Overview

As a student-centered, senior leader in the Division of Student Affairs, the Dean of Students works with the Vice President to coordinate and operationalize Macalester College’s student experience through engagement, advocacy, education, support, and accountability. This position is expected to leverage student development theories and innovative student affairs practices to create structures, policies, protocol, and a culture of care that promote a holistic student experience. The Dean of Students serves as an advocate for students across campus and in the community by sharing information with and creating connections among the student body and with staff, faculty, alumni, and community stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervises a staff of 3 and indirectly supervises 40 professional staff, while overseeing a budget of $675,000. Plays a key role in setting the strategic direction for the division. Articulates salient goals, objectives, outcomes, and benchmarks aimed at creating a student experience that is aligned with the mission and strategic plan of the College. Provides specific oversight of Residential Life, Health and Wellness, and Student Leadership and Engagement, which includes the Campus Center, Forensics, Orientation, and Macalester College Student Government, and student clubs, among other things. Fosters synergies among departments and programs.
• Represents and advocates for the needs, interest, and concerns of students. Develops programs, services, and resources that effectively meet the needs of students. Serves as a liaison between students and various constituencies of the College. Forms partnerships and collaborative relationships with Academic Affairs, Institutional Equity, and other areas to enhance student services and programs, ultimately enhancing student learning.
• Demonstrates a deep commitment to equity, diversity, and anti-racism. Actively engages in learning and practicing principles of social justice and inclusion to increase individual capacity to support institutional changes that create and sustain a more welcoming and equitable environment across the Macalester community.
• Collaborates with community members – within and outside the division – to address student issues, needs, and concerns. Develops early warning systems to identify students who may be at risk and develop appropriate intervention strategies. Assesses and establishes effective protocols, structures, and systems to effectively manage these processes. Leads the College-wide case management process, on-call team, and behavioral intervention/student crisis response team; overseeing the student conduct and judicial process; and serving as the College’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator. Provides leadership for and updates protocol regarding postvention response. Actively stays up to date on best practices regarding case management, behavioral intervention, crisis response, postvention, and on-call to update College protocol and training of team members supporting these processes.
• Provides strategic, visionary leadership in furthering the mission of the Division, including the creation and implementation of a holistic, developmental curriculum that intentionally and meaningfully engages students in co-curricular experiences. Serves as the professional development officer for the division, coordinating staff meetings, retreats, and other opportunities for division members. Leads and supports initiatives within the division. Represents Student Affairs on College committees, projects, and initiatives.
• Provides vision, leadership, and direction for the comprehensive campus plan, particularly as it relates to Residential Life, the Campus Center, and Student Affairs departments. Advocates for a campus plan that enriches students’ intellectual and social wellbeing. Ensures configuration, program, and design of new and updated residential and student life spaces enhances students’ abilities to grow and excel in a supportive campus community.
• Develops and implements appropriate assessment tools to measure effectiveness of programs, processes, departments, and staff. Prepares annual reports.
• Coordinates processes that support student status changes, such as leave of absence, withdrawals and return to the College. Supports academic status process and serves on academic status committee.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Student Affairs/Higher Education or related field; Master's degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience with staff supervision, case management and behavioral intervention/crisis management, student conduct and grievance response, and providing strategic direction and leadership for groups of programs and student services.
• Understanding of student development theory, awareness of trends related to college-age young adults, trends in higher education administration. Knowledge and skills in cross cultural communication, student support, harassment intervention, grievance resolution, crisis management, and student success.

• Ability to translate student development theory into practice and experience with/fostering of student learning in a liberal arts environment. Ability to define on-call, case management, and crisis response protocols and make decisions quickly and competently under stressful circumstances, while providing support to students and leadership to staff.

• Strong supervision, communication, and coaching skills to allow mid-level managers to successfully lead their areas of responsibility, leadership and visioning abilities. Ability to collaboratively lead strategic planning initiatives and efforts to build new programs and refine and improve existing ones.

• Proficient with Google suite, Microsoft Office suite, Zoom.

• Experience in the effective management and allocation of resources.

• Ability to inspire trust, create relationships across all areas of the institution, cultivate a sense of community and shared vision, and lead multi-unit work groups to address complex campus issues.

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills and demonstrated capacity to communicate broadly across campus constituencies. High degree of accessibility and openness to students, a commitment to participating fully in the life of the campus community.

 

Compensation:

The annual salary for this position is $115,000-$125,000, depending on experience.

 

Benefits:

At Macalester, we are proud to offer excellent comprehensive employee benefits. Here are some highlights:

• 10% employer contributions to the retirement plan. 
• Outstanding vacation and sick time packages, plus an additional 10 holidays.
• Generous employer contribution to Health Savings Account.
• Tuition assistance which pays between 75% - 100% of eligible tuition for employee dependents at select institutions.
• Free primary care for most services through Nice Healthcare when enrolled in a Macalester health plan.
• Access to the athletics fitness facility, wellness coaching, and activities.

These are just some of the great benefits Macalester has to offer! To see our full benefits packages and options, please visit our Benefits Page.

 

Satisfactory completion of a criminal background check is a condition of employment.

 

Application Guidelines:

For best consideration, please submit your cover letter and resume by August 18, 2023.  Review of applications will begin immediately. All inquiries about this position should be directed to: 

Tracy Harris

Talent Acquisition Manager 

tharris1@Macalester.edu

 

Macalester is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic staff committed to working in a multicultural environment and strongly encourages applications from everyone who would add richness to our community, including people of color, individuals with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

 

 

Macalester College - Institutional Overview

Founded in 1874, Macalester College provides students with the inspiration, insight, and experience to become successful and ethical leaders. Located in flourishing St. Paul, Minnesota, Macalester enrolls over 2,000 students from across the country and around the world. Macalester is a preeminent liberal arts college recognized for its student service and celebration of internationalism.

At Macalester, we look at our employees through a whole-person, holistic lens. With comprehensive benefits and well-being programs, we provide and enable our community members to grow and care for themselves, their families, and one another. Our whole-hearted fidelity to community-building and social justice exemplify these ideals. Macalester College continuously prioritizes a culturally diverse and pluralistic community. We value individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences. 

Our rich blend of people holding varied identities enhances our strong commitment to multiculturalism and global citizenship. We seek candidates who reflect and strengthen our campus environment. Macalester invites and encourages everyone to apply who would add depth to our community including those from all sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, national origins, genders, religions, abilities, and ages.