Assistant Dean, Graduate Student Life

Santa Clara University•Santa Clara, CA

About The Position

The Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Life is a leader within Santa Clara University’s Dean of Students Office and the primary campus leader responsible for identifying and implementing enhancements to graduate student life. The role provides strategic oversight and day-to-day leadership in collaboration with the University’s schools, colleges, and Provost’s Office. The Assistant Dean develops the vision, short- and long-term strategic plans, goals, outcomes, and assessment efforts that advance University support for graduate students. The position reports directly to the Dean of Students, with a dotted line to the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs. As a leader in the Division of Student Life, the Assistant Dean provides oversight and advising support to the Graduate Student Association and graduate student organizations, and collaborates with campus partners to implement and track recommendations from the Fall 2025 Graduate Student Working Group. The role also oversees the Graduate Student Hub, graduate student programming and communications, and support services for graduate and professional students. The Assistant Dean serves on the Dean of Students Office on-call team, which provides 24/7/365 response and support during critical incidents. The position supervises student assistants and may require work in the evenings and on weekends when necessary. The work is based in a typical indoor office environment, with time spent at a desk using a computer; travel to other campus buildings and occasional conference or training travel may be required. Employees approved to telecommute must work from California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, or Illinois.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in higher education administration, college student services, education, counseling, or a related field.
Eight to ten years of progressively responsible work in an academic setting.
Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and evaluating programs, particularly programs focused on graduate student success.
Knowledge of the Jesuit mission of the University, its strategic initiatives, and major developmental issues of graduate students.
Understanding and support of the Jesuit tradition of education and commitment to service, community, diversity, and serving the needs of a diverse campus community.
Organizational skills, including time management and project completion.
Oral and written communication skills, including experience delivering workshops and speaking to groups of varying sizes.
Commitment to internal and external customer service.
Competence working with students from different cultural, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Experience with technology, database management, social media, and digital communication.
Ability to cultivate collaborative relationships with internal and external constituencies.
Ability to communicate clearly, effectively, and in a timely manner with varied stakeholders.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and professional discretion and integrity when handling confidential, sensitive information.
Ability to manage projects of varying complexity from inception through implementation and assessment with minimal supervision.
Ability to work independently, prioritize, and remain flexible.
Flexibility to work beyond conventional business hours, including evenings and weekends, when necessary.

Nice To Haves

Prior supervisory experience.
Master’s degree in higher education administration, college student services, education, counseling, or a related field.
Experience serving as on-call staff and providing 24/7 crisis response.
Experience building community and addressing student safety and well-being in graduate student settings.
Experience assessing risk of harm to self or others, with training from the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment or a similar professional organization.
Experience responding to sexual violence and knowledge of Title IX compliance.

Responsibilities

Provide university-wide leadership in assessing and addressing graduate and professional student issues and needs.
Advocate for and conduct outreach to graduate students across the University’s graduate programs.
Serve as the primary university liaison for graduate and professional student support services and collaborate with campus units to provide those services.
Serve as the primary Dean of Students Office contact for graduate program staff regarding student well-being and conduct concerns; provide advice, support, referrals, and conduct hearings as needed.
Advise and provide oversight for graduate student organizations, including supporting compliance with University policies and community standards.
Create, launch, and advise the Graduate Student Association.
Supervise operations of the Graduate Student Hub, including staffing, protocols, inventory, supplies, and event scheduling.
Supervise Graduate Student Association financial processes, monitor budget controls and accountability, advise its Financial Director, and authorize expenditures.
Collaborate with school and department program directors on programs, student needs, and joint programming.
Supervise Graduate Student Life programs, including orientation and student formation programs as requested by graduate programs.
Identify opportunities for coordinated communications across graduate programs and ensure consistent policy notifications in Student Handbook publications.
Represent graduate student needs to the Provost’s Office through the Vice Provost for Student Life and the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs.
Connect Graduate Student Life programs, initiatives, and services to the institutional strategic plan.
Collaborate with the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of the Provost to track and implement recommendations from the Fall 2025 Graduate Student Working Group.
Participate in the Dean of Students Office on-call rotation, providing response, support, direction, and communication during critical incidents on or off campus.
Review, assess, and update on-call protocols and policies to support clear and effective responses to student safety, well-being, and conduct concerns.
Develop and support new initiatives, services, and programs related to graduate student life.
Represent the Division of Student Life on working groups, task forces, committees, and other University committees related to graduate student life.
Participate in the annual Graduate Student Services Bootcamp sponsored by the Vice Provost for Graduate Programs.
Conduct periodic assessments of graduate student needs and satisfaction in partnership with institutional research, including administering a Graduate Student Experience Survey.
Represent Graduate Student Life on requested University committees and working groups, including behavioral evaluation and academic liaison teams.
Assist Dean of Students Office colleagues when student conduct and CARE Referral caseloads are impacted.
Supervise student assistants, including recruitment, onboarding, training, scheduling, performance oversight, and task assignment.
Recommend initiatives and implement changes to improve services for graduate students; identify problems and develop recommendations to improve processes and practices.
Maintain contact with graduate students and solicit feedback; prepare annual reports, provide other requested data and reports, and develop guidelines supporting Graduate Student Life.
Work evenings and weekends when necessary.