentional, and comprehensive first-year experience for the entire first-year undergraduate population through community-focused programs, services, and partnerships. (10%)
  • Provide leadership in planning, presenting, and implementing departmental paraprofessional staff recruitment, selection, and training of graduate-level Assistant Residential Community Director and undergraduate Resident Assistants. (10%)
  • Serve as the point of contact for students in the residential community, monitoring and supporting their academic and personal welfare by fostering engagement with appropriate resources and opportunities, providing general advice, assisting them with navigation of university policies, procedures, and requirements, responding to their inquiries, and helping them establish educational goals. (10%)
  • Direct the Community Leadership Team consisting of a graduate-level assistant residential community director, 6 to 12 undergraduate Resident Assistants, and a community council in establishing programs, initiatives, projects, and procedures that create the academic and residential experience, support departmental objectives, and work toward divisional strategic goals and learning outcomes. (10%)
  • Assess the needs and interests of first-year students and create residential communities that cultivate meaningful interactions and purposeful environments through programs that complement and enhance the Undergraduate Experience Model with emphasis on the First Year Experience, the transitions to and from the first year, and the connections between the first year experience and other critical points in the student journey. (10%)
  • Maintain, manage, and execute a system of intervention and referral in collaboration with the Dean of Students Office to support the health, wellness, and safety of residential students through personal contacts with students and faculty and staff partners across campus. Serve in a supervisor on-call rotation and direct response to student crises for 4,300 undergraduate students outside of business hours. Conduct educational intervention meetings with students reported to have violated the university standards of conduct. (10%)
  • Assume leadership responsibility or representative participation in one or more committees as assigned by supervisors determined by regular review of committee composition or requested by the residential community director according to professional interest. (10%)

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    NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

  • Partner with the offices of University Housing and Facilities Services to create an environment that supports resident development ensures the smooth functioning of the residential facilities and is responsive to resident concerns. Instruct and guide staff and residents in completing occupancy, room inventory, room change, work order, and facility emergency response procedures. (5%)
  • Manage residential community budget, monitoring program and council expenses for the community, authorize routine expenditures, arrange for payment or reimbursement procedures, and maintain accurate records and oversight of financial expenditures within the budget. Perform generalized administrative tasks to support the residential community. (5%)
  • Perform other duties as assigned. (<1%)

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    CONTACTS

    Department: Daily contact with professional, clerical, secretarial, custodial, and maintenance staff. Daily contact with graduate and undergraduate student staff and professional staff of Residence Life Administration to exchange information.

    University: Frequent contact with offices of Student Affairs, Dean of Students, Case Western Reserve University Police, University Health and Counseling Services, University Housing, Disability Resources, Multicultural Affairs, Greek Life, and Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education. Regular contact with Student Advancement, faculty serving as advisors, and first-year course instructors about individual student concerns.

    External: Regular contact with parents and/or family members of students to answer questions and discuss their concerns within FERPA guidelines. Periodic contact with outside vendors and services and members of regional and national professional organizations. Occasional contact with prospective students and their families during open houses and other Enrollment related programming.

    Students: Daily interaction with undergraduate students and student employees. Regular contact with the Residence Hall Association, community councils, and other student organizations to exchange information.

     

    SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

    Provide direct supervision for 1 graduate-level staff member, 6 to 12 undergraduate student staff members, and a residential area of approximately 230 to 480 first-year students.

     

    QUALIFICATIONS

    Experience: 2 years of experience required. Experience may include full-time equivalent experience, consisting of graduate and significant undergraduate leadership experience in Residence Life, or related fields.

    Education: Master’s degree in an appropriate discipline required. Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, or Student Personnel preferred.

     

    REQUIRED SKILLS

  • Commitment to and appreciation of working with diverse groups of individuals, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic and educational background, and ability.
  • Ability to maintain a work environment that is marked by inclusiveness and respect for others.
  • Ability to apply independent judgment and decision-making skills within university policies and procedures.
  • Demonstrated awareness and experience addressing advising and developmental needs and concerns of first-year students.
  • Excellent interpersonal and administrative skills.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Ability to meet consistent attendance.
  • Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors, and customers face to face.

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    WORKING CONDITIONS

    Typical office environment. Some weekend and evening hours are required.

    In employment, as in education, Case Western Reserve University is committed to Equal Opportunity and Diversity.  Women, veterans, members of underrepresented minority groups, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

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    Case Western Reserve University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.  Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation.  Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicant will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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