Associate Dean for Student Life, TWU Dallas - Student Life Dallas

Texas Woman’s University•Dallas, TX

13h•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Dean for Student Life serves as the chief student affairs officer for TWU Dallas and its locations, including the T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences Dallas Center and TWU Dallas Downtown. The role leads Student Life operations, personnel, and student support partnerships for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students across an evolving urban campus, developing services responsive to their needs and environment. An initial priority is establishing Student Life services for the Come to Believe College at TWU Dallas Downtown in partnership with its Founding Dean, while leading existing Dallas Student Life operations and building staffing, partnerships, and operating practices to support greater local capacity as TWU Dallas grows. The Associate Dean provides strategic leadership for student engagement, non-academic support, retention initiatives, career development, and wellness, coordinating with academic and university service units to support persistence, degree completion, and career advancement. The position works under the general direction of the Dallas Campus President and exercises substantial independent judgment. Performance is evaluated based on the effectiveness of Student Life operations, progress toward strategic priorities, student outcomes, and adherence to University Policies & Procedures. The position reports to the Dallas Campus President and supervises Dallas Student Life personnel assigned to the role, including the Associate Director for Student Life and the Career Counselor at the T. Boone Pickens IHS Dallas Center. It provides dotted-line guidance to the Come to Believe College Student Success Case Manager, who reports to the Founding Dean. Regular and reliable attendance at assigned TWU Dallas locations during regularly scheduled workdays and hours is essential. The role requires regular presence across Dallas locations and occasional evening or weekend work for student activities and urgent matters. Travel between TWU locations and to off-site activities may be required.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Student Personnel, Counseling, Social Work, or a related field.
Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education student affairs or student success administration.
Experience including professional staff supervision, budget administration, strategic planning, crisis coordination, and program assessment.
Demonstrated experience supporting students with varied educational backgrounds and financial circumstances, including first-generation students.
Knowledge of student development theory and practices supporting undergraduate, graduate, professional, commuter, and first-generation students.
Ability to lead development of an urban Student Life operation across multiple locations and adapt services as institutional needs change.
Knowledge of coordinated student support, basic needs assistance, and retention strategies, and ability to apply the Come to Believe model within TWU Dallas.
Ability to build partnerships with cultural institutions, businesses, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions.
Ability to lead through direct supervision and collaborative working relationships while respecting college leadership and specialized professional authority.
Ability to plan, direct, and evaluate complex operations and exercise sound judgment in allocating staff, budgets, space, and other resources.
Knowledge of student concern, conduct, and crisis response practices, and ability to coordinate timely action with responsible university offices.
Ability to analyze student feedback and service and retention data to guide decisions and assess outcomes.
Ability to communicate effectively, resolve problems, and maintain productive relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
Ability to handle sensitive information discreetly and use university administrative, student information, and case management systems appropriately.
Regular and reliable attendance at assigned TWU Dallas locations during regularly scheduled days and work hours.
Adherence to Federal and State information security and privacy regulations and TWU Policies & Procedures.

Nice To Haves

Doctorate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.).
Experience developing new services, coordinating multiple functional areas or locations, or serving commuter, graduate, or professional students.
Experience with intensive, cohort-based student support models.

Responsibilities

Lead planning, implementation, and assessment of Student Life across TWU Dallas locations, aligning services with Dallas priorities, university policies, and student needs.
Develop initial Student Life services for the Come to Believe College in partnership with the Founding Dean and embedded staff, including launch plans, service agreements, referral pathways, staffing recommendations, and readiness and effectiveness measures.
Develop an urban Student Life model that connects students across Dallas locations and uses the city’s cultural, civic, and business resources to support learning, personal development, and belonging.
Build educational relationships with business and financial institutions to support financial understanding, career exploration, and shared learning in coordination with academic programs and the Director of Employer Relations.
Build partnerships with nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to expand leadership development, community engagement, student support, and joint student development activities.
Lead orientation, student organizations and representation, leadership development, wellness, and student engagement, adapting delivery to commuter schedules, academic demands, and students’ work and family responsibilities.
Oversee coordinated non-academic support systems, including basic needs assistance, emergency aid referrals, and access to mental health and community services; work with responsible offices to address service gaps and participation barriers.
Provide administrative oversight of Dallas Student Life spaces and amenities, including the Fitness and Recreation Center, student gathering spaces, and lactation spaces; coordinate access, maintenance, equipment, and safe operations.
Coordinate Dallas student conduct, student concern, crisis response, and behavioral intervention matters with the Dean of Students, CAPS, public safety, and other responsible offices under established procedures.
Collaborate with academic leaders, advisors, and learning support personnel to connect advising and tutoring with non-academic support, early intervention, and retention efforts.
Coordinate career development and student employment support with Career Connections, the Director of Employer Relations, and academic programs; support Come to Believe College degree pathways and its embedded associate degree milestone.
Work with the Founding Dean and embedded College staff through regular planning and consultation to align professional practices, coordinate access to university resources, and assess student support while preserving their College assignment.
Develop and manage assigned Dallas Student Life budgets, recommend staffing and resource priorities, and coordinate planning for student fee requests and College-specific expenditures.
Establish goals and assessment measures for service access, engagement, student learning, retention, and persistence; use student feedback and institutional data to improve services and guide expansion.
Recruit, develop, and evaluate direct reports; establish job performance standards and coordinate staff responsibilities in accordance with university policies.
Serve as a principal Dallas liaison to Student Life, Disability Support Services, and other university offices, coordinating student-facing information and procedures across locations.
Ensure activities within the role’s responsibility comply with university policies and requirements for student privacy, accessibility, nondiscrimination, and safety, consulting designated university officials.
Represent TWU Dallas on university committees and in community partnerships, recruitment activities, and donor or partner visits related to student support and engagement.
Guide effective use of student service technologies and staff professional development.
Perform other duties as requested by the Dallas Campus President.