Associate Director for American Indian and Indigenous Student Empowerment

Cornell University•Ithaca, MI

7d•$74,500 - $78,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director for American Indian and Indigenous Student Empowerment is a key role within Cornell University's Student & Campus Life division, specifically within the Office of the Dean of Students and The Centers for Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging. This position serves as the primary point of contact for Indigenous and American Indian Students, aiming to foster their belonging, engagement, leadership development, and holistic well-being. The Associate Director will implement educational programs to raise awareness and collaborate with campus partners to address challenges faced by these students. A critical responsibility includes participating in an Administrator on-call rotation for after-hours crisis response, including high-level issues of physical and psychological safety. This is a live-in optional position, with the option to reside in Akwe:kon, Cornell’s Indigenous program house.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 3 to 5 years of full-time professional experience, or equivalent combination of experience and education.
Direct experience with and knowledge of American Indian and Indigenous students, communities, culture, and issues is essential.
Ability for meaningful and appropriate interaction with people from a wide range of ethnic, social, and cultural backgrounds.
Ability to serve as an advocate for individuals of all ethnicities, genders, ages, and backgrounds.
Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to multi-task under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
Experience with events planning and development of programs.
Must exercise sound judgment and respect highly confidential information.
Intercultural competency and experience advising diverse groups of students.
Strong understanding of student issues, trends, and ability to proactively respond to a wide array of issues or emerging student needs.
Experience advising or working closely with students from diverse and or historically marginalized populations.
Ability to take initiative, follow directives, work independently, and contribute to a diverse team environment.
Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in College Student Development, Student Affairs Administration, Higher Education, Educational Administration or related field.
2-4 years full-time professional experience working with American Indian and Indigenous students in some capacity.
Direct support of students from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
Knowledge of indigenous, native and or first nations.
Experience working with diverse college student populations in a student affairs setting.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for Indigenous and American Indian Students.
Advance the mission of the Office of the Dean of Students by fostering student belonging, engagement, leadership development, and holistic well-being among American Indian and Indigenous students.
Implement educational programs to raise awareness about Indigenous and American Indian student experiences.
Collaborate with campus partners to help mitigate challenges faced by American Indian and Indigenous students.
Participate in an Administrator on-call rotation responding to crisis-related situations after-hours, including navigating high-level issues of physical and psychological safety.
Cultivate an inclusive space where students can feel welcomed and engage with others from diverse backgrounds.
Foster a supportive and student-centered environment to empower students with skills for self-advocacy, coalition building, and governance.
Implement, assess, and support various programs and workshops for students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Foster student leadership development through advising, training, guidance, and reflection opportunities.
Advise students with sound judgment, including making appropriate referrals, setting boundaries, and empowering students with self-advocacy skills and strategies.
Cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Contribute to a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences, being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming, showing respect, compassion, and empathy, engaging and supporting others, speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately, and supporting work/life integration.