Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Off Campus Life, housed within Community and Student Relations, supports off campus students and the communities they inhabit, by overseeing student development, engagement, and well-being initiatives while ensuring students understand and uphold their rights and responsibilities as community members. The Assistant Director (AD) further serves student community members by leading programs that cultivate belonging, tracking trends, and delivering education on policies and resources. By aiding those who are unfamiliar with conduct and care processes, the AD can refer students appropriately to campus resources. In addition, the AD represents the student voice and university needs to critical non-university partners. 

Reporting directly to Michigan State University’s CSR Director, the AD collaborates with many units within Student Affairs, as well as Residence Education and Housing Services, Counseling and Psychiatric Services, Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety, and key off campus partners, including municipal leaders, landlords and property managers, and housing service vendors. The AD manages the Spartan Engagement Ambassador Program, leading curriculum development, logistical coordination, student supervision, recruitment, and partnership cultivation to ensure a dynamic and impactful experience.  

Supporting Students (45%)  

• Functions as a lead resource for students who are navigating off-campus living, this includes partnering with Residence Education and Housing Services, with private businesses who serve as landlords and property managers and city and township staff to educate students preparing to move off-campus.  
• Develops and implements programming to aid students with referrals to university and community (city/township) resources.  
• Creating an inclusive environment and establishing clear expectations where students are encouraged to interact within the university and local communities to develop relationships for their academic and personal lives and establishing expectations, enforcing consequences, and creating opportunities learn and develop a sense of responsibility within their environment. Engage with off campus housing vendor team to support student rental activities. 
• Provides direct follow-up, support, and referral services to off-campus students with issues of concern, including housing access and tenant questions.  
• Triages off campus housing problems and rapidly assists with multi-layered challenges, in partnership with ASMSU Student Legal Services. 
• Manages referrals to services between multiple university offices, academic units, health care providers, and community resources—including Housing, Dean of Students, CAPS, Student Health, and Wellbeing Services, MSUDPPS, and off-campus resources—to meet the needs of students of concern, and groups seeking support.  
• Develops and manages all content for off-campus life social media platforms and CSR website. 
• Represents CSR and the University to build town-gown relationships with municipalities, businesses, and entities in East Lansing, serves as the secretary of the Responsible Hospitality Council, and acting as the MSU representative to the University Student Commission.  
• Oversees every aspect of the Spartan Engagement Ambassador Program, from intern selection and partner recruitment to running each cohort of ambassadors and working with Assistant Vice Presidents and Directors on and off campus. 

Administrative and Record Keeping (20%)  

• Develops, oversee and monitors reports related to off-campus student concerns, ensuring appropriate referrals and follow-up actions.  

• Supervises a half-time graduate assistant. 

• Maintains off campus student data and develops additional resources as necessary or directed, including supporting the CSR Mapping Data Initiative. 

• Compiles assessment data and regular statistical reports regarding situations managed by this position.  

• Oversees record management, including spreadsheets and databases that pertain to off-campus living arrangements.  

• Enters reports into the incident report database and refers key incidents to the Office of Student Support and Accountability and/or other appropriate office as needed.  

University & Community Partnership Development (20%)  

• Collaborates regularly with campus partners including Student Affairs leadership (AVPs and Directors), Collegiate Partners (from Bailey Scholars to Honors College), Health Promotion, Residence Education and Housing Services, MSUvote, Office of Student Support and Accountability, and Office of Student Experiences, as well as municipal and community entities such as the East Lansing Public Library and property management companies. 
• Builds and improves relationships with off-campus partners (from neighborhood organizations and interns to landlords and public safety personnel) as it relates to student behavior concerns, including conduct of student groups or referrals about students of concern, including Graduate Student Wellness and the Office of International Students and Scholars.  
• Meets with off-campus entities to assist with student and community needs collectively and in support of asset-based community development.  
• Leads municipal partners on strategies for fostering student integration into local communities through asset-based community development approaches. 

Strategic Program Development & Engagement (15%) 

• Collaborates in policy development and strategic planning related to off-campus life.  

• Leads and expands the Spartan Engagement Ambassador Program, ensuring it remains a high-impact leadership initiative. 

• Develops and implements programming that fosters off-campus student engagement and a sense of belonging. 

• Oversees initiatives aimed at strengthening town-gown relationships, working with local government officials, neighborhood organizations, and other key stakeholders. 

• Serves on university committees and working groups, such as the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) group, Family Weekend Advisory Board, and Spartan Awareness Safety and Engagement (SASE) Committee. 

• Develops and implements assessment strategies to evaluate student needs, track trends, and inform programming and policy recommendations, including internal units to the Division of Student Affairs and also outside of the university. 

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing one or two years of post-bachelor degree work such as a Masters in Student Affairs Administration, Developmental Psychology, Educational Psychology or Counselor Education; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in developing and implementing programs, policies and procedures and supervising and coordinating staff; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in college student personnel, higher education administration, social sciences, counseling, psychology, social work, or related field.  

• Experience working with college students and having knowledge of issues impacting college students, student development theory, and its application to behavioral and medical/mental-health issues and student behavior and conduct matters.  

• Experience in crisis intervention and response and care management procedures, preferably in a higher education setting.  

• Demonstrated ability to work with a dynamic and complex, student population, both individually and in groups, and experience working with individuals from multiple cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences.  

• Experience working with spreadsheets, databases, and cloud-based software and conduct-related databases.  

• Experience managing difficult and delicate political situations which need to be handled with decorum and confidentiality. 

• Ability to flex communication style to multiple cultural environments and multiple social identities.  

• Experience incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities, including underrepresented populations, first generation college-goers, university decision-makers, municipal officials, public safety personnel, and non-student residents in the consideration of impacts and outcomes of a decision-making process.  

• Experience with teaching or facilitating. 

• Ability to ascertain what issues may be on the horizon and plan for future productivity. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Resume, Cover Letter & 3 Professional References. 

Work Hours

Monday - Friday 8-5pm, occasional evenings and weekends.

Bidding eligibility ends May 20, 2025 at 11:55 P.M.