Assistant Director Residence Life & Housing (SUA2)

About the job

Job Summary / Basic Function

Foster growth and student development within the residential community conducive to their academic goals and supportive of the academic mission of Pennsylvania West University.

• Provide leadership for maintaining a quiet, safe, and comfortable living environment through application of student development practices. • Provide leadership for the development, implementation, and evaluation of the residential building’s educational and social programming. • Facilitate community meetings for students within the area and provide area programming within the halls assigned. • Conduct formal and informal assessments to determine the changing requests and interests of residents. • Assist with the assigned Living Learning Communities (LLC) within the residential area. • Collaborate with faculty and staff assigned to the LLC to provide intentional themed programming, support and opportunities.

Appropriately respond to student concerns and behaviors.

• Consistently enforce University policies, procedures, rules, and regulations and respond promptly to situations that need addressed. • Provide leadership for staff in responding to university policy violations and providing an educational response to reduce repeat violations. • Advise and educate students regarding University policies, procedures, rules, and regulations through individual judicial conferences, and referring students to the Dean of Students and Health and Wellness as appropriate. • Advise, confer, and offer appropriate referrals for students who exhibit academic and personal concerns. • Respond promptly to community and roommate concerns. • Assist with mediations and other forms of conflict resolution for residential students.

Provide supervision to Community Assistants and Graduate Assistants.

• Provide developmental supervision through weekly/biweekly 1:1 and staff meetings for Community Assistants and Graduate Assistants. • Provide direction for Community Assistants and Graduate Assistants in crisis intervention and conflict management. Assume back-up responsibility to assist with crises and emergencies. • Supervises Graduate Assistants to accomplish administrative duties associated with the day-to-day operations of the residence halls including, but not limited to, reports, room assignments, check-in/out procedures, occupancy records, key control and inventory, assessing charges for damages and/or lost keys and other administrative aspects associated with all operations. • Coordinates the scheduling of graduate and undergraduate personnel in the residence halls to ensure adequate coverage is maintained to address routine as well as potential special needs for hall coverage. • Provide leadership for staff to initiate, implement, and evaluate developmental and community building programs in support of the academic mission, and which are conducive to the development of connections between and among residents. • Provide individual development and support for staff through employee discipline and periodic performance reviews, both formal in informal. • Approve payroll for student staff. • Assist with the Community Assistant and Graduate Assistant hiring process. • Assist in the development of strategies to recruit and retain a diverse staff. • Assist with the Community Assistant and Graduate Assistant training at the beginning of the semesters and semester in-services. • Assist with the new CA/GA support training throughout the academic year. • Assist with programming assessment and monitoring of program evaluation forms. • Coordinate services and programs in support of university retention efforts.

Maintain residential hall administrative and office operations in residence halls.

• Create a professional, friendly and effective customer service driven operational model for the residential hall(s). • Assist in the development of educational materials and manuals for Community Assistants and Graduate Assistant staff. • Supervise Community Assistants, Graduate Assistant and student office staff to complete administrative tasks necessary for the operation of residential hall offices. • Ensure the fulfillment of the housing contract by residents within residential communities. • Coordinate room changes and room consolidations when necessary for residential communities. • Enforce and monitor policies and procedures that affect the residential community and office operation. • Develop and maintain an office hours schedule to meet the needs of the residential communities and Residence Life and Housing. • Maintain an accurate inventory of all equipment within the residential office and submit requests to the Residence Life and Housing office when supplies are needed. • Ensure reports, records, assessments, damage billing, and evaluations are submitted within established time frames. • Work collaboratively with custodial, maintenance, public safety, and other offices and agencies to provide services, support, and programs for residents. • Monitor the residential community assistant programming budget. • Work with Computing Services/Campus IT to address all residential and telecommunications issues with the University system. • Provide leadership, supervision and development for the student Community Assistants and Graduate Assistants. • Be aware of problems, concerns, and issues related to the residential community office experience and explore possible solutions. • Prepare all required reports, records and evaluations promptly and accurately as assigned.

Assist Wellness with alcohol and drug programming and judicial concerns for Edinboro campus residents.

• Work with the Wellness staff to assist students that have violated university policies. • Conduct Alcohol/Drug Education Programming BASICS/CASICS Workshops to all the students who have violated the Alcohol/Drug Policy or referred to the program. • Assist with Alcohol and Other drug Prevention programming/activities for students. • Complete all required annual trainings related to the BASICS/CASICS Workshops. • Administer the judicial system for residents who reside within assigned areas and for other cases as assigned. • Complete required judicial training related to judicial process in conjunction with the Dean of Students. • Serve as the adjudication officer for cases at the first level and provide sanctioning and services to residents and students. • Interpret residence hall policies and university regulations and policies, file reports promptly, and make appropriate referrals.

Assist with the operation of the residential hall(s) facilities.

