Director of Residence Life and Student Conduct

Art Institute of Chicago • Chicago, IL

18h • $68,000 - $80,342

About The Position

The Director of Residence Life & Student Conduct provides strategic leadership
for the Residence Life program and the institution’s student conduct and
conflict resolution processes. The Director works closely with the Associate
Dean of Student Affairs & Residence Life to oversee residential operations
serving more than 1,000 on-campus students while leading the development,
implementation, and assessment of policies and programs that support student
learning, community engagement, and student accountability.

This role supervises professional staff, oversees community development
initiatives, administers the student conduct system, and manages crisis response
related to student issues. The Director collaborates with campus partners to
ensure compliance with institutional policies and federal regulations while
fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for SAIC students.

The Director serves in the Dean-on-Call rotation and maintains a visible
leadership presence within the residential community and across campus
(approximately 1 day per week as Daytime Dean on Call and 1 week bimonthly
evening and weekend Dean on Call). Evening and weekend commitments should be
expected.

The Director actively manages SAIC’s conduct issues and records within our
student database (Symplicity). Leads the annual revision of the student handbook
and SAIC’s Rules of Conduct that relate to students. Collaborates with partners
on campus to ensure OSA practices and procedures comply with federal
regulations, including but not limited to Title IX, VAWA, Clery, FERPA and Drug
Free Schools. Works with the Associate Dean to provide student conduct board and
administrator training. Maintains accurate and thorough records of student
intakes, investigations and outcomes. Serves as primary administrator for the
Everfi Educational System.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in student affairs, higher education, college student personnel, counseling or related field strongly preferred or Bachelor's degree with significant, full-time experience is required.
• Must have a minimum of five years of progressively responsible full time professional experience in Residence Life, including at least two years of supervising full time professional staff.
• Must have knowledge of student development theory, and current trends in higher education, residence life, and student conduct.
• Progressive administrative experience in student conduct and conflict resolution is required
• Ability to work with diverse populations, including multicultural experience, cross-cultural communication skills and the ability to create and promote an inclusive community
• Demonstrated collegiality and leadership ability
• Student-focused candidate with experience supervising staff (paraprofessional or professional), developing community, advising student groups, working with other student affairs offices, or promoting student learning in a residence hall setting
• Basic understanding of mental health and mental health support
• Skills in crisis management, counseling, mediation, student referrals and understanding of working with artist
• Strong written and verbal skills. Ability to effectively communicate in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize work.
• Be a self-starter with a demonstrated ability to plan, organize and prioritize strategies and tasks in an independent way.
• Exhibit strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community
• Successful candidate is likely to have computer experience with Symplicity, Microsoft Office Suite, RMS/Mercury, Google and Peoplesoft.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision, leadership, and strategic direction for the Residence Life program serving more than 1,000 residential students.
• Collaborate with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs to develop and implement residential policies, procedures, and initiatives that support student success and community engagement.
• Oversee the community development model, residential programming, and educational initiatives designed to support student artists living in an urban campus environment.
• Assist with departmental assessment initiatives including learning outcomes, program evaluation, and data-informed decision making.
• Serve as department head in the absence of the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.
• Supervise two Assistant Directors of Residence Life and provide ongoing leadership, coaching, and professional development.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance evaluations, and goal setting with direct reports.
• Provide indirect supervision for Residence Hall Directors, the Housing & Residence Life Coordinator, and more than 80 student employees including Resident Assistants and desk staff.
• Support the recruitment, selection, training, and professional development of residence life professional and student staff.
• Oversee Residence Life professional staff training and contribute to the development and maintenance of training materials and manuals.
• Provide leadership and oversight for SAIC’s student conduct system, including formal and informal resolution processes.
• Manage conduct cases involving Residence Life, the Office of Student Affairs Deans, and the Student Conduct Board.
• Maintain accurate records of student conduct cases and investigations using the institutional conduct database (Symplicity).
• Review incident reports and assign conduct cases to appropriate administrators.
• Lead the annual revision of the SAIC Student Handbook and Rules of Conduct in consultation with university leadership and legal counsel.
• Coordinate training for conduct administrators and Student Conduct Board members.
• Research and implement restorative justice and alternative dispute resolution approaches where appropriate.
• Leads the annual revision of the student handbook and SAIC’s Rules of Conduct that relate to students.
• Serve in the Dean-on-Call rotation providing daytime and after-hours response to student crises and emergencies.
• Provide consultation and support to Residence Life staff managing student incidents and behavioral concerns.
• Identify students experiencing personal or emotional challenges and connect them with appropriate campus resources.
• Collaborate with campus partners to address complex student issues and coordinate appropriate interventions.
• Support Residence Life staff in monitoring and responding to students of concern through case management processes.
• Ensure student conduct processes and policies comply with federal and institutional regulations including Title IX, VAWA, Clery Act, FERPA, and Drug-Free Schools requirements. Implement and maintain protocols for complaint documentation and conduct case records.
• Collaborate with the Title IX Coordinator and other campus partners to ensure compliance with discrimination and harassment policies.
• Serve as primary administrator for the Everfi educational platform.
• Coordinate online educational modules for new students including AlcoholEdu, Sexual Assault Prevention, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training.
• Chair the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Biennial Review Committee.
• Participate in campus initiatives such as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming.
• Promote student education initiatives that support healthy decision-making and community responsibility.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs to assess the effectiveness of Residence Life and student conduct programs.
• Analyze conduct and residential data to identify trends and inform policy development and student support strategies.
• Support student retention efforts by identifying barriers to student success and implementing proactive interventions.
• Serve as liaison with campus partners including Campus Security, Facilities Management, Academic Affairs, Counseling Services, Admissions, Human Resources, and the Title IX Office.
• Communicate student concerns and crises with appropriate institutional stakeholders.
• Participate in university committees and working groups that support student success and community wellbeing.
• Assist with major Residence Life and Student Affairs initiatives including RA recruitment and training, leadership programs, and campus-wide events.

Benefits

• Hiring Range: $68,000 - $80,342.
• Benefits [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lXoRp-Na9GIG866vPauAI1vzijNlDKpBNKR8dtjyiWs/edit?tab=t.0]
• PTO Overview [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GubVe-8SeAE6MkMcCx6EWbYTQyUlOyiw_L8q4bRUOtg/edit?tab=t.0]
• Job Classification: Full time staff
• Employment Category: Exempt
• Grade Level: 8

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees