Director of Student Services

General Description:

Urban College of Boston (UCB) seeks a collaborative and experienced team leader to bring their proven record of accomplishment in student affairs to the Director of Student Services position at UCB. The Director of Student Services is a critical member of the UCB leadership team and is responsible for leading and supporting numerous student service and engagement initiatives including academic support, the Learning Resource Center, disability support, co-curricular programming, and other student services activities. The successful candidate will have a depth of leadership experience in at least one of these areas and breadth of professional working experience in a multiple areas across student affairs.

The Director of Student Services leads and engages in strategic planning and promotes creative ideas that enable the student services area and the college to be more productive, efficient, and continuously improve services.  UCB has a small staff and, consequently, members of the leadership team have a variety of responsibilities and must carry them out in a fast-paced, data-driven, and results-oriented culture.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the college’s chief student affairs officer and provide direction and leadership to a variety of student services areas, including academic support, student conduct, disability support, and co-curricular programming
• Collaborate with other departments/divisions to carry out the philosophy of a student-centered institution within an integrated learning environment
• Develop, implement, and assess student engagement activities, initiatives, and programming
• Utilize enrollment and other relevant data for decision-making and planning
• Collaborate with UCB staff to develop, update, and disseminate the UCB Student Handbook and other student materials
• Collaborate with the Enrollment Services department on new student orientation and recruitment activities
• Recruit, hire, and supervise student services area staff
• Support students with disabilities and ensure compliance with relevant legal requirements
• Participate in accreditation review, strategic planning, new program development, and proposal writing processes
• Act as a student advisor and provide resources and referrals as warranted
• Oversee Federal Work-Study program, including managing Work-Study Student Coordinator and working with the Financial Aid and Business offices to ensure federal guidelines are followed
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Master's degree in higher education or other relevant discipline required
• Minimum of 5 years of experience leading a student affairs or services area
• Ability to think critically, strategically, and creatively about the student experience
• Experience in the development, implementation, and assessment of student service and engagement goals
• Proven ability to work with a diverse faculty, staff, and student population
• Demonstrated success in leading teams to reach established goals
• Demonstrated experience working in or providing administrative oversight to a disability support office preferred
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, technological, and written and oral communication skills
• Mission-driven and committed to working at a College that serves multilingual and multicultural nontraditional students
• Bilingual (Spanish/English or Chinese/English) and bicultural individual preferred, but not required

If interested, please send a cover letter and resume to Yvonne Abdal at yvonne.abdal@urbancollege.edu. Cover letters may be addressed to Michael Taylor, President.

About Urban College of Boston

A private, non-profit, two-year college accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), Urban College of Boston (UCB) exists to provide opportunity to every student seeking a college degree or professional advancement. The College supports students as they overcome economic, social, and language barriers to achieve academic, personal, or professional aspirations.

UCB grants Associate of Arts degrees in Early Childhood Education, General Studies, and Human Services Administration, and offers over 10 certificates. Most courses are offered at the main campus, located in the heart of downtown Boston (2 Boylston Street, 2^nd Floor). UCB enrolls nearly 1,400 students annually, many of whom attend college half-time, while working full-time and raising a family.

Chartered in 1993, UCB has long served an ethnically- and racially-diverse student body; in 2018-2019, 65% identified as Hispanic or Latino, 15% as Black or African American, 14% as Asian, 4% as White, and 2% as another race or ethnicity. In addition, approximately 69% of UCB students speak English as a second language, 91% are women, and the average age is 38.