Director of Student Affairs, School of Social Work

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Student Affairs fosters a supportive academic environment for all students in the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The role leads student support functions, coordinated responses to student concerns, and student success initiatives, working with academic program teams, school leadership, faculty, staff, and campus partners to develop and implement programs, practices, and policies that support student success and a positive student experience. The Director oversees a broad range of student services, including student needs assessment, responses to conduct and other student-related incidents, academic standing and recovery planning, academic advising, career and professional development support, and liaison work with student groups. The Director supervises student affairs staff, manages the student affairs budget, represents the School on relevant university committees, and coordinates student programming such as orientation, recruitment events, graduation convocations, and award ceremonies. The position implements student-related university policies, develops student-facing resources, tracks student success and support metrics, prepares semester reports, and collaborates on standard operating procedures. This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional appointment on a 12-month basis. The position is onsite at the Urbana-Champaign campus, may require some evening and weekend hours, and is not eligible for work authorization sponsorship. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the search closes. The budgeted salary range is $80,000–$85,000.

Requirements

Master’s degree or higher in student affairs, social work, counseling, psychology, or a related field.
At least two years of experience as a supervisor, manager, or formal team leader.
At least one year of work experience in a higher education setting.
Excellent communication, organizational, and collaboration skills.
Effective supervisor and project manager skills.

Nice To Haves

MSW or BSW degree.
LCSW license.
Five to seven years of professional work experience, including at least three years in higher education in areas such as student affairs or academic advising, and at least two years of supervisory or managerial experience.

Responsibilities

Provide direction and intervention across student needs and concerns, including student conduct issues and incidents affecting campus life.
Oversee assessment of student needs and coordinate responses that connect students with appropriate campus resources.
Ensure academic standing is evaluated each semester, identify students on academic warning, and issue appropriate documentation.
Ensure students on academic warning develop personalized academic recovery plans and receive ongoing support.
Collaborate with campus partners to address student-related issues and foster a supportive learning environment.
Advocate for individual students and facilitate communication among students, faculty, and administration.
Ensure students can access career options information, professional development, and co-curricular activities in collaboration with faculty as needed.
Ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality academic advising is available in collaboration with Program Directors.
Ensure the student affairs team provides faculty guidance on policies related to FERPA, Title IX, Faculty Academic Integrity Reporting (FAIR), and student behavioral concerns.
Ensure the student affairs team supports faculty responding to student-related incidents and implementing School policies and professionalism standards.
Serve as the primary liaison for School of Social Work student groups and associations, connecting them with resources, addressing concerns, and guiding them through university policies.
Supervise, train, mentor, and evaluate student affairs coordinators, the graduate advisor, and other designated staff; may assist with day-to-day supervision of undergraduate academic advisors during designated periods.
Collaborate with Program Directors to align advising with curriculum and academic program missions.
Advocate for student needs and identify and address emerging trends and concerns affecting student success and well-being.
Manage the student affairs budget and allocate resources for programming, orientation, and student success initiatives.
Facilitate staff development in student services, professional social work competencies, and career preparation.
Represent the School of Social Work on relevant University committees and collaborate with campus units to improve student services and promote best practices.
Oversee orientation and participate in undergraduate and graduate recruitment events, which may occur evenings or weekends.
Plan and organize school-wide events, including spring and fall graduation convocations and award ceremonies.
Lead programming that promotes a positive School culture and climate and supports academic success, professional development, wellness, social engagement, career readiness, and civic readiness.
Implement campus policies and procedures related to the Student Code, conduct, academic warning, dismissals, deadlines, academic integrity, and FAIR procedures; provide guidance and training to students and faculty.
Oversee development of accurate, up-to-date student resources on academic policies, support services, mental health, career development, academic and professional expectations, course policies, and financial aid.
Track metrics aligned with University and School strategic plans, including student support requests, conduct cases, and rates of academic warning, withdrawal, dismissal, and re-entry.
Produce semester reports on student concerns and engagement for the Deans’ office and Program Directors.
Collaboratively develop standard operating procedures for routine operations and event planning.