| Detailed Description: |
The Community Director (CD) oversees a dynamic living-learning residential area for first-year, transfer, second-year, or continuing students. The CD assists in the administration and management of the overall residence life program through serving approximately 2700 residents. The university seeks an individual with a strong interest in working at a mission driven, faith-based institution. The role of a CD in working with students and the responsibilities of the position are significantly tethered in the university's contemporary Roman Catholic Mission.
The CD provides 24-hour oversight of a specific residential area housing anywhere from 350 – 660 students, may serve as the CD for one or multiple residential areas, and/or work with specialized programs within the university’s two-year residency requirement. The residential program encompasses first-year living and learning program with significant faculty collaboration, a second-year program, and upper-class/graduate and law student housing options. The CD fosters individual growth and personal development of the Resident Assistants, hall council members, and all residents alike. Please note the two-year residency program at USD is an intentional program designed to assist the cohort of students with their unique needs. The first-year and continuing student programs includes collaboration with faculty and/or several campus departments. The CD also collaborates often with USD's Public Safety, Wellness area, University Ministry, and other campus partners. The CD provides first-line crisis intervention and is the first-responder for emergency situations and enforces university policies.
The CD, selects, trains, and supervises a team of Resident Assistants and works with other live-in staff per area, including at least one Resident Minister. This position ensures quality service at a residence hall desk, supports the residential student summer program, advises a hall council, supports the comprehensive University wide new student orientation program, and other upper-class student initiatives related to transfer and continuing students. Other duties as assigned.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Staff Supervision, Selection, and Professional Development
The Community Director supervises the area resident assistant team with a focus on holistic development and support of their success as students and leaders.
- Supervise area Resident Assistants on all aspects of the residential experience and related policies and processes. Develop resident assistants’ ability to be successful in all aspects of the position through both developmental and technical supervision. Utilize bi-weekly one-on-one meetings, weekly staff meetings, and regular staff development activities to build on individual strengths and areas for improvement. Provide formative and semesterly formal performance feedback to ensure resident assistants meet job expectations. Utilize Resident Assistant Learning Outcomes to frame supervision and development approach.
- In collaboration with Residential Education, Learning Communities, and Orientation staff, develop and facilitate the comprehensive annual Fall and Spring student leader training programs for residential education, learning community, and orientation student leaders. Support these efforts through participation in a training subcommittee, facilitating training sessions, and leading in-hall time.
- Facilitate ongoing resident assistant staff development opportunities through ensuring participation in the Student Development Workshop Series, monthly All Staff Meetings, and regular self-care activities with the Resident Minister.
- Serve on a subcommittee to support annual RA recruitment and selection process, engage fully in the recruitment, interview, and selection activities
Student Wellness Support and Crisis Intervention
The Community Director works directly with residents and through the resident assistants to create a community that helps students optimize their well-being.
- Train and support RAs to initially assess, offer resources, and refer appropriately individual students and groups of students in areas such as personal, social, cultural, career, health, and academic issues. Serve as the initial contact as needed.
- Provide conflict resolution and mediation services for roommates and suitemates experiencing interpersonal challenges. Supervise RAs in mediating lower level roommate conflicts, and manage escalated conflicts directly.
- Manage crisis and personal concern situations as they occur such as harm to self, harm to others, sexual assault, and alcohol and substance abuse concerns including meeting with affected students and/or groups within an affected residential area, initiating support services, and notifying appropriate campus partners such as Counseling Center, Public Safety, Maintenance, or Custodial Services. Be available after hours to consult with staff as needed.
- Rotate responsibility for on-call evening duty, weekend duty, and some holiday duty. On-call responsibilities include responding to emergencies, referral to campus resources, and crisis intervention. Must be available via phone and within a reasonable distance off campus as determined by the Director of Residential Education.
- Serve as essential personnel in emergency and crisis situations involving such areas as natural disasters, power failures, and other threats to resident safety.
Occupancy Management and Facilities
The Community Director works closely with the Director of Residential Facilities to ensure the safety, comfort, and cleanliness of the residential area including individual rooms and community spaces.
- Direct and assist with all move-in and move-out procedures at the beginning and end of each semester.
- Manage the room condition process including inventorying and reviewing the condition of all resident rooms. Determine charges and request necessary repairs. Follow-up with maintenance and custodial service requests.
- Maintain visibility and availability in the residence hall outside of office hours by walking regular rounds of the building with the Director of Residential Facilities to identify safety, cleanliness, or preventive maintenance issues. Follow-up with facility issues and concerns.
- Report facilities concerns and play an integral role in following up with and supporting students through higher level issues while the Director of Residential Facilities manages the facilities issue. Manage the damage appeal process, assess charges at the end of the year at check out.
- Coordinate Health and Safety inspections once a semester for the residential area.
- Utilize StarRez, USD’s residential life data management system, for roster verification and space management, Onity/Salto (card access), and mass communication to the residential area.
- Have a working knowledge of TMA for asset management and work order management.
Other duties as assigned as appropriate based on University and Student Affairs strategic planning initiatives and departmental goals
- Participate in staff development opportunities offered through the division and/or University
- Work with Departmental and Division leadership on new initiatives as needed
- Opportunity to serve on various committees and working groups
- Contribute to or lead additional division/campus projects outside of typical duties to help further accomplish student or organizational goals. Additional assignments may be seasonal, ad hoc or ongoing, depending on the project.
