Assistant Dean of Student Support and Community Standards

University of New Hampshire

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Dean of Students, the Assistant Dean of Student Support and Community Standards is the University’s Chief Student Conduct Officer and a leader in providing support to students in distress. The Assistant Dean provides leadership to the Office of Community Standards (OCS), the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), and the Basic Needs program. This role fosters a coordinated, community-of-care approach to promote student well-being, safety, and accountability, leading a team of professional and student staff. The Assistant Dean ensures compliance with federal and state regulations, reviews and implements policies affecting students, and oversees the Student Code of Conduct to promote a safe, inclusive, and supportive campus community.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Student Life, Counseling, Law or a related field
5-7 years’ experience in student conduct or other related experience including experience with conflict/dispute resolution, mediation, investigations, and/or legal practice
Experience supervising others
Experience supporting students in distress
Experience working with students in a college or university setting
Leadership abilities to include strong conflict resolution, mediation, restorative justice and policy interpretation
Strong working knowledge of Title IX, FERPA, due process, and student conduct best practices
Demonstrated knowledge of student development theory, student conduct administration and federal/ state compliance mandates
Demonstrated commitment to inclusive practices
Strong interpersonal and communications skills
Strong organizational, planning, analytic, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including effective public speaking
Excellent judgment to include managing sensitive and confidential information; ability to handle sensitive cases and ability to exercise judgment about when to seek legal advice
Ability to effectively manage projects and balance multiple priorities while maintaining a positive outlook and working effectively in a collaborative environment
Apply data-informed decision making to assess trends, evaluate initiatives, and implement policies that promote student success, safety and accountability

Nice To Haves

Experience managing a budget, including identifying and leveraging alternative funding sources (e.g., donor support and gift funds)
Experience with Maxient or similar conduct databases
Experience assisting, facilitating, and/or leading investigations
Experience with organizational conduct processes
Experience with restorative justice and/or alternative dispute resolution practices such as mediation or conflict coaching

Responsibilities

Provide direct supervision, ongoing development, and performance evaluation to the Assistant Director of Community Standards, Basic Needs Coordinator and Case Manager, and Administrative Coordinator for Community Standards.
Indirectly supervise the Student Conduct Coordinator, student employees, and interns.
Oversee and administer the university-wide conduct system, including all related processes and administrative functions for academic and non-academic misconduct, involving students and recognized student organizations; set parameters for and provide direction to residential conduct processes administered by Residential Life; and ensure processes are fair, transparent, procedurally sound, and educationally purposeful.
Recruit, train and support faculty, staff, and students to serve in the capacity of Chairpersons, Panel Officer, Appellate Officers Conduct Advisors, and Investigators, and decision makers in service of the University’s conduct system.
Ensure designated units and personnel vested with authority to review and adjudicate allegations of prohibited conduct have the appropriate knowledge, skills, training, and resources necessary to fulfill student conduct related responsibilities.
In collaboration with the Dean of Students and Executive Director of Strategy and Operations, monitor and maintain awareness of area budgets to ensure expenditures align with institutional and divisional strategic priorities.
Support the Dean on division-wide planning, policy development, and organizational stewardship; exercise delegated decision-making authority in the Dean's absence for the Dean's portfolio, crisis response, and student-related issues, within clearly defined parameters and in coordination with divisional leadership.
Serve as the primary contact for parents, attorneys, outside advocacy groups, and other stakeholders regarding sensitive and complex student conduct related matters.
Serve as or appoint designated university officials to assume the role of Chair and preside over University Hearings in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Student Code of Conduct; act as gatekeeper and determine the relevance and admissibility of evidence, questions, and witnesses, and maintain the decorum of participants throughout proceedings.
Act as an Administrative Hearing Officer to review cases, determine responsibility, and impose sanctions or remedies as appropriate; or serve as an Appellate Officer to affirm, modify, or remand original disciplinary determinations.
Design, implement, and facilitate structured, remedies-based alternative dispute resolution programs to address conflicts and concerns, either in lieu of formal adjudication or in conjunction with traditional disciplinary outcomes.
Collaborate with Housing and Residential Life, the Civil Rights and Equity Office, the UNH and Durham Police Departments, University Recognizing Agents, academic colleges, component campuses, and the Office of General Counsel; provide high-level guidance to designees across area conduct systems, as appropriate.
Advise and consult on routine, sensitive and complex matters related to student conduct concerns and processes.
Chair the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT), coordinating multidisciplinary assessment, case management, and interventions for students of significant concern.
Support the Basic Needs Coordinator and Case Manager in their oversight of the Basic Needs program, ensuring students have access to essential resources and wraparound support services that promote belonging, persistence, and well-being.
Serve as a key contact for students and families navigating complex personal, financial, or institutional challenges, connecting them with appropriate resources and support.
Collaborate with campus partners including Psychological and Counseling Services, Housing and Residential Life, College Dean's Offices, and community organizations, with clearly defined roles and referral expectations, to ensure a holistic and responsive support network for students in need.
Maintain clear referral pathways and coordinate with Health and Well-Being functions, Housing and Residential Life, and college Dean's offices to ensure students enter the appropriate level of support without duplication of services.
Serve as the primary advisor to the Dean of Students in the development, revision, maintenance and discontinuation of student policies contained in the Student Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities Handbook; support all efforts to promote and educate the community on key changes.
Collaborate with policy owners and responsible offices to ensure the University maintains a comprehensive and compliant set of student-facing policies, and information is organized categorically in a centrally located policy library.
Support the Division of Student Life in monitoring internal and external compliance environments and identifying risks and vulnerabilities related to the Stop Campus Hazing Act, Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, Drug-Free Schools and Community Act, FERPA, Title IX, and other relevant laws.
Maintain and publish the Campus Hazing Transparency Report; a biannual public record documenting substantiated hazing allegations involving established or recognized student organizations, prepared and updated in compliance with federal requirements under the Stop Campus Hazing Act, § 485(f) of the Higher Education Act.
Stay abreast of legal, regulatory and accreditation developments and advise senior leadership on their implications for Student Life.
Implement a comprehensive plan for benchmarking, assessment and evaluation of student conduct processes and programs within their portfolio to ensure programs, policies and processes are effective, equitable, prompt, and educational.
Utilize data-drive approaches to measure progress, strengthen effectiveness, and make improvements; communicate conduct trends and their implications to senior leadership and campus stakeholders to support institutional decision-making.