SOCIAL RECREATION - Asst/Assoc Dean of Student Life - Student Activities & Involvement

Job Classification

  Salaried Administrative

Position summary

• Oversees the strategic direction, implementation, and assessment of programming and services that maximize student engagement in a diverse campus setting, within the mission and values of Andrews University.


• Creates opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to develop positive social connections, cultural discernment, multicultural competence, wellbeing practices, and leadership skills.


• Collaborates with colleagues to bolster student recruitment, orientation, retention, success, and wellbeing. 


• Provides leadership, training, supervision, mentoring, and support to student workers, student government officers, student organization leaders, and faculty/staff sponsors.


• In sum, directs and supports people and processes related to student activities, new student orientation, student organizations, and student government.

Qualifications summary

• Be a dedicated member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.


• Demonstrate a commitment to the mission and values of Andrews University.


• Possess a thoughtful, faith-based approach to engaging popular culture.


• Be able to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.


• Be able to navigate a variety of software programs and social media platforms.


• Hold a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) and 2-4 years of relevant experience with college-age adults.

Must be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

Duties and responsibilities

Overview

• Oversees the strategic direction, implementation, and assessment of programming and services designed to maximize student engagement and optimize student governance in a diverse campus setting. 


• Performs this mission-critical role within the Seventh-day Adventist mission and values of Andrews University.


• Creates opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to develop positive social connections, cultural discernment, multicultural competence, and leadership skills.


• Collaborates with colleagues to bolster student recruitment, orientation, retention, success, and wellbeing. 


• Provides leadership, mentoring, and support to student workers, student government officers, and numerous student organization leaders and their faculty/staff sponsors.

Essential responsibilities include directing and supporting people and processes related to (1) student activities, (2) new student orientation, and (3) student organizations, and serving as the General Sponsor for the undergraduate Andrews University Student Association (AUSA).
General Responsibilities

• Oversees the planning of a yearly schedule of activities that responds to the needs and interests of a diverse student population.


• Develops students cultural discernment skills as they engage with popular culture.


• Develops students’ multicultural competence as they interact with other cultural groups.


• Develops students’ leadership skills, as they work with student organizations and associations.


• Assesses student needs, participation, learning, and satisfaction to ensure continuous quality improvement.


• Directs effective communication and marketing efforts across multiple media related to the SAI office and events.


• Serves as a Campus Labs Engage* administrator; responsible for user training and campus adoption.


• Collaborates with students, administrators, and departments to achieve strategic targets and strengthen brand identity.


• Supervises the selection, training, and supervision of student and contract workers.


• Directs budget planning and fiscal operations within the University’s policies and processes.


• Serves on Student Life and campus committees.


• Meets a flexible work schedule that frequently includes evenings and weekends.


• Maintains professional growth through involvement in professional associations and conferences.

*Campus Labs Engage is the University’s student engagement software solution.
Essential Responsibilities
Student Activities

• Plans, implements, and provides supervision for social, cultural, and recreational programming generated by the SAI office.


• Sustains campus traditions and manages the University’s mascot, the Cardinal.


• Manages reservations for the Campus Center, including the William Mutch Recreation Center, the main floor hallways and lobby areas, and tubing hill.


• Negotiates and manages contracts with professional entertainers, caterers, and rental companies.


• Works with the Director of Service and Missions to coordinate the University’s annual Change Day.

New Student Orientation
Collaborates with the Assistant Vice President (AVP) to plan and implement New Student Orientation and First 100 Days programs for undergraduate students.

• Recruits, selects, trains, and oversees 40 New Student Mentors.


• Develops Mentoring Group programming for Orientation Week and the First 100 Days.


• Oversees the planning of Orientation food events with Dining Services catering.


• Collaborates with the AVP and University partners to deliver a well-orchestrated Orientation Week. Duties include, but are not limited to, facility reservations, collection and organization of new student materials, organization and implementation of Orientation Week social and recreational activities, management of Student Association leader involvement in Orientation Week activities, direction and oversight of New Student Mentors and the Mentoring Groups.


• Manages related expenditures for Orientation Week within established budget targets set by the Assistant Vice President.