Community Development and Student Success
The Community Director plays a central role in supporting first year and/or upper-division students’ success from a holistic perspective anchored in a restorative justice framework. The Community Director develops a welcoming and inclusive community where all residents feel that they matter and belong.
- First-Year Experience (FYE) CDs: Work collaboratively with the Living Learning Communities (LLC) theme faculty integration coordinator and student leaders to develop and implement LLC theme related programming and community development activities. Ensure area programming (LLC, Hall Council, and RA events) aligns with the LLC theme and/or the Co-curricular Learning Outcomes. Coordinate special programming for area residents in collaboration with campus partners (language matters, third week check-ins). Coordinate with Undergraduate Admissions to host overnight events for prospective students in the spring semester.
- Second-Year Torero Experience Program / Upper-Division (STEP/UP) CDs: Work collaboratively with a variety of campus partners to integrate services and resources into weekly and other ongoing program initiatives that serve second-year residents, as well upper-division residents
- Reach out to students identified as needing support through Target X (USD’s early alert tool), as well as students identified through weekly wellness reports.
- Lead and implement components of OLÉ! Weekend (Fall New Student Orientation) including welcoming new students to their community on Move-In Day and Residential Community Meetings with area residents. Direct resident assistants to carry out their integral roles in the 4-5 day orientation program.
- Implement restorative practices, including the facilitation of restorative justice circles and experiences as needed.
- Support the Resident Minister and University Ministry RA as they implement weekly faith-sharing groups.
Community Standards/Conduct
The Community Director helps residents live in community by being knowledgeable of and upholding the Student Code of Conduct and Residence Life Community Standards.
- Is knowledgeable of the Student Code of Conduct and Residence Life Community Standards as well as the rationale for all policies. Communicates directly and through resident assistants the Code and Standards to residents. Ensures resident assistants are knowledgeable of the Code and Standards and are confident in regularly and consistently enforcing policies.
- Support resident assistants in revising incident reports and creating cases in the Maxient system, the university’s conduct case management system.
- Adjudicate community standards cases including determining responsibility for policy violations and assigning appropriate sanctions. Refer Student Code policy violations to the Office of Ethical Development and Restorative Practices.
- Provide outreach and support directly to students involved in higher level conduct cases and/or those that violate policy multiple times.
- Analyze cases from the perspective of multiple colleagues for the purpose of holistic response and professional development. Colleagues include the Center for Health and Wellness Promotion, Public Safety, Counseling Center, Residential Life, Office of Ethical Development and Restorative Practices, and the Center for Student Success.
- Act as liaison with the Center for Health and Wellness Promotion, Public Safety, Counseling Center, Residential Life, the Office of Ethical Development and Restorative Practices, and Center for Student Success for the residential area.
Administrative
- FYE CDs: Co-facilitate bi-monthly LLC theme meetings with Faculty Integration Coordinator (FIC)
- FYE CDs: Participate in New Student Team meeting (ongoing committee work, ad-hoc initiatives, etc.)
- Feedback, assessment, planning related to new student activities such as orientation, LLC, annual team priorities
- FYE CDs: Assist with Third Week Check-ins (booking rooms, scheduling RA floor meeting times)
- STEP/UP CDs: Participate in monthly Second-year Torero Experience Program (STEP) planning meetings
- STEP/UP CDs: Participate in Student Affairs/School of Life Sciences (SOLES) Collaborative graduate assistant supervision meetings & trainings
- Attend and participate in weekly Residential Education team and Residential Life Department meetings
- Attend and participate in weekly duty debrief meetings
- Advise area hall council
- Utilize Target X Retention Software to log contacts between staff and residents of concern; supervise RAs to ensure timely completion
- Assist as needed with resident room-change process l. Serve on residential life committees for either student staff selection or student staff training.
Support of the University’s Mission & Values
- Meet bi-monthly (every other week) with Resident Minister(s) of area
- Incorporate, in a meaningful way, Resident Minister(s) into weekly RA staff meeting; Work with RM(s) to plan and implement RA self-care
- Encourage residents to attend weekly faith sharing group facilitated by RM(s)
- Participate in formation sessions and days of reflection with Resident Ministry team as scheduled throughout the year
- Attend the Mass of the Holy Spirit in early September as the official University start of the academic year, encourage RAs and resident to attend
- Attend the All Faith Service as the official University start of the spring semester; encourage RAs and residents to attend
- Work with RAs and other LLC staff members to proactively avoid programming during regularly scheduled Mass times (especially Sunday nights at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m.)
- Attend at least one weekly Sunday or Wednesday night Mass in Founders Chapel each semester
Special Conditions of Employment:
Effective June 1, 2023, based on CDC guidance, the University strongly encourages all campus members to stay up to date with Influenza and COVID-19 vaccination recommendations. For more regarding information USD's COVID-19 protocols, please visit sandiego.edu/onward.
- The Community Director is an 11 month live-on position with 24-hour on-call responsibilities and must be able to work nights and weekends. The Community Director role is renewable on an annual basis for 4 years. The CD role is a FLSA exempt position, and therefore is not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA.
Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.
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