• Participates in regular building tours to check on facilities. • Assume responsibility for articulating ongoing facility management needs within residential buildings. • Make recommendations to the Associate Director of Residence Life and Housing at Edinboro for facility improvement projects. • Review damages of the facilities reported by Community Assistants/Graduate Assistants and accesses appropriate charges based on Residence Life guideline and rates. • Make recommendations to the Associate Director of Residence Life and Housing at Edinboro for the cyclical replacement of apartment unit assets, fixtures, floor coverings, window treatments and furnishings. • Work with the Associate Director of Residence Life and Housing at Edinboro to establish long-term goals for facilities and assist in analyzing and prioritizing maintenance and renovations projects. • Maintain an accurate inventory of all furniture within the apartment complex. • Monitor work order system for trends and work with Facilities Department designed to streamline processes and educate students on their role in preventative maintenance. • Work with Facilities Department designee to ensure student concerns are being addressed, loss of service is reduced to a minimum and communicate with students and staff on maintenance issues. • Provide updates to residential hall staff manuals and training sessions for students and employees on facility issues and concerns. • Coordinate, in collaboration with the Associate Director of Residence Life and Housing at Edinboro the residential building closing and opening procedures and processes. • Complete Health and Safety Checks that assures suites and room safety concerns are being addressed and student learning occurs in the process. • Oversee the custodial work in common areas to ensure facilities are clean and safe. • Monitor hard key and electronic key check-outs and issues. • Coordinate regular audits of key cabinets and temporary access cards. • Maintain safety and security of master keys and submasters. • Meet weekly with the Associate Director of Residence Life and Housing at Edinboro for 1:1.

Participate in Departmental Initiatives and Campus Life.

• Establish and maintain positive working and collaborative relationships with central office staff, custodial and facility staff, and staff from other offices within the Division of Institutional Effectiveness and Student Affairs. • Assist in the development of manuals, educational materials, training programs, and procedures for Residence Life. • Assist with the collection of academic year data for departmental assessment. • Attend regular staff, department, and/or divisional meetings, and professional development sessions as appropriate. • Participate in 5-year reviews conducted by various departments throughout the University, depending on the year, request of the department, and personal availability. • Backup assistance for OneCard ID printing in main office.

Participate in on-call weekend rotation during the academic year.

• Provide Assistance to Community Assistants and Graduate Assistants during evening hours and on-call weekend rotations. • Send in any documentations, work orders, call-outs, and reports in a timely manner and as needed.

Coordinate operations in residence halls for summer camps and conferences.

• Work closely with Conference and Events for summer camps housing. • Supervise a student staff of up to 8 Summer Assistants and Graduate Assistants. • Provide developmental supervision through weekly meetings for Summer Assistants. • Provide direction for Community Assistants and Graduate Assistants in crisis intervention and conflict management. Assume back-up responsibility to assist with crises and emergencies. • Provide individual development and support for staff through employee discipline and periodic performance reviews, both formal and informal. • Provide direction to the Summer Assistants for daily building operations, check-ins and check-outs. • Approve payroll for student staff. • Assist with the Summer Assistant hiring process. • Assist in the development of strategies to recruit and retain a diverse staff. • Coordinate Summer Assistant training at the beginning of the summer and any in-services. • Work to assist camps, conferences, and dining services. • Coordinate services in support of university retention efforts for camps and conferences.

Additional Expectation

Given the nature of the position, you will be expected to respond to emergency phone calls during the day and evening hours. You would not be expected to return to campus within 20 minutes unless instructed by the AVP of Residence Life and Housing or the campus CERT team beforehand. Additionally, you will receive a monthly cell phone stipend.

Minimum of Education / TrainingRequired Education Summary

Bachelor’s degree required, with a minimum of one year as an undergraduate student Community Assistant/Resident Assistant, graduate student in housing, or previous work experience in Resident Life and Housing at a college or university or an equivalent combination of experience and training. Candidates should demonstrate experience working with college students and supporting residential communities. Experience with crisis response, student support services, conduct case management/adjudication, and educational programming is preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration, College Counseling, or a related discipline; experience working with college students and knowledge of student development theory, and experience in AOD programs is strongly preferred. Demonstrated excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills required. Candidates with experience in managing crisis, providing student support services, and educational programming preferred.

Physical Demands

25% Must walk buildings in which supervising weekly for facility checks. 10% Standing 65% Sitting at desk Lift up to 20 to 25 pounds.

Diversity Statement

PennWest University’s Office of Community, Opportunity, Responsibility, and Engagement (CORE) provides strategic leadership in fostering a campus environment grounded in dignity, belonging, and opportunity for all students, faculty, and staff. Through comprehensive programs and collaborative partnerships, CORE advances student success, cultivates academic and leadership development, and strengthens community engagement in alignment with the university’s mission.

ADA Statement

To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Amy Salsgiver, ADA Coordinator, asalsgiver@pennwest.edu; 814-393-2109. Pennsylvania Western University complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and candidates with disabilities.