Student Clubs and Organizations

• Directs the supervision and support processes for 60+ student clubs and organizations, ensuring the development of social, cultural, educational, and recreational activities consistent with the established values of Andrews University.


• Serves as a resource for student organizations when the official organization’s sponsor is unavailable or a next-level intervention is needed.


• Ensures that student organization registrations, events, promotions, and facility usage receive approval and operate within established policies.


• Provides orientation and ongoing leadership development for student organizations, including training in the use of Campus Labs Engage software module.


• Directs and implements the annual club and organization fair for all registered student organizations.

Andrews University Student Associations
Develops and maintains a synergistic relationship between the Student Activities and Involvement office and the Andrews Undergraduate Student Association (AUSA) and the Andrews University Graduate Student Association (AUGSA).
AUGSA: Provides support to the Andrews University Graduate Student Association.
AUSA: Under the oversight of the AVP, the Director, serves as the General Sponsor of the undergraduate Andrews University Student Association, providing leadership for its activities and responsibilities, as detailed in the AUSA constitution and by-laws.

• Provides leadership development, training, and support for all AUSA executive officers.


• Ensures that AUSA activities are consistent with the University’s mission, values, and standards.


• Supervises, advises, and mentors the AUSA Social Vice President and the Student Services officers to foster a wide variety of social activities and student services.


• Supervises the AUSA officer who manages the William Mutch Recreation Center.


• Provides historical background for the transitions of AUSA officers.


• Advises AUSA officers regarding all budget expenditures, providing accountability to ensure compliance with all established AUSA and Andrews University financial procedures.


• Ensures supervision at all AUSA events by personal presence and/or the presence of other faculty/staff members.


• Helps to plan and implement AUSA officer pre-school and transitional year-end meetings.


• Attends the annual Adventist Intercollegiate Association (AIA) Conference and assists in arranging the AUSA officers' travel plans.

Supervisory responsibilities

• Provides supervision, ongoing training, and support to student workers in their specified responsibilities.


• Provides supervision, ongoing training, and support to hundreds of AUSA, AUGSA, and student organization leaders and their sponsors, many of whom transition annually.

Qualifications

The requirements listed below represent the education, knowledge, skill, and ability desired. An individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily to accomplish this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the tasks.

• Demonstrate a commitment to the mission and values of Andrews University.


• Be able to work well with colleagues toward the whole-­person development of students.


• Possess a thoughtful, faith-based approach to engaging popular culture.


• Be comfortable communicating in public as well as on camera.


• Be able to effectively teach and train others in both individual and group settings.


• Hold a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) and 2-4 years of relevant experience with collegiate-age adults.

The University will look for an individual with a substantial number of the following characteristics.

• Outstanding rapport with students


• Enthusiastic spirit


• Strong organizational and multitasking skills


• Self-motivated


• Deep appreciation for diversity


• Able to build relationships


• Open to a flexible work schedule


• Balanced


• Proven communication and marketing skills


• Proficiency in event planning


• Attention to detail


• Patient and oriented to service


• Leadership development, mentoring, and team-building skills

Must be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

Technical competencies

Must be:

• Proficient with Microsoft software products (Word, Powerpoint, and Excel)


• Literate in the major social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook).


• Proficient with major teleconferencing platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams)


• Willing and able to master and teach new software program skills (e.g. Andrews University's Content Management System and Campus Labs Engage).   

Interpersonal interactions

Must be:

• Comfortable interacting with students in a supervisory role in the workplace, at University events, and on University-sponsored trips.


• Able to serve students in an advisory and mentoring role.


• Able to interact effectively with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Physical demands

Physical demands of the job may include sitting, standing/walking, stooping, kneeling, crawling, crouching, pushing/pulling, lifting/carrying, reaching at/below shoulder level, reaching overhead, fine and gross manipulation, foot/leg controls, near and far visual acuity, peripheral vision, keyboarding, hearing ability, communicating verbally, climbing ramps/stairs, and climbing ladders.

Work environment

The physical work environment may include indoor areas such as offices, classrooms, auditoriums, buses, stadiums, and museums, as well as outdoor areas such athletic fields, natural parks and hiking trails, beaches, and city streets, depending on the activity.