Director of Orientation and First Year Experience

Denison University•Granville, OH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Orientation and First-Year Experience provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for programs that support new students in their transition to college life. This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing comprehensive orientation programs and year-round first-year experience initiatives that foster student engagement, belonging, social life, retention, and academic success. The Director also supports sophomore student engagement. The Director serves as a key partner in advancing the institution's commitment to holistic student development and will collaborate closely with colleagues across the College. The Division of Student Life at Denison University fosters a dynamic and supportive campus culture where holistic student development thrives. Recognizing that learning extends far beyond the classroom, into residence halls, student organizations, athletics, and campus leadership, our team works collaboratively to empower students to build community, respect self and others, and prepare for impactful post-graduate lives.

Requirements

Master’s in Higher Education, Student Affairs, or related field
5+ years of professional experience in higher education/student affairs preferred.
Understanding of how the first-year experience is situated within a selective, rigorous four-year residential college environment.
Evening and weekend work required, including flexibility of work hours and availability to attend to emergent situations on campus as needed.
Excellent oral and written communication skills and computer skills required.
Proficient in Google, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.

Nice To Haves

7+ years of professional experience in higher education/student affairs preferred.
Prior experience in the preparation and presentation of workshops preferred.

Responsibilities

Cultivate a campus experience that facilitates student engagement, social inclusion, intellectual curiosity, and personal exploration in collaboration with students and colleagues.
Manage all orientation programs, as well as social programming to support students and their transition to Denison University.
Plan, coordinate, and execute comprehensive new student orientation programs for first-year students and support orientation programs for other student populations.
Collaborate with a broad range of campus stakeholders to design inclusive orientation and sophomore experience content that integrates academic and co-curricular components.
Implement and lead a year-long First-Year Experience (FYE) program designed to promote academic success, social integration, and personal development.
Design and implement assessment tools to evaluate program effectiveness and student outcomes; use data to inform decisions, improve programming, and support retention and student success efforts.
Oversee the staff, general planning, budgets, and assessment of all orientation programs.
Partner with the Provost’s Office to create opportunities for engagement with faculty to support the holistic development of our students as well as support the orientation and academic advising efforts of first-year students.
Service in on-call rotation.