Director of Student Conduct and Residence Life

Director of Student Conduct and Residence Life Department: Dean of Students Office

Location: Joplin, MO

General Statement of Job

The Director of Student Conduct and Residence Life is responsible for the administration of the University's Student Conduct Program and oversees the total operation of all University Residence Halls including the Student Life Center.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Support department, division and university strategic planning initiatives, mission, vision, and educational priority.

Provides leadership, administration, and training related to student conduct and residence life and the wide range of student activities that promote student rights and responsibilities.

Maintains a close working relationship with all areas of the University, with special emphasis on the following offices: Dean of Students, Student Services areas, University Police, Business Office, Physical Plant, Food Services, Admissions, Athletics, College Deans, Counseling Services, and Student Engagement areas.

Responsible for the creation and annual review of policies, implementation of policies and programs initiated by the University, management of departmental and campus training and operational manuals relating to student conduct and residence life, and maintenance of administrative and informational records, including the MSSU Student Handbook.

Serves as the primary student conduct officer for the University and coordinates all student conduct functions within the scope of the MSSU Student Handbook, including but not limited to, preparation and compliance with student conduct policies, violations, and sanctions, and works with the Student Conduct Review Committee.

Facilitates the reporting of student conduct complaints by individuals, departments, and organizations, conducts preliminary investigations into student conduct as appropriate by interviewing students and other witnesses, and organizes conduct hearings to resolve student conduct cases, maintain appropriate records, monitor sanctions, and follow-up with complainants when necessary.

Ensures student conduct proceedings are properly administered by overseeing the preparation of all notifications and documentation for hearing boards, scheduling a date, time, and location for hearings, notifying all participants and witnesses required for hearings, reviewing all physical and/or documentary evidence submitted to hearing

boards, and conducting pre-hearing meetings with students who chose to have a hearing. Ensures that members of hearing boards are recruited and equipped to discharge their duties as board members by preparing and implementing an annual training program for members of University hearing boards (faculty, students, and staff) as appropriate.

Collaborate with University personnel to develop classroom management policies and training for faculty on legal issues related to classroom management.

In accordance with University policy and applicable laws, supervise, evaluate, hire, direct, rewards, disciplines, and resolves problems with personnel employed in the residence hall facilities; provides vision/direction, support, and accountability for the administrative, student well-being and safety, student community and development, facilities, and continuous improvement duties of the residence life staff.

Performs leadership development by working with Resident Directors in the selection, training, and evaluation of all residence life personnel.

Initiates and conducts group conferences to plan and discuss programs and policies related to assignment of quarters, social and recreational activities, and residence hall living.

Manages offices and residence hall tasks including such areas as control of keys, inventory of furniture, purchasing, etc. (Student Life Center, Blaine Hall, McCormick Hall, East Hall, Quads, and Lion Village.)

Serve as the Chair of the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), providing support for meeting management, case tracking and response, as needed. Collaborates with the Early Alert team and support behavior related Early Alert issues.

Maintain contact with faculty and staff members regarding students who have been referred to conduct or BIT by tracking notes in the Student Management System and following up in person, by phone, or electronic communication.

Coordinates and oversees management of the early alert management response system including tracking trends, data collection, measuring effectiveness and reporting.

Serves as a member of the University Title IX team and maintains training requirements associated with implementing best practices associated with the federal law.

Serves as an “After Hours” on-call staff member. While on-call, must be capable of independent thought and action to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of the student body.

Assists the Division of Academic Affairs in providing an appropriate and coordinated response from the University to personal and campus emergencies involving students.

Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, being aware of applicable local, state, and federal laws, understanding high impact practices, and attending training and/or courses as required.

Designs, implements, and evaluates educational programs centered on, but not limited to, student ethical behavior, student rights and responsibilities, decision making, risk management (student organizations, Greek Life, etc.) mediation, civility, community responsibilities, sexual assault, alcohol education, drug education, cross-cultural communication, and conflict resolution.

