Location: Albany, NY Category: Promotional Posted On: Thu Oct 24 2024 Job Description: The director serves as a visionary leader dedicated to fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and supportive campus environment. Reporting directly to the Dean of Students & Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, this role oversees a comprehensive range of student-focused programs and services, including student activities, orientation, and the operations of the Great Dane Union. The Director is pivotal in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives while strategically managing the facilities and resources that support student engagement, retention, and success. Through collaborative partnerships across campus and the broader community, the Director ensures that the Great Dane Union serves as the heart of campus life, enriching the educational experience for all students.The units that comprise the Great Dane Union are housed in in the University's 300,000+ square-foot, four-floor facility that is the center of college community life, providing a gathering place for students, faculty, staff, and visitors and opportunities for involvement in formal and informal activities. The Director has a thorough awareness of the social, recreational, inclusive and educational needs of students to assist in the provision of a comprehensive program of extra-curricular activities enriching the educational experience and supporting the overall retention and success of all students. The scope of the activities and operation of this area is comprehensive and significant. Lastly, the Director must demonstrate the ability and willingness to advocate for diversity education and initiatives as it relates to students.Primary Responsibilities:Personnel and Management:
Has direct oversight and supervision of the following unit(s):
Student Activities & Orientation;
Fraternity and Sorority Life;
Campus Center Management;
Intercultural Student Engagement
Serves as a visionary leader for the units under their supervision.
Support the Associate Vice President in the planning, administration, and leadership of the units above (as well as its staff) with a focus on creating an environment that contributes and/or leads to the retention and success of the student population.
Support diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for all students, student employees and professional staff under their vision and supervision.
Serves as a strong proponent for student learning and success by promoting University & Divisional learning outcomes and program assessment.
Remain abreast of current issues and best practices in higher education, specifically in areas of student leadership development.
Supports the system of internal controls developed by the University, Division of Student Affairs, and individual departments. Upholds all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Play a key role in the implementation of the Division's strategic plan.
Fiscal Management and Oversight:
Assume fiscal responsibility for all accounts associated with the units that comprise the Great Dane Union.
Advise a student board responsible for allocating a robust campus life fee programmatic budget.
Provides leadership in the areas of planning, human resources, policy development, operational, facility, and budgetary aspects for all reporting units.
Prepare financial reports/engage in the budget review process for the areas that serve as direct reports.
Student Engagement, Activities, and Programs:
Create, and develop sustainable systematic initiatives and opportunities to increase student retention with the goal of increasing student sense of belonging, involvement in campus activities and well-being - all of which according to National research have been correlated to fostering student retention, growth, persistence, and graduation rates.
A new student orientation program to ensure that entering students and families experience a seamless transition to the University at Albany. Maintain relationships with various campus partners to ensure continuity and synergy among all programs for new students and their families where applicable.
A fraternity and sorority life program, inclusive of IFC fraternities, NPHC organizations, and LatinX organizations.
Develop an annual strategic plan to impact student success to the largest scale/degree possible while retaining individual student efficiency.
Lead campus efforts to coordinate the Student Experience to ensure a diverse and robust calendar of events for the student body.
Maintain, grow and develop "major" events which have a large-scale impact for the entire campus community.
Provide leadership over the Great Dane Welcome Experience which typically encompasses over 100+ events in the first six weeks of the semester.
Responsible for cornerstone campus "traditions" such as Welcome Week, Torch Night, Candlelighting, Great DaneTOPIA, Dance Marathon, President's Awards and Senior Week.
Advance a vision for building community among a diverse population of students, faculty and staff members that contribute significantly toward a sense of belonging, and the evolution of a socially just campus.
Collaborates with campus partners to provide ongoing risk assessment, reduction and management for student activities, fraternity and sorority life and student sponsored campus events.
Student Government:
Oversee the advisement and support of the undergraduate and graduate student governments.
Assists in managing the undergraduate student government including but not limited to: risk management, fiscal management, and student leadership and development.
Coordinate custodial efforts for the almost $3,000,000 in activity fee monies provided to undergraduate and graduate student governments.
Serve as the campus advisor and designee to the undergraduate student government to ensure compliance with the Board of Trustees guidelines and provide timely advisement, coordination of training, and support to all three branches of government: Executive, Senate, and Judicial.
Support, advise and manage student government initiatives and programs including major campus traditions and events such as Parkfest, Cultural Carnivale.
Facilities and Services:
Supervise and support the Union staff in providing the following services: room reservations, information desk, campus technical services, management of the Great Dane Game Den.
Work with campus leadership to develop a "master plan" for the maintenance and refurbishment of the Great Dane Union facility. This includes the purchasing of equipment and furniture as needed.
Serve as the liaison between physical plant, dining services and tenants that provide business services, in relation to maintenance requests and maintenance billing.
Functional and Supervisory Relationships:
The Director of the Great Dane Union reports to the Associate Vice President & Dean of Students and directly supervises the staff (administrative and professional) below:
Administrative Personnel
Student Activities and Orientation
Campus Center
Intercultural Student Engagement
Graduate and Student Assistants
Reports to the Associate Vice President & Dean of Students, Division of Student Affairs
Ancillary Responsibilities:
Serve as co-lead, Designated Public Forum Event Response
Represent and act on behalf of the Dean of Students in his/her absence
Job Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications:
Master's degree from a college or university accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or internationally recognized accrediting organization
Minimum five years of progressive experience in the management and administration of student engagement activities
Demonstrated experience in crisis response and crisis management.
Experience working in highly collaborative environments requiring interpersonal communication competence, initiative, listening, and emotional intelligence.
Ability to communicate effectively and establish cooperative working relationships with others - faculty, staff, students and parent partners.
Ability to coordinate and execute a variety of tasks and to exercise judgment and discretion.
Applicants must demonstrate an ability to develop inclusive and equitable relationships within our diverse campus community.
Applicants must demonstrate an ability to support diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging relative to their role.
Preferred Qualifications:
Master's degree in student personnel or related area from a college or university accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or internationally recognized accrediting organization
Demonstrated experience planning and executing large scale programs and events
Experience conducting financial analyses and reviewing expenses to confirm that the team is using funds appropriately and following the budget
Additional Information:
This is a promotional opportunity for current UAlbany employees.Eligibility for Consideration:
You must be employed at the University at Albany campus.
You must be in a State-funded UUP professional position (MC employees are not eligible).
You must have a permanent, term, or probationary appointment. Only temporary employees employed by UAlbany for three or more consecutive years can be considered eligible.
For details concerning the University's Promotion Policy for Professional Employees, please see HR Memorandum 88-4 (https://www.albany.edu/hr/promotion.php) .Professional Rank and Salary Grade: SL-5, $115,000-$125,000Special Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. If you currently need sponsorship or will need it in the future to maintain employment authorization, you do not meet eligibility requirements.The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University's crime statistics for the past three years; and disclosures regarding the University's current campus security policies. The University at Albany's Annual Security Report is available in portable document format [PDF] by clicking this link http://police.albany.edu/ASR.shtml (https://www.albany.edu/police/statistics-and-records) Pursuant to NYS Labor Law 194-A, no State entity, as defined by the Law, is permitted to rely on, orally or in writing seek, request, or require in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current wage, or salary history as a condition to be interviewed, or as a condition of continuing to be considered for an offer of employment, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation, and for the purpose of verifying information, may such requests be made. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY IS AN EO/AA/IRCA/ADA EMPLOYERPlease apply online via http://albany.interviewexchange.com/candapply.jsp?JOBID=182415