Commits to continuous improvement in student conduct and residence life by participating in the co-curricular assessment process in the establishment of student learning outcomes and the assessment of such goals.

Serves as a liaison between Student Conduct and appropriate offices or community agencies, including serving on the Partners in Prevention (PIP) committee. Actively participants in and supports the prevention efforts and educational programming offered by applicable University departments.

Serve on departmental, divisional, and University committees; represents the department at campus presentations.

Performs other related duties as required or assigned.

Education, Experience, and Licenses

Minimum qualifications:

Bachelor's degree.

Knowledge of student development theory and student conduct processes.

Evidence of an effective leadership style.

Familiarity with Title IX, VAWA, Campus SaVE, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

and related federal and state laws.

Experience in presenting educational and training programs.

Strong organizational, interpersonal, writing and speaking skills, and the ability to communicate effectively within an educational environment.

Willingness to be available for programming and consultation during off hours.

Experience in an educational setting. Specifically, a background demonstrating success in dealing with students, parents, faculty, and administrators.

Capacity to work independently when required, especially in ethically complex situations.

Experience with committees and teams to achieve complex tasks and projects.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master's degree preferred. Degree in Student Personnel, Counseling, Educational Administration or related field is strongly preferred.

At least three years of directly related professional Academic Affairs or student conduct experience.

Two years' experience as a Resident Director or comparable experience is preferred; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Demonstrated ability to work with individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, or other types of trauma.

Demonstrated ability to oversee and manage a caseload in a manner that ensures the prompt, effective, and equitable conclusion of such matters.

Experience in mediation, conflict resolution, or student conduct.

Experience in higher education.

Experience with student information systems software.

Membership in student conduct associations, i.e. Association for Student Conduct Administrators, Donald D. Gehring Academy completion, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, etc.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge of current student affairs practices, student conduct, due process procedures, and higher education law.

Ability to resolve conflicts while being fair and consistent with students especially in matters of discipline.

Knowledge of crisis intervention techniques with the ability to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations.

Excellent organizational, management, budgetary, and leadership skills are required.

Demonstrate excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with others are required.

The ability to manage and complete tasks in a timely manner and the ability to maintain accurate records and files is required.

The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general educational periodicals, professional journals, university procedures, or university regulations.

Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedures manuals.

Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of students, staff, faculty, administrators, Board of Regents, and the general public.

Ability to define problems, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Ability to manage the budget within assigned unit/division.

Purchasing authority up to $5,000 without approval from supervisor.

Ability to use computers for word processing and/or accounting purposes.

Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team environment. Strong teamwork skills, high level of energy, and ability to work independently. Ability to manage workload both independently and as a team.

Ability to manage Learning Management Systems such as Blackboard Ultra.

Ability to create and manipulate spreadsheets to create meaningful reports.

Ability to use highly technical computer applications, such as Banner, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint), and other web-based applications to perform office duties.

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.

Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from students, employees and faculty, regulatory agencies, or members of the community.

Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Ability to maintain highest level of confidentiality in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Ability to be organized, flexible, and manage self, work time, and work space effectively.

Ability to make ethical decisions in doing what is best for both students and the University.

Ability to practice high ethical standards, adhere to FERPA standards, and the practice confidentiality with work-related information including employee information.

Requires the ability to make recommendations that impact the budget.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel including the use of a computer keyboard; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear including the use of a telephone. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; and stoop or kneel. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job includes close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the office work environment is usually moderate with frequent occasions of multiple conversations in process.

Regular office hours as determined by University policy, plus frequent weekend, and evening hours. Works with a high volume of students. Is expected to be highly accessible and visible on campus.

NOTICE : The above job profile does not include all essential and nonessential duties of this job. All employees with disabilities are encouraged to contact Human Resources to review and discuss the essential and nonessential functions of the job. An employee with a disability can evaluate the job in greater detail to determine if she/he can safely perform the essential function of this job with or without reasonable accommodation.